By: WOUB Culture Team
Posted on: Friday, August 14, 2026

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – In this episode of Conversations from Studio B, host Tom O’Grady of the Southeast Ohio History Center speaks with Heidi Bender Kauffman, museum educator at the Southern Ohio Museum in Portsmouth, about the region’s history and cultural resources. The conversation explores the Southern Ohio Museum’s collections, including historic photographs, regional art and Native American artifacts connected to the Portsmouth area.

O’Grady and Kauffman discuss the Portsmouth Earthworks and other evidence of the region’s extensive prehistoric Native American history, as well as efforts to better understand and preserve these sites. They also examine how museums and new technologies can help researchers and the public interpret the past while acknowledging questions that remain unanswered. Kauffman also highlights the Southern Ohio Museum’s expansion and Portsmouth landmarks, including the city’s floodwall murals depicting local and regional history.

Click “play” in the Soundcloud widget above to listen to the conversation.