G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — For decades, the G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture told the story of Eliza Galloway, one of Kearney’s first Black residents and a domestic servant for the Frank family. Her story became a staple of house tours and part of community lore.
But what if it wasn’t entirely true? Based on recent discoveries in the BCHS archives, this presentation reveals new understandings of Eliza Galloway’s life and her relationship with the Kearney community.
In turn, it will discuss the challenges of doing research into Black history in the rural Midwest, and the significant roll that oral history can play in upsetting conventional narratives.
Dr. William F. (Will) Stoutamire is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), where he directs the undergraduate minor in public history and the online Public History MA program. He holds a PhD in History with distinction from Arizona State University (ASU).
While at ASU, he worked as a contract historian for the National Park Service on a variety of cultural resource management projects in the American Southwest. Prior to joining the faculty at UNK, he served for five years as director of UNK’s G.W.
Frank Museum of History and Culture. His research interests include the history of early museums and preservation activities in the American West, with special emphasis on the role these efforts played in the larger settler colonial project.
Q&A session will follow.
Please join us at the Trails & Rails Museum at 2:00pm on Friday, February 13th at 710 W. 11th St., Kearney, for this free event.
Please direct any questions to Andie Trembley, Community Engagement Director, atrembley@bchs.us or 308-234-3041. For more information, please visit our website, www.bchs.us, or follow us on Facebook at “BuffaloCounty HistoricalSociety.”
