Programs

Partnership brings screenings

The Flathead Valley Celtic Festival stages its annual event this year Sept. 8 and 9, but the gatherings started much earlier, first with our co-hosted screening of “Waking Ned Devine,” and now a showing of “Belfast,” set for 7 p.m. Friday, April 14.

Come on out to the museum for the free award-winning movie and Celtic-themed raffle prizes. Refreshments, including beer and wine, will be available for sale.

Festival co-founder Rob Eberhardy (shown with daughters Katie (left) and Anna), who with his wife Shelley Eberhardy founded the festival in 2015, says the screenings “are a great way to gather the community, aid in enrichment, and, of course, have fun!”

See you here!

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Speakers wrap up the John White Series

Thanks to our talented lineup (from left), Kyren Zimmerman, Randy & Jim Mohn, Amy Grisak, and John Fraley, we know a lot more about our corner of the world, from the depths of Flathead Lake to moviegoing, fire lookouts to wilderness reflection. Thank you to our presenters, all who came and listened, and the volunteers and staff who make it all possible!

We’re already looking forward to the 22nd annual edition. In the meantime, send us your nominations for next year and consider joining our John White Series committee, which will roll up its sleeves and get to planning this fall.

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Chinese came to cook, clean, and lay tracks, but their stories were seldom told

Until now, that is.

Mark T. Johnson, a University of Notre Dame professor who lives in Helena, started delving into the stories of some of the Chinese who made the leap to the West when he came across untranslated archives of material at the Montana Historical Society dating from the 1880s to the 1950s.

At the time, Johnson was teaching at a school in Shanghai and had connections to many eager language learners and bilingual readers. Assembling a transnational, multigenerational team, Johnson undertook the supervision of deciphering hundreds of mostly primary documents—typically letters—for English-language audiences.

His book, The Middle Kingdom under the Big Sky: A History of the Chinese Experience in Montana (University of Nebraska Press), details the difficult and sometimes rewarding life of one of our state’s largest classes of immigrants. At one point, Chinese residents accounted for more than a tenth of the state’s population.

Many Montanans know that Chinese labor was instrumental in laying tracks for the railroads on which much of frontier life depended, as well as laundries, restaurants, and other essential services.

Johnson

On Monday, April 10, Johnson visits the Northwest Montana History Museum to detail his findings and process. He will illuminate the pressures Chinese Montanans felt in their new digs and from their families back home.

Navigating government bureaucracy, frequent racism, and an ever-changing political landscape, Chinese Montanans often advocated for themselves and contributed more than just labor to their communities.

Mark your calendars for a rare glimpse into the lives of many who arrived early in Montana and aided our region’s development.

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Photographer dives into our past

Maritime archaeology explorer Kyren Zimmerman gives us a tour of fascinating objects at the bottom of Flathead Lake and other area waterways. He uses ROV and other technology to render images of sunken boats, rail cars, and other treasures. See for yourself at the last of the talks in our 21st annual John White Series at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.

With just a couple of dozen tickets left, which you can purchase online or at the museum from 10 to 5 weekdays, we expect this event to sell out as with other talks in the series.

See you Sunday!

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Author invites view into “My Wilderness Life”

Writer and former wildlife biologist John Fraley appears Feb. 5 in the third installment of the museum’s 21st annual John White Series.

For the first time, popular Northwest Montana author John Fraley, who usually turns his pen to historical figures of Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and other wild spaces, has turned his attention to himself. His newly published fifth book, My Wilderness Life, tells of the inspiration and sometimes tragedy of giving into the risk of exploring remote places.

“I didn’t want to write a self-indulgent memoir,” Fraley says, “so instead I basically followed the template of my other books. Each chapter features the challenges and rewards of adventuring in the wilderness, except this time they’re adventures I experienced firsthand.”

Always an engaging speaker and an inquisitive researcher and observer, Fraley takes us along on the trail of his life and where reflection and wilderness intersect.

The John White Series is named for longtime custodians at the former Central School, who encouraged Kalispell learners for decades.

The 2023 series wraps Feb. 26 with Kyren Zimmerman talking about marine archeology photography and what lies beneath the surface of Flathead Lake and other waters.

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“To Catch a Thief” steals into the new year

Movie Night at the Museum begins the year with a showing of the 1955 romantic thriller “To Catch a Thief” starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. The film screens 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Northwest Montana History Museum. 

John “The Cat” Robie (Cary Grant) no longer steals for a living. The former jewel thief is happily living on the French Riviera, tending his vineyards and enjoying the good life when a string of burglaries cause the police to suspect that Robie is up to his old tricks again. Facing arrest for crimes he did not commit, Robie realizes that the only way he can prove his innocence is to find and catch the actual thief. 

Thinking like a burglar once again, Robie identifies the individuals and families living and visiting the area whose wealth and possessions make them the most lucrative targets. That list includes a rich American tourist Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Frances (Grace Kelly). Robie strikes up an acquaintance with both ladies and from there, the story moves through plot twists and turns that only writer-producer Alfred Hitchcock could create.

When he was offered the role of Robie, Grant, like his character in the movie, had retired. But after accepting the role, he continued to remain active in the movie business for 11 more years. 

This film is the third film in which Hitchcock featured Kelly as the leading lady, citing her “elegant sexiness” as a reason he selected her for the role.  

Admission and popcorn are free, but donations are accepted to defray costs. Soda pop, water, beer and wine are available for purchase. Seating is provided, but viewers can bring their own cushions or seating if they like.

Located in the former Central School in Kalispell, the Northwest Montana History Museum brings the past alive through exhibits, artifacts, educational programs and events. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. Call 406-756-8381 or visit nwmthistory.org for more.

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Amy Grisak presents on “History of Fire Lookouts in Northwest Montana”

Author, radio co-host, and sustainable-food practitioner Amy Grisak will present her years of research on fire lookouts of Glacier National Park and Northwest Montana as part of the museum’s 21st annual John White Series.

Grisak will cover fire suppression efforts and events starting with the Big Burn of 1910, which consumed 3 million acres and 87 lives, prompting creation of the lookout system. In Northwest Montana, with its predominant logging industry, such measures were critical to the economy and livelihoods of the area. “It’s one thing to learn about the number of acres burned,” she says, “and another to learn the personal stories.”

“I’m a fire-lookout nut,” says Grisak, who has hiked into many existing lookouts, such as trekking the 11 miles to Huckleberry Lookout in Glacier National Park. She also will present information and images of fire lookouts that have been lost along with ones such as Hornet, which marked a century this year up in the North Fork.

A former resident of Coram, where she built 220 raised garden beds out of stone on her property, Grisak now lives in Great Falls, where she co-hosts the radio program Front Range Outdoors and writes books and articles. She will sign copies of her Nature Guide to Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks and Found Photos of Yellowstone at the event.

The John White Series is named for John Whites Sr. and Jr., whose friendly faces warmed up Kalispell and area learners for decades. 

Details:
2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15; half-hour social time and refreshments after the presentation.

Tickets for individual events are $15 (members)/$20 (nonmembers).

Visit nwmthistory.org/programs/john-white-speaker-series for tickets and more info. Tickets also may be purchased by stopping in or calling the museum and talking with Terri or Margaret, 406-756-8381 option 5 or 6.

Regular museum hours:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 Second Ave. East, Kalispell, MT 59901; 406-756-8381; nwmthistory.org

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Experts set to expound

We have four wintry Sundays of fun on tap, through Feb. 26.

Amy Grisak (second from right) works in words, radio, and her backyard “farm” in Great Falls. She launches the series Jan. 15 with a talk on historic fire lookouts of Northwest Montana, one of which—Hornet Lookout, 45 miles north of Columbia Falls—just marked a century.

On Jan. 29 Jim and Randy Mohn (second from left) present a program you won’t find anywhere else: a review of Kalispell’s historic theater scene.

After decades as a wildlife biologist, John Fraley (right) turned to writing books. At first he focused on historical figures of Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Now he’s turned his keen eye on himself. His fifth book, My Wilderness Life, is just that: a reflection on a life spent nagivating and making sense of the natural world. Hear how his story made it to the page, and about the people and sights that inspired him along the way on Feb. 5.

Maritime archaeology photographer Kyren Zimmerman (left) goes deep to find his subjects, which lurk under the surface of Flathead Lake and other waters. He talks Feb. 26 on what lies beneath. From sunken boats to train cars, he takes his passion for noninvasive marine photography to a technical level. He converts image files into 3D renderings and uses an ROV (remote-operated vehicle) to document and photograph his finds. Zimmerman has traveled as far as Fiji and the Channel Islands and all over Montana to work and hone his skills, always innovating.

Visit nwmthistory.org/programs/john-white-speaker-series/ for tickets and info. All talks start at 2 p.m. and are followed by a Q&A and a half-hour casual social time.

A note about tickets: You can order the series online or individual tickets through the link above, or you can call Terri or Margaret (406-756-8381 option 5 or 6, respectively) or come by the museum 10 to 5 Monday through Friday.

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“The Lens of Ed Gilliland” shows landscape at large

After a six-month delay, the Northwest Montana History Museum is proud to present a much anticipated, can’t-miss showing of the E.B. Gilliland Photography Collection. The Museum will be offering a glace through The Lens of Ed Gilliland on Wednesday, May 11th, from 7 to 9 pm at the Northwest Montana History Museum.

Photography historian and NWMTHS board member Arne Boveng will present a “analog film night” of Ed s photography as the main event of the evening and an unofficial public unveiling of this remarkable collection. This will not be your typical digital or Kodak Carousel slide show – all the slides that Arne will present are larger format, at least two or three times larger than the typical 35 mm. The brilliance, clarity, and precision of these slides (which are mounted between glass plates) is far greater than nearly any other photography format.

Every negative that will be presented is an Ed-Gilliland-original taken in the 1980s or 1990s. Besides his beloved Glacier Park, Ed’s photography from the American Southwest and the Pacific Coast will also be highlighted. Ed had a real gift of capturing light just perfectly, and he worked hard at his craft, often returning to the same location day after day or at multiple times through the year to reveal changes to the landscape. Photography aficionados will be able to spot the subtle yet remarkable differences in the different slide formats that will be on display.

The event is free and open to the public. The Museum hopes you can join us on May 11th to share this special presentation of works from one of the Flathead’s finest photographers.

Before and after the slideshow, attendees will be able to view and purchase some of Ed’s printed work and historic photographs, including some images professional mounted on foamboard and ready for framing.

The Slideshow starts at 7 PM, but the doors to the Museum will open at 6 to give everyone a chance to view the prints for themselves. Beer, wine, and pop will be available for purchase before and during the presentation.

This is a good chance to own a piece of history, from the Flathead Valley, Glacier Park, or the American Southwest. Proceeds support the Northwest Montana Historical Society

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“How to Make a Million in the Wild West”: You can’t afford to miss this

On Thursday, January 27th, the Northwest Montana History Museum is happy to welcome Dr. Bill Farley, who will explore the many ways average men became self-made millionaires in Montana and the early American West. 
The Wild West era in American history is replete with stories of prospectors, merchants, and outlaws in search of great wealth. A rare few achieved their dreams, while everyone else either met their demise, returned home, or settled for steady wages working for others. In this presentation, author Bill Farley will discuss a variety of ways Wild West millionaires built their wealth – including James A. Murray, the most successful Irish entrepreneur in the American West – in a landscape where there were few laws and a skeleton of a justice system.

Bill Farley holds a Ph.D. from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research interests include economic and policy history with his work having been published in Montana: The Magazine of Western History, the Journal of San Diego History and the Journal of Policy History. He also has published trade articles in Wild West Magazine, American Ancestors, as well as a trade book on Montana Pioneer James A. Murray (Mountain Press Publishing, 2018). Dr. Farley has been an invited lecturer at the An-Ri-Ra Festival in Butte and on two occasions at the Montana Historical Association in Helena. He was recently commissioned by the Irish Royal Academy to prepare an entry for James A. Murray into the Dictionary of Irish Biography. 

How to Make a Million in the Wild West will be held at the Northwest Montana History Museum on Thursday, January 27th, at 7pm. The event is free to attend, and beer, wine, and pop will be available for purchase. 

Everyone is always welcome at the Northwest Montana History Museum. However, if you have a cough, a fever, or are just feeling under the weather, we kindly ask that you visit us some other time; not only for your own health, but for the well-being of our staff and other supporters.

The Northwest Montana History Museum is located at 124 2nd Ave E., Kalispell. Call 406- 756-8381 for more information.

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