A Road Scholar Program by Brian [Fox] Ellis
Riverlorian Brian "Fox" Ellis invites us to travel through geological history to witness the origins of Illinois’ great rivers, paddle our canoes with Père Marquette and the French explorers as they contact Native Americans, and meet keelboat captain Mike Fink and steamboat captain Henry Detweiller.
This musical ramble through history will explore how we humans have shaped the rivers, how the rivers have changed through time, and the importance of rivers in the layers of human history.
Ellis, who has performed frequently on the Spirit of Peoria and other excursion steamboats, will gladly tailor the specific content of this presentation to the interests of local audiences. He hopes that both the rich layers of factual knowledge and the very human tales that he shares in story and song will strengthen audiences’ identification with our great waterways and inspire people to value and protect them.
This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Kurt Begalka, kurt@mchenrycountyhistory.org.