Montana History Conference And 2007 Statewide Preservation Workshop, Oct 18-20, Helena

2007-10-18 08:05:00

Helena

Contact: http://www.montanahistoricalsociety.org, 406-444-2696

Have a few laughs from the days of vaudeville, ride the trail with Teddy Blue Abbott, learn the life of a Blackfoot warrior, and just plain have a great time at the 34th Annual Montana Historical Society Montana History Conference in Helena this October.
The theme for this year’s three-day conference Oct. 18-20 is “Serving Up a Taste of the Past,” and it truly is a smorgasbord of speakers, special events and “delicious” helpings of Montana history tidbits. To get the conference started Thursday, folksinger Bill Rossiter will celebrate3 Montana “foodways” in song.

“We always focus on bringing the best in Montana history and heritage to the table,” Society Director Richard Sims said. “This year we are also doing our best to make it a fun experience for all.”

The event is geared to anyone with an interest in Montana history, and plenary sessions allow those who attend to pick and choose topics most of interest to them.

This year Montana teachers can qualify for up to 27 credits from the Office of Public Instruction. “We want to do all we can to serve the great teachers who take Montana history to our school students,” Sims said.

Thursday workshops include such topics as “The Top 10 Misconceptions and Stereotypes about Indians,” “Organizing a Learning Expedition to 1910,” and building preservation lessons including “Simple Building Improvements for (Almost) No Money.”

On Friday veteran government newspaperman Chuck Johnson will take a peek at those who have helped shape state history when he presents “A Century under the Dome: The Montana Legislature from Past to Present.”

Other sessions that day include “Montana Vaudeville: Virgina City Style,” “E.C. “Teddy Blue” Abbott: The Texas Trail and the Open Range,” and an historic look at the controversial subject of abortion in the Old West.

On Saturday Rodger Henderson, associate professor of history at Penn State University-Fayette will present an intriguing talk on “The Warrior Mentalite and Life on the Blackfoot Reservation in Montana, 1870s-1919.” Other topics that day include Afro-American history in Montana, and the ever popular conference regular “Jerks and Gems in Montana History.”

Throughout the conference the 20th Anniversary of the Montana Preservation Alliance will be celebrated with special programs and presentations.

Advance registration for the conference including meals is $135 per individual until Oct. 1, and $150 after that up to the day of the event. The fee for Society members at the Prospector level or higher is $125.

For more information or to register go on-line at http://www.montanahistoricalsociety.org, or call 1-406-444-2696.