diff --git a/src/event.rs b/src/event.rs
index c1e08d483f6f85..25b77e681086fb 100644
--- a/src/event.rs
+++ b/src/event.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 /// Though processing power varies across nodes, the network gives priority to the
 /// fastest processor. Duration should therefore be estimated by assuming that the hash
 /// was generated by the fastest processor at the time the entry was logged.
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone)]
 pub struct Event {
     pub num_hashes: u64,
     pub end_hash: u64,
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ pub struct Event {
 /// be generated in 'num_hashes' hashes and verified in 'num_hashes' hashes.  By logging
 /// a hash alongside the tick, each tick and be verified in parallel using the 'end_hash'
 /// of the preceding tick to seed its hashing.
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone)]
 pub enum EventData {
     Tick,
     UserDataKey(u64),
diff --git a/src/historian.rs b/src/historian.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..7a9a027696e0c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/historian.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+//! The `historian` crate provides a microservice for generating a Proof-of-History.
+//! It logs EventData items on behalf of its users. It continuously generates
+//! new hashes, only stopping to check if it has been sent an EventData item. It
+//! tags each EventData with an Event and sends it back. The Event includes the
+//! EventData, the latest hash, and the number of hashes since the last event.
+//! The resulting Event stream represents ordered events in time.
+
+use std::thread::JoinHandle;
+use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender};
+use event::{Event, EventData};
+
+pub struct Historian {
+    pub sender: Sender<EventData>,
+    pub receiver: Receiver<Event>,
+    pub thread_hdl: JoinHandle<(Event, EventThreadExitReason)>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum EventThreadExitReason {
+    RecvDisconnected,
+    SendDisconnected,
+}
+
+fn drain_queue(
+    receiver: &Receiver<EventData>,
+    sender: &Sender<Event>,
+    num_hashes: u64,
+    end_hash: u64,
+) -> Result<u64, (Event, EventThreadExitReason)> {
+    use std::sync::mpsc::TryRecvError;
+    let mut num_hashes = num_hashes;
+    loop {
+        match receiver.try_recv() {
+            Ok(data) => {
+                let e = Event {
+                    end_hash,
+                    num_hashes,
+                    data,
+                };
+                if let Err(_) = sender.send(e.clone()) {
+                    return Err((e, EventThreadExitReason::SendDisconnected));
+                }
+                num_hashes = 0;
+            }
+            Err(TryRecvError::Empty) => {
+                return Ok(num_hashes);
+            }
+            Err(TryRecvError::Disconnected) => {
+                let e = Event {
+                    end_hash,
+                    num_hashes,
+                    data: EventData::Tick,
+                };
+                return Err((e, EventThreadExitReason::RecvDisconnected));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// A background thread that will continue tagging received EventData messages and
+/// sending back Event messages until either the receiver or sender channel is closed.
+pub fn event_stream(
+    start_hash: u64,
+    receiver: Receiver<EventData>,
+    sender: Sender<Event>,
+) -> JoinHandle<(Event, EventThreadExitReason)> {
+    use std::collections::hash_map::DefaultHasher;
+    use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
+    use std::thread;
+    thread::spawn(move || {
+        let mut end_hash = start_hash;
+        let mut hasher = DefaultHasher::new();
+        let mut num_hashes = 0;
+        loop {
+            match drain_queue(&receiver, &sender, num_hashes, end_hash) {
+                Ok(n) => num_hashes = n,
+                Err(e) => return e,
+            }
+            end_hash.hash(&mut hasher);
+            end_hash = hasher.finish();
+            num_hashes += 1;
+        }
+    })
+}
+
+impl Historian {
+    pub fn new(start_hash: u64) -> Self {
+        use std::sync::mpsc::channel;
+        let (sender, event_data_receiver) = channel();
+        let (event_sender, receiver) = channel();
+        let thread_hdl = event_stream(start_hash, event_data_receiver, event_sender);
+        Historian {
+            sender,
+            receiver,
+            thread_hdl,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use event::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_historian() {
+        let hist = Historian::new(0);
+
+        let data = EventData::Tick;
+        hist.sender.send(data.clone()).unwrap();
+        let e0 = hist.receiver.recv().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(e0.data, data);
+
+        let data = EventData::UserDataKey(0xdeadbeef);
+        hist.sender.send(data.clone()).unwrap();
+        let e1 = hist.receiver.recv().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(e1.data, data);
+
+        drop(hist.sender);
+        assert_eq!(
+            hist.thread_hdl.join().unwrap().1,
+            EventThreadExitReason::RecvDisconnected
+        );
+
+        verify_slice(&[e0, e1], 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_historian_closed_sender() {
+        let hist = Historian::new(0);
+        drop(hist.receiver);
+        hist.sender.send(EventData::Tick).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            hist.thread_hdl.join().unwrap().1,
+            EventThreadExitReason::SendDisconnected
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a8ae4177dce130..2436e37763fd99 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #![cfg_attr(feature = "unstable", feature(test))]
 pub mod event;
+pub mod historian;
 extern crate itertools;
 extern crate rayon;