January 06, 2025 – Jay Mark Presents: To Steal A Kingdom: Land Fraud in Arizona
In the late-19th century, Arizona was the center of one of the grandest land-fraud schemes in the U.S. The Peralta Grant was a fraudulent claim to over 12 million acres of land from central Arizona to western New Mexico. James Addison Reavis almost single-handedly stole most of central Arizona by declaring himself "The Baron of Arizona" and claiming to inherit an 18th-century Spanish land grant. His outrageous scheme is one of the greatest land fraud stories in the United States.

January 13, 2025 – Jim Turner Presents: Hollywood Cowboys
The phrase "Hollywood Cowboys" refers to actors who starred in Western movies. This presentation covers the evolution of the Hollywood Western, from silent movie stars to the iconic figures of Saturday matinées and TV reruns. It includes famous stars such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and notable villains like Lee Marvin, Jack Palance, and Lee Van Cleef. Additionally, it touches on the entertaining and loyal sidekicks that made these movies memorable.

January 21, 2025 – Dr. Jim McWilliams Presents: Martin Luther King Jr. and his Philosophy of the Beloved Community
********PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A TUESDAY EVENT***********

One of the most important concepts in Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings is the idea of “the beloved community,” the possibility of a society in which people from diverse backgrounds and economic circumstances learn to live together. Conflict in any society, he taught, is inevitable, but it can be resolved through non-violence and a commitment toward equal justice. This presentation will explore Martin Luther King Jr.’s ideas through the works of Charles Johnson, the National Book Award-winning novelist, who has written extensively about Martin Luther King Jr. and his philosophy.

January 27, 2025 – Leo W. Banks Presents: Louis Victor Eytinge
Louis Eytinge was a swindler, liar and playboy whose criminal resume included a murder that landed him in Yuma prison in 1907. He suffered from tuberculosis and doctors predicted his death within two months. But Eytinge's destiny didn't include anonymity, far from it. At his parole in 1922, he was celebrated in The New York Times as an author, public speaker and expert on prison reform. This genius con man, crooked to the end, lives an extraordinary life, eventually earning the dubious honor of Yuma's most infamous inmate.

February 3, 2025 – Nancy Earhart Burt Presents: Amelia Earhart
Journey back in time with us during the presentation as "Amelia Earhart" shares her life and begins to prepare for her upcoming tour around the world. We will be joined by Nancy Earhart Burt, second cousin of Amelia Earhart, who will be portraying Amelia and transporting us back in time.

February 10, 2025 – Gregory McNamee Presents: Arizona Place Names
Place names are like fossil poetry: they afford a kind of folk history, a snapshot in time that enables us to read them and reconstruct how people have assigned names to the places to which they come. The U.S. has over 3.5 million place names, and there is no part of the world where nomenclature is so rich, poetic, humorous, and picturesque – a tradition to which Arizona has had more than its share of contributions. In this presentation, McNamee examines the history of Arizona place names, using lively anecdotes to discuss the little-known stories behind names on the land.

February 18, 2025 – Ken Sorensen Presents: Abraham Lincoln
********PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A TUESDAY EVENT*********

From the most humble of beginnings, Abraham Lincoln rose to the pinnacle of achievement; not only in politics but also in the hearts of Americans. Elected at a time when the country was literally ripping in two, it was the challenge of his administration to preserve the union. Full of humility and conviction, this lecture explores the life of one of the greatest men to live.

February 24, 2025 – Daphne Davis Presents: The Arizona Merci Train Boxcar
The Merci Train story begins with understanding the bond that follows when one nation helps another to win its freedom. France paid a dear price for her freedom after WWII - devastation and poverty. The Merci Train, also known as the French Gratitude Train, was sent to the United States following World War II as a ‘Thank You’ for that most generous gift of $40 million in food and other supplies sent to France and Italy in 1947. The train featured 49 cars filled with personal gifts. Forty-eight states received individual cars, and the 49th car was shared between the District of Columbia and Hawaii.

March 3, 2025 – Jan Cleere Presents: Military Wives in Arizona Territory
When the U.S. Army ordered troops into Arizona Territory in the nineteenth century to protect and defend newly established settlements, military men often brought their wives and families, particularly officers who might be stationed in the west for years. Come hear about the devotion, duty, creativity and grit of women who chose to share life on the frontier with their husbands.

March 10, 2025 – Chris Reid Presents: Arizona Snake Oil Salesmen, Scams & Hoaxes
Entrepreneurs offering assorted “get rich quick” schemes and “cure-alls” have visited Arizona since the early days. Benefitting from tales of abundant resources in the territory, limited law enforcement and communication, a scoundrel could create enticing promises of wealth and health without much external oversight. Newspapers often fanned the hysteria, only to later denounce and expose the same schemes. This program illustrates, through newspaper articles, quotes, photographs and ephemera, some of the most famous, and some of the lesser-known, embarrassing scams and hoaxes that have found gullible Arizonans.

March 24, 2025– Dr. Barbara Jaquay Presents: How Arizona and States Got Their Borders
It is impossible to look at how the boundaries of Arizona were determined without first understanding the formation of the United States. As thoughts of the American Revolution faded into the distance, the newly formed United States had to determine what would be done with the land west of the Appalachians and east of the Mississippi that was now available for settlement. How were state borders and shapes an outcome of manifest destiny? What and who determined the shape of Arizona’s border? These are just some of the questions that will be answered as an historical overview in this presentation.

March 31, 2025 – Randy Williams Presents: Arizona Animals
Would you believe there are over 40 different wild animals in the vicinity of Apache Junction? This talk displays full screen award-winning photos and videos of these exciting and sometimes weird critters. This program has been developed from the best of thousands of animal pics and videos. Most of them were captured from trail cameras. You will see bobcats, gray foxes, and the strange courtship habits of round-tailed ground squirrels. Plus rare footage of Arizona's State animal - the Ringtail. Also, there will be blue ribbon wood carvings of several of these local animals to enhance the experience.