MTHS March Programs Include Lectures, Workshop

• March 04 2024

The Montana Historical Society invites community members of all ages to attend its March public programs, including its lecture series and a special children’s workshop.

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, at the Lewis and Clark Library, historian Alan Noonan will speak on the lives of Irish immigrants and the communities they formed in the American West. Drawing upon a diverse array of sources, including songs, poems, emigrant letters, and official records, his book “Mining Irish-American Lives” explores the rich and complex experiences of Irish immigrants in the American mining industry.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, at Touchmark, Kirby Lambert will share perspectives from the 35-plus years he worked at the Montana Historical Society. Lambert was continually delighted by his ongoing exposure to Montana’s colorful history. Join him as he shares 50 insights – sometimes serious, but more often not – in a fast-paced romp through the Treasure State’s past in “50 Things I Know about Montana History.”

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, at the Lewis and Clark Library, Montana Historical Society community preservation coordinator Kate Hampton will give a talk titled "They Are Our B17s! Norden Bombsight Training Facilities in Montana." Hampton will speak on Montana’s four top-secret training facilities during the World War II era, where hundreds of airmen learned to crew the massive “Flying Fortresses” and to master the precision bombsight.

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, at the Lewis and Clark Library, the Historical Society will teach a special workshop on ledger art for children. Participants will learn about the history and meaning of ledger art and storytelling in Plains Indian culture. They will then receive materials and instruction to create their own art using historic ledger paper. Prior registration is required.

Free tours of the Original Governor’s Mansion are offered every Saturday. at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

Only Thursday lectures held at the library will be recorded and posted on the MTHS YouTube channel.

For more information, email laura.marsh@mt.gov.