Gibraltar Talks Lecture Focuses on Lumberjack History

Escanaba, Michigan-based author and historian Bill Jamerson will be on hand for a musical presentation on lumberjack history as part of the Gibraltar Talks program series. The program will take place on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 pm at the Gibraltar Town Hall in Fish Creek.

With the help of his guitar, Jamerson sings traditional lumberjack songs and relates stories about life in lumberjack camps. Audiences are taken on a musical journey with songs about working in the forests, sleeping in a bunkhouse, the hardships of river drives, and more. Song was a large part of a lumberjack’s life – songs were often sung in lumber camps and changes as they were passed from one camp to another. “A Lumberjack’s Life” tells of the hardships of working in the cold. “Jack Haggerty” is the story of a broken-hearted river man, and “Men at Play” tells of the revelry that happens when the lumberjacks would come into town.

Jamerson is an author as well as an award-winning PBS filmmaker and songsmith. With songs ranging from stomping jigs to soulful ballads, Jamerson manages to weave in some tall tales along with his music.

The Gibraltar Talks series is sponsored by the Gibraltar Historical Association. The programs are free, but goodwill donations are appreciated to help the GHA continue with educational programming.

For more information, call 920.868.3618.