The Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University is pleased to announce two fantastic events happening this Thursday (Oct. 29) and next Thursday (Nov. 5) evenings. On Thursday, October 29, at 7:00 pm, Carl Doud, US Navy Medical Entomologist and current director of Midland County Mosquito Control (MCMC), will explore the scourge of mosquitoes and malaria in Michigan's history. The state of Michigan was known to early 19th-century Americans as an area profuse with swamps, disease, and other hardships. Malaria was so widespread throughout the region that all expected to suffer from it and it was viewed less as a disease than simply a reality of life. Three aspects of early Michigan made for significant populations of mosquitoes and associated malaria: topography, the extent of forests, and the amount of wetlands. This presentation is free and open to the public. The event will be broadcast via Central Michigan University's videoconferencing tool, Webex, and it will be recorded to enjoy it at a later time. Registration is required for the event and the shortened link to register is: https://bit.ly/3e25FRF On Thursday, November 5, at 7:00 pm, Miles Harvey, award-winning journalist and best-selling author of The Island of Lost Maps (2000) and Painter in a Savage Land (2008) will speak about his new work, The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch. This book examines the life and legacy of James Jesse Strang, the self-proclaimed king of a Mormon "utopia" on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. In 1844, after the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Strang was one of several figures who claimed they were his successors. Although Brigham Young eventually emerged as the principle leader, Strang led his followers out of Young's church and brought them to Beaver Island, where he declared himself divine king. Join us to learn about "one of the country's boldest con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thrive." This presentation is free and open to the public. The event will be broadcast via Central Michigan University's videoconferencing tool, Webex, and it will be recorded to enjoy it at a later time. Registration is required for the event and the shortened link to register is: https://bit.ly/31Q8T5U And mark your calendars-on Thursday November 12, the Clarke will host Professor Joyce Baugh, author of the Detroit School Busing Case, Milliken v. Bradley and the Controversy over Desegregation. More information will be available soon. Feel free to share this information far and wide! The Clarke is happy to answer any questions that anyone may have-please contact Bryan Whitledge (whitl1br@cmich.edu<mailto:whitl1br@cmich.edu>). Have a great day, Bryan Whitledge Archivist for University Digital Records Clarke Historical Library Central Michigan University 989-774-2159 whitl1br@cmich.edu
