The Jefferson County Museum will host Lee Silliman on Saturday, Oct. 14 for his lecture “Montana’s Frenzy: Riches in the Northern Rockies” from 1 to 2 p.m. The Missoula-based photographer and archivist will walk through the storied history of Montana’s nineteenth century gold rush fever. Highlights of the presentation include exploring Montana’s gold rush beginnings and the communities of Virginia City, Bannack and Last Chance Gulch, as well as early mining technologies, hazardous routes and cultural impacts. The lecture is presented in coordination with the photography exhibit “Mining Mills of the West” and will be held in the museum.
Devil’s Brigades and Cold Cases
Clancy historian Terri Vasecka Atwood will also present a pair of lectures in coming weeks in the Old Red Schoolhouse’s meeting room 3.
The first of the lectures will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 1 to 2 p.m. and will present an evening of “prohibition, prostitution and murder”, delving into Helena’s infamous 1929 cold case. Atwood’s second lecture, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11 from 1 to 2 p.m., explores the pursuits of the elite American-Canadian First Special Service Force “Devil’s Brigade” and their deep local connections forged at Fort William Henry Harrison during World War II.
An Air Force veteran herself, Atwood spent the last of the Vietnam War as a broadcaster in Thailand and has since carved out careers in broadcasting and teaching alike. Her lectures cover a variety of topics of local interest with an emphasis on bringing color to Montana stories.
For more information, call the museum at 406-224-5106.
