Southern Historical Association

The Local Arrangements Committee invites you to a reception immediately following the lecture in Kentucky A-D. The reception is sponsored and funded by the University of Louisville, Kentucky Historical Society, University of Kentucky History Department, Indiana University Southeast, the University Press of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University, and Centre College.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the Juggernaut Jug Band. Louisville is known to jazz aficionados as the birthplace of jug music. Incorporating "found" instruments (liquor jugs, kazoos, washboards), it flourished between the 1890s and the Great Depression. The Juggernaut Jug Band is keeping this originally African-American musical tradition alive in the 21st Century, adding a modern twist to well-known standards in jug music.

Note: Given the uniqueness of the tradition and the band, the first 20 to 30 minutes of the band's performance will be a concert presentation, as they discuss their history as they perform. After that, they'll provide background music while we socialize.

Jack Temple Kirby will present his presidential address, “ANCESTRY.dot.BOMB: Genealogy, Genomics, Mystery, Mischief, and Southern Family Stories.” The presentation of all awards and tributes will precede President Kirby’s address. A reception honoring President Kirby will follow his address in the foyer of the Marriott Ballroom on the second level. It is hosted by Miami University, where he spent his entire teaching career (1965–2002).

Southern history lost three of its most distinguished practitioners over the past year, including two former SHA presidents -- Franklin and Donald. This session will pay tribute to their work and their lives, as commemorated by several of their colleagues and fellow historians.

Arrive early for this guided bus tour and gain a unique perspective of our host city. The Ohio River and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad transport networks underlay the strong industrial sector that emerged in late 19th and early 20th-century Louisville. The tour will offer views of and commentary on the history of industries such as brewing and distilling; the manufacture of automobiles, iron stoves, wagons, and the famous railroad itself; and the unions, laborers, and owners who together made up the city's industrial heritage. Sponsored by the Southern Industrialization Project, the Southern Labor Studies Association, and the Local Arrangements Committee, with assistance from Michael Hudson, director of the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind and Dr. John Kleber of University of Louisville.

The bus will depart from the front entrance of the Marriott at 3:30 p.m. The $10 fee can be paid and reservations made through the SHA registration form or at the time of the tour. Limit 40 people.

Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer and Filson Historical Society archivist Michael Veach will lead a mid-day walking tour of downtown Louisville that will focus on the city’s rich distilling heritage. From the 1830s until Prohibition, many distilleries located offices on Main and Market Streets. The tour will start at the Marriott Hotel and travel down Main Street, with Veach pointing out buildings that housed some of these offices and elaborating on the history of distilling and its contributions to the city. The tour will end at the Brown-Forman Company office at Seventh and Main Street, where participants will receive complimentary gifts. Limit 25 people. No cost.

A bus will take attendees across the Ohio River to the Carnegie Center in New Albany, Indiana, to see its permanent exhibit entitled “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: The Men and Women of the Underground Railroad.” The nearby Falls of the Ohio was a key crossroads of the Underground Railroad, and saw a steady stream of slaves who fled north through Louisville. The exhibit, which has won national acclaim, focuses on the contours of the local black community, the links forged by opponents of slavery on both sides of the river, and the opposition they faced.

The tour will include a discussion of the project by Stanley Harrold, South Carolina State University; A. Glenn Crothers, University of Louisville and The Filson Historical Society (both of whom served as historical consultants for the project); local historian Pam Peters, whose research informed the exhibits; and Sally Newkirk, director of the Carnegie Center.

The bus will depart from the front entrance of the Marriott at noon. A $10 fee will cover a boxed lunch and the cost of transportation and admission. You can reserve a bus seat and pay through the conference registration form. Limit 40 people.

The Filson Historical Society will host a special session on resources and opportunities for the study of Kentucky and Ohio Valley history. (See session 55 for the full line-up.) The program will be followed by a reception to celebrate the Filson’s 125th anniversary. The biennial Richard Wade Prize for the best article in Ohio Valley History will be announced at the reception.

Shuttles will take attendees to and from The Filson Historical Society, beginning at 4:45 from the front entrance of the Marriott. For those who prefer driving their own cars, from the Marriott turn west on W. Jefferson St. toward S. 3rd St. Take first left (south) onto S. 3rd St. Drive south 1.5 miles until you reach The Filson Historical Society, at 1310 S. 3rd St.

The Local Arrangements Committee will operate a courtesy desk during the convention to provide a list and descriptions of restaurants within walking or easy driving distance of the Marriott and Hyatt Hotels.