Sidney Receives Grant To Record Sugar Beet History

The Foundation for Montana History announced its largest ever grant making cycle this week, awarding over $240,000 to communities across Montana, including Sidney.

The foundation is a nonprofit based in Helena that raises funds and makes grants for community-based history initiatives. Since starting the grant program in 2012, they have placed over $1.7 million into history and preservation projects.

“Working with communities to save and share history is the core of our mission,” says foundation president/ CEO Charlene Porsild. “Topping our funding total from previous years is testament to the generosity of our donors across the country who support preservation of Montana’s rich and enduring past.”

The foundation grants up to $10,000 per project. This year, funding supports projects from Carter to Lake counties and includes a firsttime foundation grant recipient in Treasure County.

Four funded projects include:

•MonDak Heritage Center, “Sidney Sugar Beet Industry Oral History,” Sidney, $4,900: The MonDak Heritage Center will capture the stories and experiences of former workers and farmers associated with the recently closed sugar beet factory in Sidney. Results will be shared on the Montana History Portal. Learn more about the organization at https://mondakheritagecenter. org.

•Treasure County 89ers, “Yucca Theatre Pillar Dome Repair,” Hysham, $10,000: The Treasure County 89ers will repair eight pillar domes at the Yucca Theatre to prevent further water damage to the historic structure. Learn more about this structure at https://historicmt.org/ items/show/2125.

•Bigfork Art & Cultural Center, “Building an Interactive Display,” Bigfork, $10,000: The Bigfork Art & Cultural Center will make an interactive permanent exhibit showcasing their underwater discoveries during archeological surveys in the vast waterways of Northwest Montana. Learn more about the organization at https:// baccbigfork.org.

•Butte-Silver Bow Archives, “Business of Burials,” Butte, $5,900: The Butte-Silver Bow Archives will host tours, produce historic booklets, and create an exhibition on four Butte cemeteries. Tour participants will also learn about D/2 Biological Solution and tools to support tombstone conservation. Learn more about the organization at https://buttearchives. org.

“Keeping [the Yucca Theatre] looking good and in condition for use as a public facility is our quest,” says the 89ers Museum Board in Hysham. “We appreciate so much The Foundation for Montana History’s interest in helping us! [This grant is] a big boost to our spirits and to the timeline of [work on] the Yucca Theatre restoration!”

The Foundation for Montana History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity raising money for history and preservation projects across Montana. You can see a complete list of 2024 grantees at https://www.mthistory.org/.