EDWARDSVILLE - Thanks to the Special Parks Fund from the City of Edwardsville, The Benjamin Stephenson House is hosting several lectures and workshops this winter and early spring. Below are three of our recently added events:

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Tatting and netting, a very old and delicate if somewhat controversial art form, will be explored at the Secrets of Tatting workshop hosted by the 1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House on February 24th 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. From its ancient beginnings to a resurgence in modern usage, the history, lore and practice will be revealed for participants of all skill levels. Whether you are just curious about what tatting even is or have some proficiency and want to explore new patterns, this workshop is for you. Come enjoy a relaxing morning of nineteenth century needlework and a bit of chat while we tat.

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On March 10 at 1:00 p.m., Madison Historical tech developer Ben Ostermeier will give a lecture “The Whitesides: Benjamin & Lucy's Neighbors”. Like Benjamin Stephenson, William B. Whiteside was born out of the American Revolution, the son of a veteran of the Battle of King's Mountain which was the first American victory in the southern colonies. He and his wife Sarah were among the first American settlers in the Edwardsville region, arriving in 1802. William served as a captain in the War of 1812 and as the second sheriff of Madison County, but he did not know his farmland would become part of the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His gravesite is still on the campus today. William Whiteside and his wife both died of cholera just like former Governor Ninian Edwards shortly after the Black Hawk War. For his senior project at SIUE, Ostermeier created a website about the Whitesides, and their story is also told in the new website Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Illinois. This lecture will give insight on an early Illinois family and how they changed a French and Indian area into a territory and then the 21st state.

In the second installment to his lectures on medical practices in the 18th Century, historian John Murphy will lead a talk and discussion about herbs and medicines used to offset sickness and death. Some of the common treatments that will be discussed are: bloodletting, purging, and blistering. Murphy has one of the most extensive medical collections in the country and they will be at the Benjamin Stephenson House on April 14th at 2:00 p.m. Questions and comments as well as hearty discussions are encouraged.

Space for these lectures and workshops are limited. Tickets available at www.stephensonhouse.org or by calling 618-692-1818. Stephenson House is located 409 South Buchanan Street Edwardsville, IL.

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