DEER LODGE — People are invited to relive the past and learn new skills during the 7th annual Montana Academy of Living History in historic Deer Lodge on Sept. 11-13.
Featured will be a variety of hands-on workshops, seminars and presentations of early history and living skills designed to appeal to many interests.
Classes will be held at the Pen Convention Center (PCC) across from the Old Montana Prison, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (GKR) on the north end of Main Street across from the fairgrounds and Kohrs Memorial Library (KML) at 501 Missouri Ave.
“We try to do cultural things unique to our valley that will appeal to many interests,’’ said director Gary Swant.
For planning purposes, organizers prefer early registrations, but if you decide at the last minute to take a class, feel free to do so, Swant said.
People are also reading…
With the exception of the Upholstery and Diamond Tufting workshop, other sessions are $15 each. Participants will receive a ticket at each workshop attended for a chance to win door prizes of a handcrafted Pioneer Brands quilt, hardwood cutting board, Intarsia (wood art), cross stitch and rag rugs. You must be present to win.
Evening programs are free. The schedule follows:
n Wednesday, Sept.11,
7 p.m. — At the PCC, Pamela June Morris will present a rare look at Montana through photographs taken by her grand-father Charles E. Morris, a noted cowboy photographer of the Old West.
n Thursday, Sept. 12,
7 p.m. — At the PCC, historian Ellen Baumler explores the history of prostitution across the West in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
n Friday, Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m. — Hot Dogs and Music at Grant-Kohrs Ranch where the entire family can gather around the campfire near the Visitors Center to eat hot dogs and s’mores. At 7 p.m., the band Hay Wire, which includes fiddle, banjo, bass, guitar, mandolin and vocals, will play.
Complete the week, by attending the 18th annual Big Sky Draft Horse Expo on Saturday and Sunday at the fairgrounds.
Workshops:
n “Upholstery and Diamond Tufting” is a two-day workshop starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, and ending at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, at GKR with the guidance of master wagon builder Dave Watkins. The hands-on class covers all aspects of materials, techniques and tools used to upholster seats and backs for horse-drawn vehicles. Students will build both a student project as well as a class project. Cost is $85
Wednesday, Sept. 11:
n Preserving Foods the Old Fashioned Way: 8 to
10 a.m. at the PCC. Before electricity and freezers, food was preserved by canning, drying, smoking and salting. Gary Swant and Ruth Little will teach the class how to make chokecherry syrup and preserve eggs using the “water glass” method.
n Leather Repair: 10 a.m. to noon at GKR Visitor Center. Skilled leather worker Gene Hensen will lead a hands-on workshop demonstrating basic leather repairs without the use of a sewing machine including how to splice reins and hand stitching with a stitch horse.
n Dating Fabrics in Antique Quilts: 1 to 3 p.m. at PCC. Sandra Barker will explain the history of quilting and fabric dating. Using close-up slides of fabrics in a family quilt she will explain clues to dating fabrics and ultimately how to date a quilt.
n Historic Structures of Deer Lodge: 3 to 5 p.m. meet historian/story teller Bob Thomas and Sherrill Kraakmo at the Elks parking lot on Main St. Deer Lodge is Montana’s second oldest city and this guided walking tour of Deer Lodge’s historic business district will feature the buildings, businesses and the people who ran them. The tour will end with a guided tour of the Rialto Theatre.
Thursday, Sept. 12:
n Native Tribes: 9 a.m. – noon at PCC. For 50 years Dr. William Antonieli has researched and studied Indians in Montana. He will share the history, culture and spiritual life of a portion of the Shoshoni Nation, particularly those of southwest Montana and neighboring Idaho and Wyoming, namely the Sheepeater Shoshoni.
n Family History Research: 1 to 3 p.m. at Kohrs Library. If you are curious about your family history, researcher, genealogist and family historian Megan Thompson will teach about resources that will help you find answers to many of your questions. This class will be beneficial for beginners and advanced genealogy researchers alike.
n Hillcrest Cemetery Walk: 3 to 5 p.m., GKR Visitor Center. Historians Ruth Little and Bob Thomas will lead a walking tour of Hillcrest Cemetery sharing interesting stories and little known facts about some of the early pioneers buried here.
Friday, Sept. 13:
n Gold Pans, Rockers and Dredges: 8 a.m. – noon, meet at GKR Visitor Center. Gold mining expert Charlie Brand will lead a field trip to the Gold Creek/Pioneer dredge to discuss how it worked, see tools of the trade, and have an opportunity to pan for gold! Prepare to get dirty.
n A Demonstration of Loose Hay Stacking: 1 to
3 p.m. at GKR Visitor Center. Kai Christensen will discuss the history of the “beaverslide” developed in Southwest Montana to put up hay in the early 1900s. GKR staff will demonstrate the actual process of mowing, raking and stacking hay using horses.
n The Drover Road: 3 to 5 p.m. GKR Visitor Center. Rancher Wally Congdon will present a captivating program about the cattle culture and history of early cattle ranchers in Montana and the key players such as William Clay, Chisolm, Goodnight, Johnny Grant and others.
For more information about any of the workshops and to register use the website: www.academyoflivinghistory.com, or call Gary Swant at (406) 691-0368.
