This talk is part of the Educational Lecture Series at the Muskingum County Library System presented in partnership with the G.W. Adams Educational Center and Ohio Humanities.

A light-hearted talk about the travel narratives of John May’s journey to the Ohio Country. In comparing the modern-day luxuries of travel to the difficulties of nineteenth-century travel, this talk provides perspective on what settlers had to overcome in order to make it to their destination. Listeners will receive insight about what it was like to meet new people in a foreign land, opinions on interesting food choices, less than conventional accommodations, and the otherworldly adventures of John May. After all, John May never had to book an airline ticket, pay for an expensive hotel room, or deal with long lines at a theme park. Did May, however, have the same aspirations for travel as we do in the modern world? This talk will cover all this and more.

Dr. Downing earned his BA and MS in History from Slippery Rock University, and his PhD from the University of Cincinnati.  He is an Assistant Professor of History at Marietta College.