Coming in late May, on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28th and 29th, Marco Sioli, a professor of American history at the University of Milan in Italy, will visit Columbia where he will speak at two programs one on Daniel Trabue and a second one on John Muir in Kentucky.
On Tuesday afternoon, May 28th at 5:00 pm CT, at the Adair County Genealogy and History Center, his topic will be Memory of the Wilderness: Daniel Trabue and the Frontier of Kentucky, based on his article on Trabue, in the Journal of American History, in March of 1998. Refreshments and a short reception will follow.
For those not familiar with the Adair County Genealogy and History Center, it is located at 307 Greensburg Street, three blocks from the square, next to the Adair County Public Library. Follow Greensburg Street from the downtown square, turn left on Paul Street and park behind the Library and Genealogy Center. Both are visible on Greensburg Street, as you pass them.
Sioli’s second talk will be Wednesday May 29th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm CT, at the Trabue-Russell House. His topic will be From Transcendentalism to Environmentalist: John Muir in Kentucky. This event will start with a light lunch at 11:30 am; the program will start at 12:15 pm and run to about 1:00 pm.
For those unfamiliar with Columbia, the Trabue-Russell House is located on Jamestown Street, about halfway up the hill from the town square. A historical marker and a large white sign mark the location and entry to Trabue-Russell House and parking is available.
Both programs are free and open to the public. All times are Central Time.
Sioli’s interests and publications include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Washington’s Rules of Civility, Ronald Reagan, W. E. B. Du Bois, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, the War of 1812, the Whiskey Rebellion and many others. His approach to history goes beyond historical events, to the myths, concepts, and ideas behind the events and persons.
Sioli visited Columbia early 1999 and spoke on Daniel Trabue at Lindsey Wilson College. His visit included a reception at the Trabue house and a visit to the Trabue-Anderson Cemetery. The Anderson-Trabue Cemetery has recently been restored, cleaned, marked, and stones repaired. During his time here, he will revisit it 25 years after his first visit there.
Daniel Trabue was a founder of Adair County. His journal, passed down through family, was acquired by Lyman Copland Draper (1815-1891), who donated it to the Wisconsin Historical Society. It was rediscovered by Chester Raymond Young (1920-1999), a Columbia native, who published a book, Westward into Kentucky: The Narrative of Daniel Trabue (UK Press, 1981). In 1998, Marco Sioli wrote about Daniel Trabue in Journal of American History. That same year, Vonnie Kolbenschlag, a volunteer in the Trabue-Russell House, published a booklet on Trabue, The Other Dan. Richard Phelps, of Columbia, has portrayed Daniel Trabue here and at regional history events. Mary Anne Loy has been maintaining the Trabue-Russell House, used for meetings, special events, and art exhibits. Richard Phelps, Jill Halcomb Smith, and others, recently repaired, restored, and marked the Anderson-Trabue Cemetery. Jim Blair (1927-2015), a lawyer and resident of Columbia, established a fund towards the preservation of the Trabue-Rusell House. And finally, the City of Columbia plans to restore the Trabue-Russell House to its original state.
These are the pantheon of historians and preservationists, who have given their time, energy, knowledge, and support, towards preserving the memory of Daniel Trabue and the history of Columbia. Thanks for their works towards those ends.
Following his visit to Columbia, Marco Sioli plans to drive down the John Muir trail to Burkesville, Kentucky, then, into Tennessee and finally Savannah, Georgia before returning to Italy.
For questions: Call Phil Hanna or Mike Watson at 270-380-1024 or email at adairgenealogy@gmail.com.
Photo: Marco Sioli at the Grave of Daniel Trabue, 1999
(Michael C. Watson – Adair County Genealogy and History Center)