The Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven will hold its final Lunch and Learn lecture of the summer next week by taking a look at the women who have played a role in Great Lakes history.
The museum’s Ashley Deming tells us they’ll host Madeline Crispell, curator of the Chicago Maritime Museum, on Wednesday, August 13 for “Sailors, Keepers, Racers, and More: Women on the Great Lakes.”
“She’s going to be looking at everything from cooks to the captains to lighthouse keepers to racing team leaders, and all of the ways in which women have helped shape Great Lakes maritime history,” Deming said.
Deming says this is Crispell’s first visit to the Michigan Maritime Museum, although the two museums have worked with each other before.
The lecture comes after a couple of presentations at the South Haven museum about women lighthouse keepers, and now Deming says they’re broadening the scope with several woman to be highlighted.
“One of those is Georgia Stebbins, who was a lighthouse keeper in Milwaukee. Another one’s in Florence Haas, the first licensed captain on the Great Lakes, who was based out of South Manitou Island. And then Evelyn Wright, who led the first all-female crew on the Chicago Yacht Club’s race to Mackinac way back in 1905.”
This event is part of Whispers Across the Water, the museum’s year-long series celebrating the diverse voices that have contributed to Great Lakes maritime heritage.
Deming says Lunch and Learn admission is included with general museum admission, so visitors can listen to the lecture and then take a look around the full museum. The event will be from noon to 1 p.m. next Wednesday.