Mel Hankla will focus on the life and times of the Humble brothers. Michael, (1744-1818) was an armorer with Gen. George Rogers Clark and Conrad, (1739-1790) whose shop was in Bourbon County, about 5 miles west of Paris. By 1779, Michael had a gun shop on the corner of 12th and Main street in downtown Louisville. Rifles made by these brothers will be on display during and after the lecture.

Mel Hankla is a past president of the Contemporary Longrifle Association and editor of American Tradition Magazine. A builder of traditional Longrifles, in 1984 he was awarded a National Endowment of the Arts grant to apprentice with master Kentucky riflesmith Hershel House. In 2016 he was proudly inducted into the prestigious American Society of Arms Collectors. A noted author, he has contributed articles to many publications and is currently working on a book entitled Up the Valley & Through the Gap - Following the Migration of Kentucky's Rifle Smiths.