Chuck Arning to Give Free Talk on the Irish in the Blackstone Valley
WOONSOCKET, R.I. (Jan. 14, 2019) – Valley Talks, a series of free historical lectures, continues on Sunday, Jan. 27, 1:30pm, at the Museum of Work & Culture.
Former National Park Ranger Chuck Arning will present “Please Tell Me, Why Did The Irish Come All the Way to America to Build Canals?,” exploring the factors that led the Irish to leave their beloved homeland to construct canals on the Blackstone River.
Seating is limited to 75 and is first come, first served.
Arning served for 24 years as a ranger for the National Park Service, spending all of his time in the Blackstone Valley, first in the National Heritage Corridor and then in the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. He has produced more than 95 television programs and videos focusing on the history, cultures, preservation, and stewardship issues of the Blackstone Valley. Arning produces, writes, and hosts the award-winning series “Along the Blackstone,” which has aired on the History Channel (1996-1998) and has earned him numerous regional and national awards. Arning has written for the National Association of Interpreters magazine Legacy and the National Park Service’s Cultural Resource Management agazine.
Other Valley Talks will include:
February 10: Baseball enthusiast and vintage ballist Jon Henson on the rise of the beloved game in the 19th century.
February 24: Mount Saint Charles Hockey Coach David Belisle on the history of the school’s illustrious program.
March 10: Writer and historical reenactor Paul Bourget on why the battles fought in 1864 were pivotal to the outcome of the American Civil War.
About the Museum of Work & Culture
The interactive and educational Museum of Work & Culture shares the stories of the men, women, and children who came to find a better life in Rhode Island’s mill towns in the late 19th- and 20th centuries. It recently received a Rhode Island Monthly Best of Rhode Island Award for its SensAbilities Saturdays all-ability program.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
Founded in 1822, the RIHS, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the fourth-oldest historical society in the United States and is Rhode Island’s largest and oldest historical organization. In Providence, the RIHS owns and operates the John Brown House Museum, a designated National Historic Landmark, built in 1788; the Aldrich House, built in 1822 and used for administration and public programs; and the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, where archival, book and image collections are housed. In Woonsocket, the RIHS manages the Museum of Work and Culture, a community museum examining the industrial history of northern Rhode Island and of the workers and settlers, especially French-Canadians, who made it one of the state’s most distinctive areas.