History on Elm begins a second season of free, public programming sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri. The series will be held the second Tuesdays of the month from noon to 1 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia. The fall season begins with a film and presentation, titled “Exploring Missouri’s German Heritage” September 12.
The Missouri Life publishing team and Evoke Group of Columbia, with funding from Missouri Humanities, recently produced a feature documentary about Missouri’s German heritage. The film delves into the reasons why German immigrants found Missouri River country appealing and settled along the river in an area now known as the “German Heritage Corridor.” The film also explores the rich German customs, crafts and music, as well as its ethnic cuisine, wine and beer. History on Elm will screen part 1 of the documentary, and include a discussion by the film’s producers, as well as W. Arthur Mehrhoff, whose book published by Missouri Life magazine became the basis for the documentary.
History on Elm continues into the fall as KOPN 89.5 FM, Columbia’s volunteer-run community station, celebrates its 50th anniversary. The noon program Oct. 10 will uncover some of the stories behind the KOPN collection archived at the State Historical Society. Longtime KOPN volunteers Christine Gardener and Margot McMillin will be the presenters. On Nov. 14, archivists from the State Historical Society will follow the paper trail of two Missouri politicians, Dewey Short and John C. Danforth, whose papers are part of the congressional collections at SHSMO. To close the year, History on Elm will feature a talk by SHSMO executive director Gary Kremer on Dec. 12 about how the forces of history have shaped the people of Missouri. Additional programming, beginning in January 2024, will be posted on the SHSMO.org calendar later this fall.
History on Elm series began in January 2023 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the State Historical Society by exploring a variety of topics on the second Tuesday at noon, September through June. The series ranges from topics on Missouri art and authors to unique and interesting collections at the State Historical Society. History on Elm is free to the public and registration is not required. The programs begin promptly at noon at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm Street, Columbia. For more information, visit shsmo.org.