Take a stroll thru Bozeman’s history with local foot tours
The past is a place where you can go and experience a different world. Join an Extreme History Project Walking Tour, returning for the 2019 season toward month’s end. Come for an adventure through time and see the past through new eyes. Here’s a look at some of the upcoming tours, many of which recur into early fall.
From Tents to Town: Bozeman’s Historic Main Street will take place Saturday mornings at 10am beginning May 25th. The Bozeman Main Street Historic District, the heart of the city of Bozeman and the only urban environment in the Gallatin Valley, is composed of a virtually uninterrupted streetscape of commercial buildings along both sides of four blocks. Learn about Bozeman’s early history through the historic architecture and people that founded our unique town.
Also starting May 25th, absorb some Symbolism in the Cemetery on Saturday afternoons at 1pm. Is the symbol of an owl, a star, or a weeping willow merely decorative or do they have deeper meanings? Walk through Sunset Hills Cemetery to discover the symbols engraved on historic headstones and the clues they give us about the people who founded our community.
The first Business and Pleasure: Bozeman’s Historic Red-Light District tour is set for May 25th, continuing on subsequent Saturday evenings at 7pm. See where the ladies lived and worked and recount the lives of the many women who made this district their home. Walkers will hear stories of success, failure, independence, and tragedy.
Gracious Gables: Bozeman’s Bon Ton District begins May 26th with recurring events on Sundays at 1pm. Have you ever driven down Willson Avenue and wondered about the people who lived in those fine houses? Wonder no longer! Step back in time and discover the history of South Grand and South Willson Avenues. Learn about the upper class of early Bozeman, the lawyers, lawmakers, professors, doctors and businessmen, many of whom built their grand mansions on these two streets.
Also returning May 26th, Ghosts of Bozeman’s Past: Historic Sunset Hills Cemetery will be held Sundays at 4pm. The early residents of Bozeman laid their love ones to rest in this sanctified ground overlooking the town that their toil and labor helped establish. Bozeman’s early movers and shakers rest here along with others whose stories make up the town’s historical narrative. Come learn about the fascinating history.
Developed as part of Mountain Time Arts’ Upstream Project, Hidden History: Rediscovering Bozeman Creek will take place at 6pm on May 28th and select Tuesdays thereafter. Bozeman Creek runs through the heart of Bozeman and has always been an integral waterway for the town and now the city of Bozeman. Join for a tour along the creek and uncover the history and hydrology of this important waterway.
Kicking off May 29th, Spirits, Suds, and Saloons: Bozeman’s Drinking History is set for Wednesday nights at 6pm. Bozeman’s drinking industry is nearly as old as the town itself: from our first brewery and saloon, opened in 1867, to the many bars, microbreweries, and pubs that shape Bozeman today, the history of breweries, saloons, and Bozeman are thoroughly intertwined. Learn about Bozeman’s brewing history, hear stories of colorful characters in the city’s 19th and 20th century saloons, and find out how Prohibition affected Bozeman’s saloon keepers, also visiting old neighborhood bars.
And closing out the month on May 31st, Murders, Madams, and Mediums: Bozeman’s Dark Side is back on Fridays at 7pm. From horrific murders to notorious madams and mediums communicating with the spirit world, Bozeman’s darker history comes to light in a walking tour designed to send a shiver up your spine. Hear how “Steamboat Bill” murdered the Chinese woman Linn Lum and Bozeman’s “Week of Horror!” Learn how Mrs. Mounts proved to Bozeman society that she could communicate with the dead. Meet Louise Couselle, Bozeman’s notorious madam whose income rivaled that of Bozeman’s wealthiest merchants.
Keep an eye out for the returns of Seeking Fortunes: Bozeman’s Historic China Alley and the Contrasting Styles of Fred Willson, as well as Eclectic Communities: Bozeman’s North Side as these tours’ 2019 schedules are announced.
If you would like to reserve a spot on any of these tours, call (406) 220-2678 or email info@extremehistoryproject.org. Tours are $12, or $10 for seniors and students. Kids 12 and under tour free! Further details, meeting locations, and online registration is available at www.adventurethroughtime.org. •
