2025 Likes Lecture Series
The New Philadelphia Association is announcing the topics and speakers for its annual Marvin J. and Thomas Leo Likes Lecture Series, which will take place each Tuesday evening in June at 7 PM CDT beginning June 3. With several years of online success, the Lecture Series will be offered online via Zoom. The lectures are free and open to the public, but registration is required.
This marks the 21st year for the Likes Lecture Series, which began in 2004 as part of the archaeology NSF-REU field school and was open to the public. The Likes Lectures are named to honor surveyors Marvin J. Likes and son Tom who donated so much time and talent to New Philadelphia.
The theme of the 2025 Likes Lecture Series is Roots of Resilience: Stories that Endure. This year’s schedule of topics and speakers includes:
June 3: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Linda Sinco, Site Interpretive Coordinator at Cahokia Mounds will provide general information on Cahokia Mounds, the Mississippian people, their way of life, archaeological evidence, descendant groups, and current projects.
June 10: The Making of The Real Huckleberry Finn
David Weinberg of Vox Humana Productions will be producing a feature-length documentary filmed in Hannibal, MO in the coming months. David is trying to document the real people upon whom Mark Twain based his characters Huckleberry Finn and Jim. He is working with Faye Dant, Jim’s Journey, but plans to include activities of the Underground Railroad on the other side of the river from Hannibal. New Philadelphia is included. David will provide background information regarding the stories prompting the film, audiences, and plans for production.
June 17: Dialogue Facilitation around Difficult Histories
Sarah Case, Program Director at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, will share information regarding her organization, as well as the Gateway to Challenging Storytelling Training program she is facilitating this year. The NPA has 3 board members participating.
June 24: Inheritance Among Her Brethren: New Philadelphia Women. Part 2.
Claire Martin will present stories of some of the women who lived in the New
Philadelphia community during the 19th and early 20th Century. Beginning with New
Philadelphia’s “First Lady” Free Lucy McWorter and her daughters, the women gradually gained property, legal status and access to education throughout the century. They owned much of the town and surrounding farmland. Martin will introduce women like Free Lucy and Kezia Clark who escaped slavery; Louisa Stewart, the first married woman to own property in her own right; Mary Ann Shaw, who chose to leave the community forever; and the women who connect New Philadelphia to the 1908 Race Riot.
All lectures are online at 7 PM Central time. Lectures are free and open to the public, but registration is required (use link above).