Nick Blanton, President of Shepherdstown’s Rumseian Society and much acclaimed dulcimer maker, will give a talk called “Stubborn Advocates: How Shepherdstown Came to Carry a Torch for James Rumsey” at 7 p.m., Mar. 29, at the Entler Hotel.

Blanton’s talk is the second in Shepherdstown’s 250th Anniversary Speaker Series, sponsored by the Historic Shepherdstown Commission. The series is aimed at contributing to the 250th by telling the stories that make up the town’s history.

In 1787, inventor James Rumsey demonstrated a working steamboat on the Potomac River at Shepherdstown. Since that time, Shepherdstown has memorialized his achievement with the Rumsey Monument, built in about 1915, and with the construction in 1987 of a half-scale model of the steamboat. Nick Blanton was one of the craftsman involved in that project. The model is now housed in the courtyard of the Shepherdstown Museum.

The Entler Hotel is located at 129 E. German Street, at the corner of German and Princess streets. Light refreshments will be served after the talk. Admission is free. However, seating is limited, so attendees may want to come early.

This series is being presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information, call Cheryl Gregory at 304-876-0919, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.