Steamboat Era Museum will be presenting the 2025 Second Saturday Speaker Series beginning January 11th, starting at 2:00PM. This annual speaker series will continue through the second Saturday in April.
On January 11th, the museum will welcome Greg Kirkbride for his presentation, “America’s Tall Ship – the Coast Guard Barque EAGLE.” Commander Kirkbride, a graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy, sailed on three cadet training cruises aboard the EAGLE. The February 8th program will be a virtual lecture by author Jack Shaum who will discuss his book, “122 Years on the Old Bay Line.” From luxury accommodations to war service, Mr. Shaum will bring alive the stories of those magnificent vessels that sailed under the Old Bay Line flag. On March 8th, Keith Kehlbeck, historian and author of “Gone to God: A Civil War Family’s Ultimate Sacrifice,” will bring his unique and extensive knowledge to the museum to speak on “Steamboats During the Civil War.”
Then, as spring arrives, Richard Covington will speak on April 12th about his book, “Northern Neck Fishing Steamers Go to War: Turning Fishboats into Warships.” Mr. Covington will share the harrowing tale of the conscripted menhaden fishing boats and their crews who served in wartime conditions off the coast of France during WWI.
The Steamboat Era Museum is located at 156 King Carter Drive in Irvington, VA. Tickets for the speaker series are $5 per speaker or $15 for the season. Call the museum at 804-438-6888 to reserve your ticket(s) or visit www.steamboateramuseuum.org to purchase tickets online.
The Steamboat Era Museum, an award-winning museum, is focused on preserving and sharing the history of the Steamboat Era and boasts an immersive exhibit of the pilothouse of the Steamboat Potomac, the largest remaining artifact from a Chesapeake Bay Steamboat. Please visit the museum’s website for more information, directions, hours, and entrance fees at www.steamboateramuseum.org or call 804-438-6888. Welcome aboard!
