Jeff has given hundreds of presentations to groups of all ages, on topics ranging from Civil War battlefield tours to corporate leadership development. He is available for local tours of the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center and Civil War-themed tours of Woodland Cemetery, as well virtual and in-person presentations on history and on his novel, Waking the Shadows. Contact Jeff to schedule a presentation for your group - including libraries, historical societies, Civil War roundtables, book clubs, or networking groups.
Woodland Cemetery
Several of the stops on Jeff’s Civil War tour of Woodland Cemetery are featured in the Woodland History Quest project. The project documents and preserves the stories of those buried in the oldest cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa. Visit Woodland Cemetery and scan the QR codes throughout for more videos.
“Jeff is able to make history ‘come alive.’ We appreciated his historical expertise and skills in relating to young and old folks.”
Tours
Fort Des Moines - Learn about the history of Fort Des Moines, site of two significant historical events in the struggle for racial and gender equity. In May 1917, the United States opened the first Officers Training Camp for Black men at Fort Des Moines, and twenty-five years later, the first Officers Training Camp for women in military history. As a board member and museum volunteer, Jeff gives tours of the museum, located in south Des Moines.
Woodland Cemetery - Jeff created a Civil War-themed walking tour of Des Moines historic Woodland Cemetery, offered monthly through the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department. Contact Jeff to book a tour for your group. (This tour was made possible through the work of the longtime Woodland Cemetery volunteer historians).
Custom Tours - Interested in a custom history tour? Reach out to discuss your interest and ideas!
“Jeff gave a spellbinding presentation of the Fort Des Moines Museum. He gave life to the stories of the Black officers and WACs who trained at the Fort and relevance to the crucial role those men and women played in pursuing gender and racial equality.”
History Presentations
As a public historian, Jeff takes stories from the past and makes them relevant for contemporary audiences. Jeff is available to present to your group about the history of Fort Des Moines, as well as a variety of Civil War topics, including Iowa’s Civil War soldiers buried at Woodland Cemetery. Contact Jeff to schedule a presentation (in-person or virtual) for your classroom, library, networking group, or other event.
“I just wanted to pass along my sincere satisfaction with my custom tour with Jeff. In our Civil War travels we had never before hired a guide, but we were really pleased with Jeff.”
Book Talks
If you’re curious about the process of writing and publishing a novel, or interested in learning more about the journey from idea to completion, contact Jeff for a book talk. Waking the Shadows is a historical fiction novel about a fifteen-year-old girl orphaned by the war - perfect for book clubs as well as classrooms.
“The information Jeff presented was so interesting and his delivery and humor were perfectly suited to our group. I would highly recommend him.”