Annual Meeting + Speaker Series

Westward to Wauwatosa: The Underwood Family Journey

Join us for the Wauwatosa Historical Society’s Annual Meeting, where we will reflect on the past year, share plans for the year ahead, and introduce nominees for the 2027 open board positions.

Following the business meeting, enjoy the final Speaker Series program of 2026 – Westerward to Wauwatosa: The Underwood Family Journey.

In 1836, William Underwood and his family settled in Wauwatosa. The trip from their first home in Virginia took them through Illinois, where William served in the Black Hawk War of 1832. Decades later, his son Reverend Enoch Underwood recalled the family’s journey in a handwritten diary, a photocopy of which is now preserved in the archives of the Wauwatosa Historical Society. This talk uncovers some of the Underwood family’s early history.

Presented by Marguerite Helmers. Marguerite is an independent researcher with over thirty years of experience teaching at the university level. She is the author of numerous academic publications and has shared her research through talks and lectures locally, nationally, and internationally. Her favorite subjects are the literature and visual arts of early 20th century England and Ireland, but she often drifts across the pond into 19th century America. Marguerite enjoys bringing complex historical topics to life in ways that are accessible to non-specialist audiences. In 2025, she was delighted to join the research team at Wauwatosa Historical Society.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., program starts at 6:00