Montana Historical Society Launches Fall 2025 Programming

• August 29 2025

The Montana Historical Society will resume its popular ongoing lecture series this September alongside a virtual book club partnership, offering diverse programming that explores both Montana heritage and national history.

The lecture series is scheduled on a regular monthly basis: every first and third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Lewis and Clark Library, and every second Wednesday of the month at Touchmark. Additionally, the Society is partnering with the Montana 250^th Commission on “Montana Reads: The Treasure State’s Book Club,” a virtual discussion series building excitement for the United State’s 250^th birthday in 2026.

Thursday, September 4: "Rooted at the Edge: Ranching Where the Old West and New West Collide" – A book talk by Donna Erickson exploring the complex dynamics of Montana's urban-rural fringe. Drawing from her unique background as both a rancher and landscape planner, Erickson examines how ranchland becomes simultaneously cherished by families and coveted by urban neighbors.

Wednesday, September 10: "Eastern Montana's Eden: Irrigated Agriculture and the Lower Yellowstone Project" – MTHS Library Manager Dan Karalus explains how irrigation transformed eastern Montana’s agricultural landscape, examining the intersection of federal policy and local initiative that created the region’s agricultural development.

Thursday, September 11: "Montana Reads: The Treasure State's Book Club" – The Montana 250 Commission will host a virtual discussion (6:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom) featuring The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett Graff. Graff will join live for this special event honoring September 11th victims.

Thursday, September 18: "Twisted Tales: Growing Up and Old in the Mountains of Montana" – A book talk by Ron Crawford that will share true-life adventures and colorful narratives from his childhood in a mountain log cabin, featuring encounters with "old-timers, trappers, and miners" and wilderness experiences in the Bob Marshall area.

All presentations are free and open to the public. The September 4 and 18 lectures will be recorded and posted online, and books will be available for purchase and signing on those dates.

Registration details for the book club can be found at www.america250mt.org. For more information on these events, contact Laura Marsh at 406-444-4789 or laura.marsh@mt.gov.