New monthly lecture series at The History Museum

The lectures are free and in person, with a suggested donation of $10. Register or donate at www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/hidden-history. Proof of vaccination required for entry.

For more information, email info@hoodriverhistorymuseum.org or call 541-386-6772.

June 16 lecture

Hidden Histories: The Homestead Murders, with Richard Withers.

Their bodies were never found; Alma Nesbitt and her mother went missing in the Valley one cold, dark night.

Late on March 8, 1900, Norman Williams rented a carriage and met two women arriving at the Hood River train station. He drove them up the valley and into the darkness. They were never seen again.

The Supreme Court of Oregon decided State v. Williams (April 28, 1905) declaring, in effect, that it was not necessary to produce a body to prove that a murder had been committed. This legal precedent is still cited by courts across the United States more than a century later. Williams was hanged for the murder of Alma Nesbitt on July 26, 1905 — the last person publicly executed in Oregon.

The story of the Homestead Murders is much more than an enduring legal precedent: It is a window into the challenges women faced on the frontier — an exploration of secrets, lies, forgery, fraud, murder and mystery, and it challenges us to reexamine how we determine truth and what it means to achieve justice.

Withers is a retired lawyer and is pleased to revisit and share the hidden history of the “Great Homestead Murders” and to expand upon the Cemetery Tale produced in 2017, said a press release.

To join via Zoom, go to bit.ly/3wkbuVv.

Upcoming lectures

July 21 — Fiber Arts with Anna Goodwin

Aug. 18 — Oregon Nisei Veterans

Sept. 15 — TBA

Oct. 20 — Music in the Gorge with Mark Steigner

Nov. 17 — Conspiracy Theories with Jennifer Roberts

Dec. 15 — Vegeterian Pioneers with Seth Tibbott