Lyceums flourished in the United States from the mid-19th century and were important in the development of adult education. Lecturers, musicians, singers and readers traveled the “lyceum circuit,” going from town to town to entertain, speak, or debate. The current Lyceum Series at the Grange continues this tradition with lectures and programs of interest to the community. (Whallonsburg Grange)

The Whallonsburg Grange Hall Winter 2014 Lyceum Series will begin on February 4, 2014. This series will focus on the topic of “Our Wild Home: Six talks on the history and place of the Adirondacks.”

All lyceum lecture will take place on Tuesdays at 7:30PM. Attendance is $5 per lecture; Students FREE. Drop-ins are welcome, come to one event or all. See the schedule of events below.

Whallonsburg Grange Winter 2014 Lyceum Schedule

February 4
Wild Beginnings: The Formation of the Adirondacks,
with David Franzi, professor of Earth & Environmental Science, SUNY

Presentation on the geological beginnings of the mountains and the Champlain Valley.
David has been doing field research looking at the impact of the Ice Age and other
formative events in the region.

No program Feb. 11 

February 18
Settling the Wilderness: When Men and Mountains Meet with historian and author Glenn Pearsall

When Men and Mountains Meet focuses on the critical settlement period of the Adirondacks, mostly form 1790 to 1820. Immediately after the American Revolution, the Adirondacks became a land of opportunity for businessmen and land speculators. Each enterprise began with great optimism, and most ended in despair and human tragedy. The author of this new book will look at how and why this was such a challenging place for settlements.

February 25
The “Invention” of the American Wilderness,
with Andy Buchanan, lecturer in History at University of Vermont

The idea of wilderness is relatively recent. This presentation will look at how that idea developed;
the “strenuous life” ideal of Theodore Roosevelt and how it dovetailed with the rise of American
imperialism; and the role of environmentalists like John Muir in its invention.

March 4
Forever Wild: A History of the Forest Preserve with Ken Hamm, DEC Forest Preserve staff attorney

In 1885, the land in the Adirondack Park was conserved and never to be put up for sale or lease. The park was given state constitutional protection in 1894, so that the state-owned lands within its bounds would be protected forever (‘forever wild’). The part of the under government control is referred to as the Adirondack Forest Preserve. This program will look at its origins and development over the last century.

March 11
The Influences of Wild Places, with Marianne Patinelli-Dubay, Environmental Philosophy
Program Coordinator, SUNY-ESF’s Northern Forest Institute

Artists, writers, philosophers and all kinds of creative thinkers are drawn to these mountains
for their inspiration. They have an impact far beyond their natural beauty. This program will look
at the impact of “wild” places on the human spirit and how place and people impact each other.

March 18
Wild Waters: Boats and Boating in the Adirondacks with Hallie Bond, author and former Adirondack Museum curator

Ever since Ralph Waldo Emerson took a trip through the Adirondacks in a small boat, millions of Americans have seen an Adirondack vacation as the antidote to the stress and pollution of industrialized society. This illustrated lecture explores boatshops, liveries, and a way of life and leisure that has all but vanished.

This lecture is free, sponsored by the NY Council for the Humanities, Speakers in the Humanities program.

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