Press Staff Writer
The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) announced its 2025 Fall Lecture Series, presented by Impact Employment Solutions.
Offered as a hybrid experience, participants may attend in person at the museum or virtually via Zoom. Registration is free and required for all lectures.
“Our Fall Lecture Series is how we go beyond what’s on our gallery floors—opening space to explore Great Lakes stories we don’t cover in our permanent exhibits, from Civil War intrigue to 21st-century infrastructure,” said Carrie Sowden, NMGL’s Director of Archaeology and Research. “By bringing leading voices to Toledo and online, we connect past and present in ways that deepen understanding of our region.”
Lecture lineup
- Sept 10, 7-8:30 p.m. – “Transports and Blockade Runners: Great Lakes Steam at Sea in the Civil War.” Great Lakes–built steamers once bound for freshwater trade were pressed into Civil War service along the Atlantic—and then vanished. Rumors soon swirled that Confederate agents had turned some into elusive blockade runners. Maritime historian Walter Lewis unpacks this tale of shifting loyalties, high-stakes transport, and intrigue from the inland seas.
- Oct. 15, 7-8:30 p.m. – “Iron Diamond: The Living Legacy of the Shenango Fleet,” featuring speakers Chris Winters and Paul LaMarre. Preview the forthcoming book “Iron Diamond,” a century-spanning story of the Shenango Furnace Company’s five “Diamond Line” lakers—engineering standouts with guest quarters rivaling trans-Atlantic liners. Hear how two of those stories converge at NMGL today, from the resurrection of the S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker to the museum’s new 5,000-square-foot expansion featuring the St. Marys Challenger pilothouse and an exhibit chronicling its 107-year career.
- Nov. 19, 7-8:30 p.m. –“The Gordie Howe International Bridge: Opening Soon.” Discover how the nearly complete Gordie Howe International Bridge will transform the Windsor-Detroit trade corridor. Stephanie Campeau, Associate Vice President of Stakeholder and Community Relations for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, will outline the six-lane span’s highway-to-highway connection, modern inspection plazas, and traveler amenities designed to streamline cross-border traffic.
Register at nmgl.org/events or nmgl.eventbrite.com. When registering, , choose in-person at NMGL or virtual via Zoom. Space is limited; advance registration is strongly encouraged.
