A Man Called York: A Presentation by Zachary Stocks – Thursday, April 9 at 4pm
The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum invites the public to a special presentation, “A Man Called York,” with public historian Zachary Stocks, Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers. The program will take place Thursday, April 9 at 4:00 p.m. and is part of the museum’s annual John Williams Lecture Series, a free lecture series held each year from October through May. Admission is free, and donations are welcome.
York is widely known as the enslaved man who accompanied Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803–1806). Yet beyond his participation in this historic journey, much of York’s life and story remains less widely understood. In this engaging presentation, Zachary Stocks will explore York’s life before, during, and after the expedition, shedding light on his experiences and examining his place within the broader narrative of African American history in the United States. Through careful research and storytelling, the talk offers a deeper understanding of a figure who played a vital role in one of America’s most famous expeditions.
Stocks is a public historian and interpreter who serves as Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers, the state’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans in Oregon. He previously served as Program Director of Grays Harbor Historical Seaport and Visitor Services Manager at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle. His past work also includes internships with Colonial Williamsburg and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, as well as service as a seasonal Park Ranger at Lewis & Clark National Historical Park.
Stocks holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the College of William & Mary, a certificate in Public History from the National Institute for American History and Democracy, and a Master of Arts in Museology from the University of Washington. He is also a 2025 graduate of the History Leadership Institute, sponsored by the American Association of State and Local History. Stocks currently resides in Astoria, Oregon.
This program is part of the museum’s John Williams Lecture Series, a free annual lecture series that takes place each year from October through May and features historians, authors, archaeologists, and other speakers who share stories connected to local and Pacific Northwest history. Seating is limited and parking at the museum is limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Additional parking is available two blocks from the museum at the Gower Street parking lot.