WLA/WHS Scholarly Series: Innovation, Disruption, Revolution: The Impact of Technological Advancement – Jamie Eves

“Down Sodom: The Impact of Rapid Industrialization on Everyday Life in Late 18th- and Early 19th-Century Connecticut ” — Jamie Eves, Mill Museum

In the 17th year of the collaboration between Wilton Library and the Wilton Historical Society, the scholarly lecture series will focus on the theme of “Innovation, Disruption, Revolution: The Impact of Technological Advancement.” In this lecture, Jamie Eves, senior curator of the Mill Museum in Willimantic, CT, will discuss how New Englanders dealt with the rapid evolution of many industrializing towns during the 18th and 19th centuries in the face of changing technologies. New innovations brought new businesses, wealth, and people to many Connecticut towns, in some cases even building entirely new communities with their own distinct identities. However, with change comes resistance and resentment as people connected to these communities embraced or rejected the new reality that technology enabled.

Eves is the Mill Museum’s senior curator and historian in residence, as well as the town historian of Windham, CT. He earned a PhD in American history at the University of Connecticut. His doctoral dissertation, “Valley White With Mist,” examines the relationships between people and environment in the Piscataquis River Valley in northern Maine. He has an MA and BA in history from the University of Maine. He is executive director emeritus of the Mill Museum, having served in that capacity from 2011 until 2021. Jamie has been teaching history at the university level for more than 25 years with research specialties including 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century American environmental and industrial history, the history of New England, and public history. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut League of Museums.

This series is sponsored by Laureen Mody. The moderator for this lecture is Wilton Historical Soceity Executive Director Nick Foster.

The other lectures in the series include (please note the location and time of each lecture):

• Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m., Wilton Historical Society: “Where did the Internet, Stealth, GPS, and Covid mRNA vaccines come from? The Role of DARPA in Fostering Disruptive Technologies” with William Bonvillian
• Sunday, March 10 at 4 p.m., Wilton Library: “The Future of Innovation” with Dr. John Kao

A reception will follow the talks. There is no charge to attend but a $10 suggested donation is always welcomed.

Visit the Wilton Library website for additional dates, topics, and speaker details. Registration is required for each individual session. Register online or call 203.762.6334.