Events: Regional History Colloquium

Latino History from Lancaster County to the Smithsonian

  • January 29, 2026
  • Tec Centro, 57 Laurel Str., Lancaster, PA
  • 5:30pm Reception | 6pm Panel
  • FREE | Registration Required

From food, sports, and the arts to business, politics, and education, Latinos have influenced every aspect of life in America and in Lancaster County. In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution is working to build a new museum, the National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL), to honor this history. On Thursday, January 29th, LancasterHistory will host curators from NMAL to share information about their museum alongside the work of local scholars and community groups who have been serving the Latino community and preserving its history locally for many years. In this panel discussion, we will explore the contributions of Latinos to the history and culture of Lancaster County and discuss the importance of including Latino history in museums and historical narratives.

The panel will feature Amanda Elena Brito and Robin Morey of the National Museum of the American Latino, Dr. Ivette Guzman-Zavala and Dr. John Hinshaw of Lebanon Valley College, and Ramona Rivera Navedo of Lancaster County. The panel will be in English and Spanish. 

This panel is presented in collaboration with:  

  • SACA is a community organization that uplifts and restores marginalized communities through human, economic, and social services, while supporting cultural identities. 
  • Crispus Attucks Community Center’s Young Professionals of Color Network is a free member collective where young BIPOC professionals can network and engage in conversation on social and civic issues.
  • Mennonite Life shares items and stories featuring the diverse lived experiences and faith values of Lancaster Mennonites and interrelated communities. Mennonite Life stewards a research library, permanent museum collection, and family friendly experiences at the 1719 Museum and Biblical Tabernacle Experience.
  • The National Museum of the American Latino is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum honors the dreams, challenges, and triumphs of U.S. Latinos, elevating those stories within the nation’s narrative.

Information & Registration

The panel will begin at 6pm and will be preceded by a reception at 5:30pm at Tec Centro, 57 Laurel St, Lancaster, PA. Parking is available in a large lot at the facility. In case of bad weather, the panel will be conducted virtually. This program is free and open to the public, but does require registration to guarantee space. To register, please click here or call 717.392.4633, ext. 100 to register over the phone.

Featured image photographs of Ramona Navedo’s paternal grandfather (left) and her maternal grandmother (right). Photos courtesy of Ramona Rivera Navedo.

Historia Latina del Condado de Lancaster al Smithsonian

Desde comida, deportes y las artes hasta los negocios, política y educación, los latinos han influido en cada aspecto de la vida en Estados Unidos y en el Condado de Lancaster. En Washington, D.C., el Instituto Smithsoniano, trabaja para construir un nuevo museo, el Museo Nacional del Americano Latino (NMAL), para honrar esta historia. El jueves 29 de enero, LancasterHistory acogerá a conservadores del NMAL para compartir información sobre su museo junto con el trabajo de académicos y grupos comunitarios locales que han servido la comunidad latina y preservado su historia localmente durante muchos años. En este panel, exploraremos las contribuciones de latinos a la historia y cultura del Condado de Lancaster y debatiremos la importancia de incluir historia latina en museos y relatos históricos.

En el panel participarán Amanda Elena Brito y Robin Morey del Museo Nacional del Americano Latino, la Dra. Ivette Guzmán-Zavala y el Dr. John Hinshaw del Lebanon Valley College, y Ramona Rivera Navedo del Condado de Lancaster. El panel se desarrollará en inglés y español.

Este panel se presenta en colaboración con:

  • SACA es una organización comunitaria que eleva y restaura comunidades marginadas a través de servicios humanos, económicos y sociales, al tiempo que apoya las identidades culturales.
  • Crispus Attucks Community Center’s Young Professionals of Color Network es un colectivo de miembros gratuito donde los jóvenes profesionales BIPOC pueden hacer contactos y debatir sobre cuestiones sociales y cívicas.
  • Mennonite Life comparte artículos e historias que muestran las diversas experiencias vividas y los valores de fe de los menonitas de Lancaster y las comunidades interrelacionadas. Mennonite Life administra una biblioteca de investigación, una colección permanente de museos y experiencias familiares en el Museo 1719 y la Experiencia del Tabernáculo Bíblico.
  • El Museo Nacional del Americano Latino forma parte del Instituto Smithsoniano. El museo rinde homenaje a los sueños, retos y triunfos de los latinos de EE.UU., elevando esas historias dentro de la narrativa de la nación.

Información e inscripción

El panel comenzará a las 6pm y será precedido por una recepción a las 5:30pm en Tec Centro, 57 Laurel St, Lancaster, PA. Se puede aparcar en un amplio aparcamiento de las instalaciones. En caso de mal tiempo, el panel se realizará virtualmente. Este programa es gratuito y abierto al público, pero requiere inscripción para garantizar el espacio. Para inscribirse, haga clic aquí o llame al 717.392.4633, ext. 100 para inscribirse por teléfono.

Fotografías destacadas del abuelo paterno de Ramona Navedo (izquierda) y de su abuela materna (derecha). Fotos cortesía de Ramona Rivera Navedo.

Featured Event In-Person Event Off-Site Event Panel

Lydia Hamilton Smith and the World of Entrepreneurial Black Women in the Nation’s Capital

Lydia Hamilton Smith lived a remarkable life as the confidante of Thaddeus Stevens, but also as an accomplished woman in the years following his death. While many know Smith in relation to Stevens, she carefully crafted a life shaped by hard work, dignity, and egalitarian values. An astute businesswoman and an important figure in social circles in both Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. this talk will explore how Lydia Hamilton Smith figured among the circles of Black entrepreneurs in the nation’s capital.

A young woman with long black hair and brown skin in a white button down shirt.
Tamika Nunley

Dr. Tamika Nunley is the Research Professor of History at Duke University. Along with articles, essays, and reviews, she is the author of At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities in Washington, D.C. which received the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Award, the Pauli Murray Book Prize, and the Mary Kelley Book Prize. Her article, “Thrice Condemned’: Enslaved Women, Violence, and the Practice of Leniency in Antebellum Courts,” received the Letitia Woods Brown prize for best article in African American Women’s History and the Anne Braden Prize for best article in Southern Women’s History. Nunley recently released her new book, The Demands of Justice: Enslaved Women, Capital Crime and Clemency in Early Virginia with the University of North Carolina Press. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, NewsOne, Smithsonian Magazine, Ms. Magazine, and Fortune Magazine. In 2023, the Librarian of Congress named her the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in Ethics and American history.

Information & Registration

The lecture, “Lydia Hamilton Smith and the World of Entrepreneurial Black Women in the Nation’s Capital,” will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. A reception will precede the lecture at 5pm, followed by the main event at 5:30pm. The lecture will be available via livestream, but will not be available publicly after the event concludes.

This event is free and open to the public, but requires registration to guarantee a seat. Select your registration option below, or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone. An email is required to receive the link to the livestream on Zoom.

ATTEND IN PERSON

ATTEND ONLINE

Online/Virtual Event In-Person Event Lecture Reception

February 5, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Lecture FREE | Registration Required

Thrill Ride: Hersheypark & Its Transformation in the 1970s

Image of an older man with light skin. He had a bad head, wears glasses, and is wearing a gray suit with a red striped tie.
Dr. John Haddad

Today, Hersheypark is famous for coasters and candy-themed fun, but it wasn’t always. When it was founded in 1906, it was central to Milton Hershey’s larger vision of paternalistic capitalism. It was only in the 1970s that it transformed from an old-fashioned amusement park into a modern entertainment complex that followed the model of Disneyland. When and how did the park discover its magic formula of thrill rides and chocolate theming? The answer is sure to surprise you, so join LancasterHistory and Dr. John Haddad of Penn State University to find out!

Dr. John R. Haddad is Professor of American Studies and Popular Culture at Penn State University in Harrisburg. He is the author of Thrill Ride: The Transformation of Hershey Park (2025) as well as three books that explore America’s historical relationship with China. He lives in Lancaster with his family. 

Information & Registration

The lecture, “Thrill Ride: Hersheypark & Its Transformation in the 1970s,” will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. A reception will precede the lecture at 5pm, followed by the main event at 5:30pm. The lecture will be available via livestream, but will not be available publicly after the event concludes.

This event is free and open to the public, but requires registration to guarantee a seat. Select your registration option below, or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone. An email is required to receive the link to the livestream on Zoom.

ATTEND IN PERSON

ATTEND ONLINE

Online/Virtual Event In-Person Event Lecture Reception

May 28, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Lecture FREE | Registration Required