The Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center welcomes Shane Wagner, a ranger with the Illinois Department of Resources to its next speaker series this Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 pm at the Orris Theater.
Wagner will explore the history and lasting significance of the Pierre Menard Home—the final surviving remnant of old Kaskaskia. Its importance lies not only in its distinctive Louisiana Creole architecture, which earned it designation as a National Historic Landmark, but also in the story of Pierre Menard himself and what he represented in the region’s historic, social, and cultural landscape.
Wagner will also discuss the origins and legends surrounding Fort Kaskaskia and Fort de Chartres, weaving together the interconnected histories of the region—including nearby Ste. Genevieve, visible just across the river. It was that same river, after all, that destroyed Ste. Genevieve in 1785—then shifted course a century later to wipe out Kaskaskia.
The program is sponsored by Kertz Seed in Ste. Genevieve. Speaker presentations are free to museum members, otherwise admission will apply.