LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society this week announced the first program for the 2024 Winter Lecture Series: “An Untold History of Black and White Community-Building on the Adirondack Frontier,” presented by Amy Godine.

Godine is a lecturer and author of the recently published Cornell University Press book, “The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice on the Adirondack Frontier.” The program will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. People can also view the event at https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalMedia-LPNEHS on the society’s YouTube channel.

In the program, Godine will discuss how historians have long noted the obstacles that stalled the progress of Gerrit Smith’s Black pioneers in the mid-19th century — among them, white racism, insufficient funding and the homesteaders’ lack of farm experience. Not so familiar are the stories of interracial dealings among settlers, Black and white, that spoke of meaningful alliances, common pursuits and a shared devotion to this frontier world. Working with military pensions, land redemption records, and legal testimony, Godine shares some hopeful and revealing stories from an undervalued legacy of sociability and mutual respect. The event includes a book signing at the end of the program.

Other upcoming programs in this year’s Winter Lecture Series:

¯ Thursday, Feb. 15: “NYS Ranger History in the Forest Preserve & Rescue Stories Along the Way,” presented by Kevin Burns, captain of the New York State Forest Rangers for District 5.

¯ Thursday, March 21: “Get Down & Dirty: Farming in the Adirondacks,” a panel discussion presented by local farmers.

¯ Thursday, April 18: “Lake Placid Steamboats, Fancy Hotels and the Gilded Age,” a new historical photo tour presented by R.J. Potter, retired radio and television broadcaster and former educator.

All the programs are free and open to the public and will be held at the LPCA.

For more information, contact the historical society at 518-523-3830, by email at info@lakeplacidhistory.com or visit www.lakeplacidhistory.com.