Historical Society Sets October Programs
Historical fiction based on facts, the quest to find true stories from the past and the violent clash of mine owners and unions are the three diverse topics for the Montana Historical Society’s October public lecture series. Thursday lectures at the Lewis and Clark Library in Helena will be recorded and posted to the MTHS YouTube channel.
The MTHS kicks off its programs on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the library with “Black History under the Big Sky: Nature, Wilderness, and the Stories We Tell About Ourselves.” Anthony Wood, a historian of Montana and the west, will explore the place and meaning of the stories that narrate our relationships with nature and the outdoors in Montana.
In particular, Wood will discuss whether our well-worn narratives about man and nature can tell the whole story, especially regarding Black history in the West. Wood believes that Black history not only widens our understanding of the past but also is a critical tool in becoming more responsible stewards and hearers of the stories we tell about ourselves.
On Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. at Touchmark in Helena, J Hoolihan Clayton, a First Nations Plains Cree, will share stories from her novels that are intended to challenge pre-existing cultural and historical generalizations, especially regarding American Indian peoples.
Having lived a diverse and authentic life in the American West, she received a degree in history from the University of Montana, and now writes history as fiction to inspire and elucidate, while executing research that is meticulous, professional and culturally competent.
Her most recent book, Discretion is Valor is part of The Discretion Series. It’s populated by authentic historical figures, events, and landscapes, bringing the language, daily existence and predominant societal perspectives of the 19th century West to life.
The society switches gear on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lewis and Clark Library, with Jeff Bartos’s lecture on “The Blight of the Federation: Hardrock Mining Unionism in the Mountain West, 18921907.” Bartos is the publications program manager for the Montana Historical Society. This talk is being offered in conjunction with the Lewis and Clark Library’s Big Read 2024 of The Cold Millions by Jess Walter, which touches on the importance of labor organization in Montana’s history.
Around the turn of the century, the Intermountain West’s mining districts convulsed with labor unrest. Miners formed unions to fight for better wages and working conditions, while mine owners formed associations to stop these efforts and resorted to hiring undercover operatives from the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to disrupt union organizing.
These clashes turned violent on several occasions. Bartos will explore how the Pinkerton’s campaign against the Western Federation of Miners led to a radicalization of many of its members and the founding of the Industrial Workers of the World.
