What Do Snakes Have to Do with History?

I just received a newsletter from the department of archives and history of one of our 50 states. In the issue they have a listing of programs at sites around that state that are affiliated with the department. One of the programs is on snakes. There is nothing to indicate that there is anything of historical consequence in the session. (There is one on gardening, but the focus is on Victorian era gardens; there is one on summer dress, but the focus is once again on the Victorian era and even includes other interesting things that would add to one's understanding of an ancestor who lived in that era.) But snakes? They were there. Our ancestors probably didn't like them any better than we do. The only good snake is a dead one -- and even the word "good" is questionable in describing a dead snake.