WHAT: Brown Bag Lecture Series
HOSTED BY: UNK Department of History
TITLE: “Searching for Eliza: Myth, Memory and History at the Frank Museum”
TOPIC: For decades, the G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture told the story of Eliza Galloway, one of Kearney’s first Black residents and a domestic servant for the Frank family. But what if that story wasn’t entirely true? Based on recent discoveries, this presentation reveals new understandings of her life, her relationship with Kearney and Black history in central Nebraska. In turn, it will discuss the challenges of Black genealogy, especially after the Civil War, and the significant role that the preservation of individual voices can play in ensuring faithful historical interpretations.
PRESENTER: Will Stoutamire is an associate professor of history at UNK, where he coordinates the undergraduate public history minor and online master’s program in public history. His research focuses on early museums in the American West, with a particular interest in how museums shape community identity and historical memory. He was formerly the director of the G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture, where Eliza Galloway worked as a domestic servant in the late 1800s.
TIME: Noon
DATE: Wednesday, Aug. 14
PLACE: Kearney Public Library, 2020 First Ave.
VIDEO: Available on the Kearney Public Library YouTube channel
CONTACT: Nathan Tye, assistant history professor, 308.865.8860, tyen@unk.edu
