Rich Aarstad, senior archivist for the Montana Historical Society, will speak about a trio of related topics at the Jefferson County Museum in Clancy March 17: Montana’s Civil War roots, the Jefferson County stories of Valentine Thuma (aka Charles Hadley), and Will Kennedy, a newspaperman from Boulder.
Taken together, Aarstad’s talks will cover “Montana’s creation story [that] is shrouded in a fabric woven of gold, glory and rebellion … [for] those who came here seeking riches, a second chance, or refuge, brought with them the seeds of disunion: political partisanship and self-righteous fury,” states a museum news release.
Born in Wyoming, Aarstad was raised in northwest Montana “where the tall timber grows and loggers gather to tell windys to while away the spring breakup blue,” states the news release. “He learned at a young age the best stories had a bit of truth and a healthy dose of exaggeration for spice.”
