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History Conversations
Enjoy our History Conversations, a program featuring periodic virtual lectures from our talented corps of speakers covering a wide variety of local history topics. Each lecture is live-streamed via Zoom and Facebook and then posted here for a week.

Upcoming Lectures:

History Conversations REWIND
“Feast Your Ears: The Story of WHFS 102.3FM”
Panel featuring Jay Schlossberg, Weasel, Marc Elrich, Mark Segraves
Moderated by John Kelly

Originally presented at the 2018 Montgomery County History Conference
Premieres Monday, November 23 @ 10:00 a.m.

For Thanksgiving week, we’re offering a special treat to complement your turkey and dressing. Join us for a special REWIND for one of our most popular History Conference programs to hear the stories behind the seminal radio station, WHFS.

Moderated by Washington Post journalist John Kelly, the panel explores the history of this groundbreaking radio station that used to be “High Atop The Triangle Towers” in Bethesda. From its humble beginnings—offering middle of the road music from the basement of the Woodmont Medical Building—by 1968 WHFS adopted a “free form progressive” format and became one of the most beloved and legendary FM stations in the history of the airwaves. Watch the REWIND to find out why!

There is no registration link for this talk. The REWIND is available here on our website from 10:00 a.m. Monday morning through the end of Sunday:

“The Maryland Center for History and Culture: A (Re)Introduction”
with Katie Caljean
Tuesday, December 1 @ 2:00 p.m.

In September 2020, after 176 years, the Maryland Historical Society rebranded to become the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC). This new identity reflects the organization’s mission to define itself as a space where the community can come to discover and develop a deeper understanding of our nation’s history and culture through a Maryland prism. The transformation to the Maryland Center for History and Culture has been years in the making and includes a new website, core values, and visual identity. Join Katie Caljean, MCHC’s Vice President of Education & Strategic Engagement to discuss the organization’s journey and vision for the future.

Register for the event HERE. Because of the increasing popularity of our History Conversations, we’ve updated our Zoom platform so it now accommodates 500 people! If the Zoom session reaches capacity, you can watch on Facebook where it’ll be streamed live. If you have further questions about accessing the conversation via Zoom, please contact Matt Gagle, Director of Programs, at MGagle@MontgomeryHistory.org.

“The Odyssey of a Civil War Soldier”
with Robert Plumb
Tuesday, December 8 @ 2:00 p.m.

George P. McClelland served with the 155th Pennsylvania Infantry, Army of the Potomac, from August 1862 to his discharge in June 1865. Join us as author Robert Plumb reads from McClelland’s letters and exciting narrative excerpts from his book, Your Brother in Arms, which offer a front-line soldier’s view of some of the most crucial battles fought during the Civil War– from Gettysburg to Petersburg. Literate and evocative, the letters convey an authentic perspective of a soldier who experienced one of the bloodiest and most transformative wars in American history. 

Register for the event HERE. Because of the increasing popularity of our History Conversations, we’ve updated our Zoom platform so it now accommodates 500 people! If the Zoom session reaches capacity, you can watch on Facebook where it’ll be streamed live. If you have further questions about accessing the conversation via Zoom, please contact Matt Gagle, Director of Programs, at MGagle@MontgomeryHistory.org.

Recent Lecture(s):

“Family Myth Busting” with Julianne Mangin 

Click here for a complete list of past History Conversations.

History Conferences
Our annual history conference has brought together historians, students, teachers, residents, and lifelong learners since 2007. With such a wide breadth of topics covered, you’re sure to find something that suits your interests. We’ll be rotating out different videos to feature, but you can also find links to all the past videos on our History Conference page.

Featured Video:
“By Hands of Parties Unknown: Remembrance and Reconciliation of Three Lynchings in Montgomery County” 
Speaker: Anthony Cohen

Paths to the Present
Paths to the Present: Montgomery County Stories, a cable television show created by County Cable Montgomery and Montgomery History from 2000-2014, explores the often overlooked history found right in our own backyards. Produced by Emmy-winner Barbara Grunbaum and hosted by Gail Street, Paths to the Present covers a wide variety of topics highlighting this county’s past. You can watch all 86 of the episodes here.