Bozeman’s history focus of various walking tours this summer

The past is a place where you can go and experience a different world. Join an Extreme History Project Walking Tour this summer! Take an adventure through time and see the past through new eyes. Here’s a look at the upcoming tours, many of which recur into early fall.
                  Wednesday nights feature Spirits, Suds, and Saloons: Bozeman’s Drinking History 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.
On Fridays, Murders, Madams, and Mediums: Bozeman’s Dark Side thrills 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.
From Tents to Town: Bozeman’s Historic Main Street takes place Saturday mornings at 10am. 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.
Business and Pleasure: Bozeman’s Historic Red-Light District tours on 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 takes to the sidewalk on Sunday afternoons 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 on Sundays, Ghosts of Bozeman’s Past: Historic Sunset Hills Cemetery haunts 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 1pm on Saturdays, July 6th, August 3rd and September 7th. 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.
Seeking Fortunes: Bozeman’s Historic China Alley is set for Saturdays, July 13th and August 10th at 11am. The Chinese were an integral part of early Montana life, fulfilling roles as miners, laundry men, restaurant owners, and purveyors of fresh vegetables. They came to the West, as many did, to find a better life for themselves and their families. While these Chinese people faced discrimination in many areas of their life, they made a major impact on the city of Bozeman.
Eclectic Communities: Bozeman’s North Side will be held Thursdays, July 25th, August 29th and September 12th at 6pm. Tour participants will uncover how the community to the north of Beall Street developed, will learn about the family for whom Beall Street and Beall Park are named, and will visit one of the oldest remaining houses in the neighborhood dating to 1874! Then move into the early 20th century as the North Side became the home to a small but enduring African-American community and to Bozeman’s working class. Along the way, learn how historians uncover information about the ordinary, everyday people that did the hard work to build Bozeman.
Absorb some Symbolism in the Cemetery on Saturdays, July 27th and August 17th 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.
Explore the Contrasting Styles of Fred Willson on Tuesdays, July 30th and August 20th at 6pm. Join for this historic tour of Willson’s architectural designs ranging from his first project in 1910 with the design of Hamilton Hall to his last project, the Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Your guide for this walking tour will show examples of Willson’s work ranging from French Revival to the International style.
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.