The Marathon County Historical Society presents

In 1925, the country was swept up in a new dance called the Charleston. It had debuted to the world on the Broadway stage of the production Runnin’ Wild back in 1923, and as the popular dance made its way to Central Wisconsin, it was being stepped to a particular rhythm. This program will look at the song, “Charleston.” It often accompanied the famous dance during its heyday in the 1920s (and since), but the song also has a larger story as a great jazz standard in its own right.

Join us to learn about the particular history of this song, the surprising number of recordings made of it, and how people back in the 1920s thought about music.

It will be presented by Ben Clark, archivist and historian at the Marathon County Historical Society. Clark wrote his master’s thesis on jazz history and has presented for History Speaks in the past on topics ranging from the story of local public transportation to the Fromm Brothers’ fur farm.

This History Speaks program will be presented live Saturday April 26th at the Woodson History Center (410 McIndoe Street, Wausau). History Speaks is presented in conjunction with the Marathon County Public Library and is sponsored by Janke Book Store. This is a free program, no RSVP required.

MCHS is located in the Woodson History Center at 410 McIndoe Street, Wausau, Wisconsin. Exhibit and office hours are Tuesday – Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Admission is free. The Research Library is open from 9 am to 3:30 pm Tuesday – Friday. Tours of the Yawkey House Museum are available Tuesday – Sunday. Call for times and prices. For more information, please call MCHS at 715-842-5750, email us at info@marathoncountyhistory.org, or visit our website at www.marathoncountyhistory.org.

The mission of MCHS is to collect, preserve, and exhibit materials related to the history of Marathon County, and to use these materials to help people learn about North Central Wisconsin, connect with their roots, and explore their own historical connections.

The Marathon County Historical Society is supported in part by City of Wausau Room Tax Funding. Additional support provided through the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation.