Yellowstone Gateway to host ‘Culture of the 19th Century’ speaker series:“A Verdigris Legacy: The Far Reach of Copper King William Andrews Clark,” is set for Thursday, February 28th
Yellowstone Gateway Museum has announced its upcoming speaker series, ‘Culture of the 19th Century.’ The five bi-monthly programs are Wednesday or Thursday evenings beginning on February 28th and will continue through April 24th. Topics include Copper King William Clark, a Yellowstone National Park stagecoach tour, Livingston’s bars and brothels, Fort Parker, and Calamity Jane. The free programs are held at Downtown Livingston’s Park Photo beginning at 7pm.
The first program, “A Verdigris Legacy: The Far Reach of Copper King William Andrews Clark,” is set for Thursday, February 28th. Historian and writer Robert Brock will present.
For more than a year, Brock followed the trail of Montana Copper King William Andrews Clark and chronicled his journey to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Jerome, Arizona, Washington, D.C., and New York City in six installments in the Butte Arts Monthly. He shares excerpts and photographs from his series, and examines how, like the verdigris patina of copper, the spoils and costs of Clark’s conquest have weathered the decades, revealing many deep parallels that still exist between these cities and Montana. The complete series is available at www.coresamples.blog.
Brock is a fourth-generation Montanan from Butte and graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in history in 2005. For more than a decade he has been a union organizer with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and now, based in Butte, is organizing coordinator for the western United States. In his travels, he frequently encounters powerful influences from Montana’s rich history, and tries through writing to share the story in both the Treasure State and the places Montana helped establish.
The series continues on March 13th with “A Stagecoach Tour Through Yellowstone: ‘All Them Fool Tenderfoot Questions,’” presented by historian and author Lee Whittlesey. Whittlesey will discuss the essence of the Yellowstone Grand Tour during the halcyon days of Yellowstone stagecoaches, 1878-1916.
On March 27th, “Bars, Brothels & the Law in Livingston” will be presented by Karen Reinhart, Yellowstone Gateway Museum registrar. Reinhart will discuss drinking establishments, the red light district, and the challenges the businesses faced, including Prohibition.
On April 11th, enjoy “Fort Parker: The First Crow Indian Agency,” to be presented by Crystal Alegria and Shane Doyle. They will discuss the history of the agency and the Extreme History Project’s work to uncover the unique and important role that the first Crow Agency played in early Montana history.
On April 24th, “Me & Martha: Intimate Reflections of Dora DuFran About the Real Life of Calamity Jane,” will be presented by scholar and actress, Mary Jane Bradbury. She will bring to life insights about Calamity’s real life through the eyes of madam Dora DuFran, a Black Hills pioneer, entrepreneur and close friend of Calamity’s. Partial funding for the Speakers Bureau program is provided by a legislative grant from Montana’s Cultural Trust and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
All programs will begin at 7pm at Park Photo, located at 115 S Main St. in Livingston. The speaker series is free, open to the public and refreshments are served. Doors will open at 6:30pm.
For more information about upcoming programs, visit www.yellowstonegatewaymuseum.org or find the museum on Facebook (@yellowstonegatewaymuseum). •
