Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (March 22, 2023) – The next presentation of the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series will be held both in person and online on Thursday, April 6 at 7pm, featuring “Captain Dan Seavey: A Pirate Behaving Badly on the Great Lakes” presented by Samantha Engel and Aaron Guylas, historians and creators of the Great Lakes Lore podcast. (NOTE – for this month’s presentation, both speakers will be appearing virtually.)
Roarin’ Dan Seavey was born in Maine in 1865. He moved to Milwaukee in the late 1880s before leaving his family to participate in the Klondike Gold Rush, where he was unsuccessful. He moved back to Escanaba, MI, and acquired a schooner named the Wanderer for the purposes of beginning a life of piracy. Seavey lived a life comprised mostly of poaching, kidnapping, theft, hijacking, and smuggling. The only thing Seavey didn’t do was behave on the Great Lakes.
Samantha Engel has called Michigan home for her entire life and has always had a fascination with history and the paranormal. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in American History and has worked in the public history field for nearly a decade. Currently, Samantha works as the Historian for Dow Gardens in Midland, MI and has led workshops for history and museum organizations throughout the state. When she isn’t working or preparing for upcoming Great Lakes Lore episodes, she enjoys spending time with her dog, traveling, and cooking.
Indiana native Aaron Gulyas holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in American History and has taught at Mott Community College in Flint, MI since 2006. In addition to teaching, he has written several books and articles on the history of paranormal, conspiracy culture, and media history. In 2017, he created his first podcast, The Saucer Life, and in 2021 co-created Great Lakes Lore with Samantha Engel. He enjoys spending time with his family, brewing, cooking, and cycling.
More information, and a link to register for online presentations, is available at www.dcmm.org/maritime-speaker-series.
Remaining 2022-2023 Speaker Series Lineup
- May 4: Between Boats and Brews: Captain Pabst’s Interesting Career Switch in Wisconsin, presented by Dave Fehlauer, President of the Pabst Mansion Volunteer Council.
Each Fall, Winter and Spring, the Door County Maritime Museum hosts experts and interesting characters from around the country for the Maritime Speaker Series (presented in partnership with series sponsor the Door County Medical Center).
The Maritime Speaker Series offers an assortment of monthly programs – from historical topics to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them.
The Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series programs are held the first Thursday of each month, October through May, beginning at 7pm, on the second floor of the Museum in Sturgeon Bay, as well as online. There is no cost to attend; we suggest bringing a donation of a non-perishable food item, or if watching online, we ask you to donate to your local food pantry.
Additional in-kind support for the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series is provided by Bridgeport Resort.
For questions about the Maritime Speaker Series, please email Andrea Stromeyer, Educational Programs Coordinator, at astromeyer@dcmm.org.
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