The Friends of the Aiken County Historical Museum are pleased to offer a three-lecture series of talks about Aiken County's history. This summer series will be held at the Woodside Country Club. Dinner will be served at 6 pm and the lectures will begin at 6:30 pm. There will be a cash bar available.

Lecture # 1:

The first lecture will be held on Tuesday, June 10. The topic is "South Carolina Alcohol and Saloons" with speaker J.R. Fennell, director of the Lexington County Museum. This presentation will examine the history of alcohol in South Carolina and Aiken County from the beginning of European settlement to the end of prohibition in the 20th century. Attendees will learn about efforts to pass laws controlling alcohol in the antebellum period as well as those who broke the law and made and sold illegal liquor during prohitibion. The presentation will also mention the Dispensary system, which saw the state of South Carolina have a monopoly on alcohol sales.

The dinner menu for the lecture is Caesar salad, Chicken parmesan over pasta with red sauce. Served with toasty baguette (Vegetarian option available, please tell us in the notes section when you purchase your ticket(s)).

Lecture # 2:

The second lecture will be held on Tuesday, July 8. The topic is "Women of the Winter Colony" by speaker Linda Johnson, president of the Historic Aiken Foundation. This presentation will show that the women of the Winter Colony didn't just ride horses and host dinners. These accomplished women were movers and shakers who established many of the institutions Aiken enjoys today. Come learn about them!

The dinner menu for this lecture is Woodside House Salad, Fire grilled filet of Teres with wild mushroom Bordelaise Sauce. Served with Yukon Gold Whipped Potatoes and grilled Asparagus (Vegetarian option available, please tell us in the notes section when you purchase your ticket(s)).

Lecture # 3:

The third and final lecture will be held on Tuesday, August 12. The topic is "Shady Characters of the Winter Colony" by speaker Lauren Virgo, director of the Aiken County Historical Museum. This lecture will feature several hilarious, scandalous, and murderous tales to be told about the residents of Aiken's Winter Colony. From the mysterious stabbing of a Winter Colony playboy to the coward of the Titanic who stayed at the Willcox and to the Winter Colonist who lost half of his face because of a fake medicine, this lecture will explore several shady stories and characters from Aiken's past.

Dinner for this lecture will be Spinach salad iwth Julienned Carrots, Tomatoes, Candied Pecans, Smoked Goat Cheese, and Cucumbers - your choice of dressing. Pecan crusted Pork loin medallions with Apple Cherry cream sauce. Served with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans (Vegetarian option available, please tell us in the notes section when you purchase your ticket(s)).

From this page, you can purchase individual lecture tickets for $35/person. Just select the date you would like to attend and hit "get ticket" or "check out." To purchase a discounted series ticket for all three lectures ($90/person), please copy and paste this url into your search engine - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-summer-lecture-series-series-tickets-tickets-1269190796839?aff=oddtdtcreator

If you have any questions regarding the ticketing, please email ACHMFriends@gmail.com.

2025 Summer Lecture Series - Individual Lecture Tickets