Crossroads Lecture Series

The Washington County Historical Society and Museum is proud to present and host Crossroad Lectures. "While Hillsboro functioned as the county seat, other settlements, located at various crossroads, evolved as centers where farmers from the surrounding area could bring their produce to trade for supplies; pick up their mail, have their wagons repaired, their horses shod, and their plows sharpened; and take advantage of some professional services." (This Far-Off Sunset Land)

Crossroads Lectures take place on the third Wednesday of every month from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Admission is $3 per person.  Lectures are free to WCM members, employees of corporate members, and PCC faculty, staff, and students. All ages are welcome. Parking is free in lot A or C with a permit available at the museum.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for our lecture series please call the museum at (503) 645-5353. We hope to see you here!

Our warmest thanks to Crossroads Lecture Series sponsor, Oregon International Air Show.

Upcoming Lectures:

March 4, 2010 - 7:00 p.m. FREE! Special Evening Crossroads Lecture
Lincoln and the American West with Dr. Richard Etulain

More than 16,000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln, more than on any other American, but not one provides a thorough overview of Lincoln's strong connections to the American West. This slide-illustrated presentation deals with several links that tied Lincoln to the West--during his pre-presidential and presidential years. Slavery and its controversies, territorial expansion, and political competitions were Lincoln's first dealings with the West. Later, western politics and patronage, railroads, land policies, and military decisions also linked the president to the trans- Mississippi West. Finally, he also had to deal with western upsets involving Indians and Mormons. Another section of the talk treats Lincoln's intriguing ties to Oregon. The talk is based on the speaker's new book, Lincoln Looks West: From the Mississippi to the Pacific (2010).

Richard W. Etulain is professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico. A specialist on the history and literature of the American West, he has authored or edited more than forty books on western and U.S. cultural topics. Among his best-known books are Conversations with Wallace Stegner on Western History and Literature (1983, 1996), The American West: A Twentieth-Century History (with Michael P. Malone, 1989, 2007), Re-imagining the Modern American West: A Century of Fiction, History, and Art (1996), and Beyond the Missouri: The Story of the American West (2006). His writings have won several awards, and he has served as president of both the Western Literature and Western History associations. Lincoln Looks West (2010), on Abraham Lincoln, is his latest book.

_______________________________

March 17, 2010 - 3:30 p.m.
Photographic archiving expert Brina Bolanz will teach us how to date our personal photographic collections in “Photo Dating: Costumes & Hairstyles 1840-1900.” Bolanz will give an overview of the Victorian fashion styles typically seen in posed portraits during each decade throughout the second half of the 19th Century. Join us to discover the details you can look for to pinpoint in time your own undated family photographs—no pre-existing knowledge or experience necessary. Bolanz runs her own photo archiving business, Restored Stories, and has worked with the Oregon Historical Society.

April 21, 2010
Take a Hike! Portland forest hikes from the West Hills to Scappoose with Jim Thayer

May 19, 2010
Special Crossroads Lecture: Oregon Council for the Humanities Conversation Project
Borderless: Migration, Globalization, and Changing Communities led by Elliott Young
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Contact: (503) 645-5353

June 15, 2010
Special Crossroads Lecture: Oregon Council for the Humanities Conversation Project
Marking our Territory: How to Read Local Landscapes led by Reiko Hillyer
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Contact: (503) 645-5353