The Wolcott House Museum Guild, in conjunction with the Maumee Branch of the Lucas County Public Library, will present author and historical lecturer, Frank Kuron, on Thursday, March 7, 10 a.m., at 501 River Road, Maumee.
The lecture is free and open to the public. No refreshments will be served. If the weather is inclement and Maumee schools closed, the lecture will be cancelled.
Mr. Kuron’s presentation will explore the clash of two cultures in what will be known as the Northwest Territory’s future states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.
After the revolution, the Native Americans and the Americans were in conflict over the lands that would become the United States’ midwest.
The famous Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, along with his brother, the Prophet, were ready to fight for the Indian concerns, while the future U.S. president, William Harrison, represented the American settlers. The protagonists met to talk in 1810 and 1811, but then the War of 1812 between England and the Americans erupted.
Tensions remained high with the indigenous people throughout the war. Many tribes had unfortunately allied themselves with the British. It finally finished with the American successful conclusion. John Quincy Adams, U.S. negotiator, signed the Treaty of Ghent ceasefire agreement with the British on December 24, 1814 in Belgium. The natives’ concerns were ignored.
The presentation will explore the strategies employed by General Harrison and Tecumseh to secure the lands for their respective people. The Shawnee chief’s goal was to visit many indigenous tribes spread all over the colonies to unite them into creating an Indian confederacy against the white man’s encroachment on their lands. Tense meetings occurred between the two leaders, as they tried to avoid war, and reveal the reason these personalities were pivotal players in expanding our territorial history.
In 2011, Mr. Kuron was made an “Honorary Kentucky Colonel” in recognition of his first book, “Thus Fell Tecumseh.”
For several years he wrote guest history columns for the former Toledo Free Press newspaper. In 2020, he published a second book, “Sketches of Intriguing People and the Curious Events They Suffered.” This features stories of intriguing forgotten Northwest frontier personalities.
His most recent book is, “Sketches of Curious Events and Practices in the Lives of the Intriguing People Who Inhabited Early America.” This story examines what life was like in the 1700s and 1800s. Through quotes from diaries, journals, newspaper accounts and letters, the reader becomes acquainted with some of the most heroic, as well as the more unscrupulous, people in history through their beliefs, culture and experiences.
Mr. Kuron is a lifelong resident of Toledo. He recently retired from a 40-year career in advertising, but continues to follow his passion of studying and writing about early American history. He and his wife Debra have two children and four grandchildren. She is a wool spinner who shares his interests in history and joins him at re-enactment events portraying their characterizations of pioneer life settlers.
He is a board member of the Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission, Inc. and offers presentations across the region on various early American topics. In 2019, he spoke on C-Span about Tecumseh’s role concerning the history of the region.
The speaker’s books are available on Amazon and at KuronPublishing.com.
For further information about the lecture, contact Judy Justus, guild president, at 419-874-6828. Other lectures will follow on Thursdays, March 14, 21 and 28.
