Speakers Series
Each year the historical society gathers eight history speakers to share their history knowledge with the community. Their hour long presentation is given on the third Monday evening of the month at 6:30 pm, usually including a power point slide show, related items on display, and sometimes a book signing.
We are actively seeking two more speakers for 2026. If you know anyone who is interesting on speaking on a history subject for about an hour, please contact Jalynne at fcallori3@yahoo.com or (916) 947-5763. Dates still available for 2026 are June 15 and October 21
Speakers for 2026
January 19
Elaine Faber
Elaine lives and volunteers in Elk Grove and is an acomplished author. She graciously consented to share her story with us. Here is her bio:
Elaine Faber is the author of 13 cozy mystery novels, including four cozy cat mysteries, five WWII humorous historical fiction mysteries, two paranormal mysteries and an anthology of short stories, All Things Cat. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, Northern California Publishers and Authors (NCPA) and Elk Grove Writer’s Guild. Her short stories are published in over 20 anthologies and several magazines. Elaine’s humorous novels and short stories have won multiple awards. Elaine has led several writing critique groups, and is always willing to mentor other writers. She is available for speaking engagements and enjoys talking about her books and sharing writing tips and instruction to interested writers.
“History to Mystery. (How I used WWII history in my mystery novels).”
February 16
Andrew Saunders
Andy is a member of the Lincoln Highway Association and is a historic train and highway travel enthusiast.He was born in San Francisco and now lives in Citrus Heights. He was a political science major at American River College and is a semi-retired telecommunications professional after 40 years. He is involved in the community and enjoys giving presentations on the Lincoln Highway.
“The Historic Lincoln Highway History and Routes in California and the Sacramento Region”
March 16
Mary Ellen Burns
Maryellen Burns is a cultural and culinary historian, writer, and president of the Sacramento River Delta Historical Society. She is the founder of A Cook’s Tour of Sacramento and author of numerous essays exploring the intersection of food, place, and memory in the Sacramento region.
“Elk Grove’s Agricultural Roots”
Before suburbs and shopping centers, Elk Grove was fields, orchards, and rail cars loaded with produce. While it never housed the massive riverfront canneries of Sacramento, it played a vital role in the region’s food economy — growing, packing, and shipping pears, grapes, tomatoes, sugar beets, and grain to markets near and far. Join us for a look at the packing sheds, railroad connections, and farming families that helped shape Elk Grove’s agricultural legacy.
April 20
Bob Crowley and Tim Tweitmeyer
Tim Twietmeyer and Bob Crowley, co-founders of History Expeditions, will share this compelling tale of the trails and the Expedition that ensured to find their path and retrace their footsteps, and share how they discovered one of America West history’s greatest mysteries, thought never to be found: Camp of Death.
“The Forlorn Hope Party.”
A group of 15 who set off from Truckee, CA on snowshoes and the clothes on their back to trek 70 miles to reach civilization and ring the alarm that the entire Donner Party was trapped in 30’ of snow on the eastern slopes of the Sierra. What happened to them has become legend. What few appreciate is what those that survived endured, and the sacrifices of those that perished.
May 18
May 18
Dave Stuart
Dave is an archeologist/anthropologist and has spoken to us a few times in the past. He began his career at Caswell State Park on then lower Stanislaus River, where he helped indigenous women gather basketry materials. His interest stirred, Dave studied anthropology and biology at Modesto JC, Fresno State, and the University of Colorado. He did fieldwork – primarily CRM surveys-in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada from Tahoe to Tehachapi. Dave was the first Assistant State Archeologist not Colorado. He was an archeologist/cultural resource specialist/planner for the National Park Service, working primarily in Florida, Louisiana, and the Southwest. Dave returned to California and developed museums and programs for the city of Ventura, then he directed the Sacramento Science Center (now MoSAC), the Sacramento History Museum on Old Sacramento, and the San Joaquin County Historical museum in Micke Grove Regional Park near Lodi. Since retiring 7 years ago, he has coauthored a book, assisted planning of the new Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, and written several articles on Native cultures and the history of the Bay-Delta region – the book he is now researching.
“Indigenous Peoples of California’s Bay-Delta Region”
Dave will touch on Native languages of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the adjacent Central Valley heartland (“Bay-Delta”) region and will summarize migration and the spread of indigenous ancestors throughput the area. He will describe the traditional lifeways of the California Indians from our region, including their care for local habitats to sustainabley support a population that was among then highest in pre-colonial North America. Then he will discuss the colonial period and highlight the impact these regional Native people had on California’s colonial history.
Bay-Delta Native nations were disrupted by the missionaries and soldiers that invaded the Bay Area on behalf of the Spanish monarchy. The Delta was initially a barrier to Spanish incursions into the interior heartland, became a refuge that helped Native cultures and autonomy, then became a base for indigenous armed resisitance. Disease and depredations eroded the strength of heartland nations and many people went to Mission San Jose and other missions. Baptized Indians were turned out by the missions in the Mexican era to become “serfs” for early settler/barons such as John Marsh, Johann Sutter, and Charles Weber. Indigenous people directly and indirectly assisted the USA victory over Mexico, only to suffer state-and federal-genocide during and after the Gold Rush, Nevertheless, California Indians survived and continent to be nourished neighbors.
June 15 – Date Available
July and August – Summer Break
September 21
Linda Wheatly
Linda is a genealogist and a Folks family descendant. She visited a few years back from her home in Vermont to trace her roots in our files. She planned to stay for only four hours, but ended up staying two days. She returned home with all her new family history, wrote a presentation, and returned a year later as one of our presenters in our Speaker Series. It was a fascinating piece of work and she did a fantastic job. She decided she would trace the folks family wagon train route and returned to us for another visit. Again with all the new information she returned home, wrote another presentation, which presents now.
The Foulks Family – “Tracing the Folks Family Wagon Train from Missouri to California”
October 21 – Date Available
November and December – Holiday Break
Speakers for 2027
No one scheduled yet!
Basic Information to Know
Please understand these history presentations are for you to learn about the rich history of our community. It’s an hour of amazing people sharing what they know, usually with a power point presentation, often several artifacts on display, and sometimes a book signing. Please considering coming and seeing for yourself.
There are no presentations in the following months; July & August for summer break and November & December for holiday break. Sorry!
They are always on the third Monday evenings of the month, at 6:30 pm (doors open at 6:00 pm). We meet at the Hall House and Stage Stop Museum (9941 East Stockton Road, Elk Grove, 95624). It is at the parking at the West entrance to the Elk Grove Regional Park.
Contact chairperson is Jalynne at jcallori3@yahoo.com or (916) 947-5763