Friday, February 21, 2025
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Carbon County Historical Society & Museum
Music at the Museum
Kid Valance performs his original songs and stories of his time as a Spirit Runner for Peace at the Carbon County Museum Friday, February 21 at 5:00 PM!
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Music starts at 5:00 PM
Free for members
$5 for General Admission
NEW DATE!!! Saturday, March 8, 2025
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Carbon County Historical Society & Museum
Music at the Museum
Local legends, One for the Road, come together to play classic country at the Carbon County Museum Saturday, March 8 at 5:00 PM!
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Music starts at 5:00 PM
Free for members
$5 for General Admission
Norm Tjeltveit Presents Camp Sawtooth
In August of 1930, some of the senior staff from WGN radio in Chicago travelled to the Red Lodge area to visit Camp Sawtooth. The dude ranch was situated in a meadow below Sawtooth Mountain and just above Deep Lake – south of today’s Beartooth Highway in the Shoshone National Forest. We’ll share their adventures courtesy of 30 minutes of video footage taken by one of the ‘dudes’, learn a little about dude ranching in the area around Red Lodge during that era, and about F. I. (“Doc”) Johnson, Camp Sawtooth’s creator.
Hei! Hallo! Chiao!
This summer marks 75 years of one of Red Lodge’s most treasured and beloved traditions, the Festival of Nations. The Festival of Nations brought together Red Lodge’s diverse community to celebrate their heritages and share cultural practices. During these festivities, dance and music filled the town while locals and visitors alike were delighted with a wide variety of ethnic foods and experiences. A town divided by language barriers and segregated neighborhoods, was brought together in a post-World War II society to create something that was truly unique and incredibly valuable for our small community.
Now 75 years later, we will honor those who put their love, sweat, and hard work into the Festival of Nations, with the Red Lodge Festival of Nations Tribute. This event will take place during the last weekend in June of 2025, June 27th, 28th, 29th.
Not unlike Festivals in the past, we aim to involve the community in Dance, Music, Culinary, Cultural Talks, Games, and Classes to bring a bit of our past, into the present.
We would like to invite the community to participate in their own ways. Restaurants would offer Festival of Nations dishes and drinks, Musicians would entertain with traditional tunes, Dancers would thrill with performances and lessons, and for the Carbon County Museum, we will offer cultural talks to connect the people of today with those who grew up within this community and their incredible determination to make this event possible year after year!
From Finns to Apsáalooke, Peruvians to Italians, Scotts to Americans, we aim to represent a wide variety of cultures with this event, so get creative Red Lodge!
Let’s create something the Festival Founders would be proud of!
Join the Historical Society for a field trip to Red Lodge’s former ski hills. Meet at the Museum at 9:00 AM and carpooling to the three stops. Bring a dish to share. Lunch at Inn on the Beartooth. Limited Spots available! Pre-registration required. Please contact the Carbon County Museum at (406) 446-3667 to secure your spot by August 27th.
*Free for members. $15 for General Admission.
POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE!
Saturday, February 8, 2025
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Carbon County Historical Society & Museum
Music at the Museum
Local legends, One for the Road come together to play classic country at the Carbon County Museum Friday, February 8 at 5:00 PM!
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Music starts at 5:00 PM
Free for members
$5 for General Admission
Music at the Museum
Grizzly Peak Pickers presents performance at the Carbon County Museum Wednesday, January 15th at 5:00 PM!
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Music starts at 5:00 PM
Free for members
$5 for General Admission
Music at the Museum
Lee Calvin from Calvin & the Coal Cars presents acoustic performance at the Carbon County Museum Wednesday, January 15th at 5:00 PM!
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Music starts at 5:00 PM
Free for members
$5 for General Admission
Join the Carbon County Museum for the final Speaker Series of 2024. This talk will be on local skiing history, including Red Lodge Mountain and the unveiling of our ne Skiing Red Lodge Exhibit. Bring your skis and snowboards for a FREE wax from Red Lodge Mountain to get them ready for the ski season!
Suggested $10 donation to the Carbon County Museum greatly appreciated!
*Free for members * $5 for General Admission
Don your holiday finery & join us at the Carbon County Museum for a festive holiday celebration featuring history & lore of the holiday season & Toy Drive with Community Connections!
Decorated Trees • Classic Carolers
Seasonal Treats • Kids Crafts • Toy Drive
FREE EVENT
December 13-14, 2024
from 5 to 8pm
Help brighten somebody’s Holidays!
November 29th - December 20th,
Fridays & Saturdays
10 AM - 4 pm
FREE ADMISSION WITH NEW TOY DONATION!
Distributed by Community Connections!
Help brighten somebody’s Holidays!
Howdy!
It’s time to participate in the first annual Montana Cowgirl Showdown in Red Lodge, Montana. This event will take place, October 12th at the Roman Theater, the longest continuous theater venue in Montana! This will be a gathering of Cowgirl Talent featuring country music, poetry, dance, and cowgirl couture. But it gets better, this event will be a fundraiser to benefit the Carbon County Historical Society and Museum. This museum was founded by the first woman to be inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame, Alice Greenough, and we are honored to follow in her footsteps to showcase the talents and gifts of other amazing cowgirls!
How can you participate or perform? Please contact the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum at 406-446-3667 or email Preservation@carboncountyhistory.com to register in advance by October 7th, 2024. This event is FREE to all registered participants! Please note the number of participants and performers is limited. Please contact us early to secure your place in the lineup. The winners from each category will participate in the Evening Showdown and will receive recognition and awards! If you are interested in performing in the Evening Showdown or participating in the contests, please reach out to discuss further details to book your space.
Looking to attend the event? We are anticipating a day full of exciting activities and showcases featuring local and professional talent! If you would like to experience the all day festivities $15 tickets are available. For entry to the evening finals and performance there are $10 tickets that can be purchased. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum’s website at: https://www.carboncountyhistory.com/admission-tickets/montanacowgirlshowdowntickets
Would you like to sponsor the event or donate? Please contact Betsy Scanlin for prizes or sponsor information at bescanlin@msn.com. If you would like to donate items for the silent auction, please contact Becky Van Horn at the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum at 406-446-3667 or email Preservation@carboncountyhistory.com. Any donations can be made either online through the museum website at https://www.carboncountyhistory.com/donate , at the museum directly at 224 Broadway Ave. South, Red Lodge, MT, 59068, or with checks made out to the CCHS&M mailed to P.O. Box 881 Red Lodge, MT 59068. Donations will also be appreciated during the event.
It is our intention that this event will help not only raise funds for the museum but that it will also raise awareness of the incredibly talented cowgirls who grace our lives and community! We aim to create an event that will empower women to express themselves and be recognized for their talents. The Montana Cowgirl Showdown is looking forward to a hootin’ an hollerin’ good time on October 12th, 2024 and we hope to have you participate in whatever way you can!
Happy trails!
John Mueller is a founding member and current board member of Busses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust in Red Lodge, Montana. He has studied and researched the history of the Yellowstone Park transportation system for over 4 decades. John has hands-on experience on woodworking and sheet metal fabrication. This expertise has been used in the preservation and restoration of several Yellowstone Busses, and has led to a life-long interest in Yellowstone Park transportation history. The presentation will cover the transition from horse-drawn to motorized transportation- “Horses are out, motorized vehicles are in!”
Join the Carbon County Historical Preservation Commission for a walking tour of Historic Bridger. Meeting at the Dana Zier Gallery at 10:00 AM for the commission meeting and following our guide through the town. Please contact the Carbon County Museum at (406) 446-3667 to secure your spot by September 29th.
*$5 for the
Bridger Historical Society
Join the Carbon County Historical Society for a tour of Camp Senia. Meeting at the Museum at 10:00 AM and following pilot car to the site. Bring a dish to share for a picnic! Please contact the Carbon County Museum at (406) 446-3667 to secure your spot by September 21st.
*FREE for Members
*$10 for General Admission
Join the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum for
InterTribal Dancers
Saturday, Sep. 14th, 2024 at 5:00 PM.
All are welcome!
*FREE for Members *$5 for General Admission
Patty Molinaro
Origins of Crow Agencies in Montana
On May 7, 1886, the Treaty of Ft. Laramie forever altered the Crow way of life, defining reservation boundaries and establishing a federal agency. These early agencies faced numerous challenges that forced the adoption of western farming methods in the face of hunger and new struggles for subsistence. Crow leaders were instrumental in guiding their people to adapt the skills necessary to sustain their tribe in hopes for a better future. Author Patty Molinaro recounts the shifting boundaries and historical pivotal period for the Crow Nation
*FREE for Members *$5 for General Admission
Join the Historical Society for a field trip to Red Lodge’s former ski hills. Meet at the Museum at 9:00 AM and carpooling to the three stops. Lunch provided at the Inn on the Beartooth. Limited Spots available! Pre-registration required. Please contact the Carbon County Museum at (406) 446-3667 to secure your spot by August 10th.
*Free for members. $15 for General Admission.
MATT STUMP
Graveyards of a Mine: Domestic War Heroes of Montana Coal and Iron Co. (1943)
In 1943, an explosion occurred at the Smith Mine in Bearcreek, Montana. 74 miners perished during a voluntary overtime Saturday morning.
Hitler annexed Austria in 1938 and then began his European conquest in 1939, first invading Poland. Realizing Germany’s nefarious plans, mine workers increased their commitment to support the war effort. The first war bond drive occurred before Christmas, 1942. Frank and Jack Mourich, two Austrian immigrants working at the mine, ramped up their efforts as the war bond drives began in earnest. Government and media propaganda were used to encourage the purchase of war bonds by working class Americans. In September 1942, Frank Mourich purchased $75.00 in war bonds from a $132.00 net paycheck, 56% of his paycheck! In order to afford this investment in America’s future, the Mourich’s and other miners volunteered to work extra days offered by their company, it was necessary to provide food for their families and defend the country from the Axis forces. When they died in the Smith Mine Disaster on February 27th, 1943, these immigrant patriots became domestic war heroes. Yet, in the aftermath of the disaster, the families of these heroes were left desolate and abandoned by the federal government while returning veterans were greeted with parades and accolades. The sacrifices of these immigrants have, until now, remained in the background of American History.
*FREE for Members *$5 for General Admission
Join the Carbon County Historical Society for a tour of Saint Olaf Church. Meeting at the Museum at 10:00 AM and following pilot car to the site. Bring a dish to share for a picnic!
*FREE for Members
*$10 for General Admission
In 2021, Montana firefighter Dan Steffensen tried to outrun a sixty-mile-an-hour wall of fire. But it overcame him, burning over 60% of his body. The citizens of Red Lodge, Montana, needed him and prayed for his life. Three more tragedies hit his hometown during that Summer of Hell. Drawing from a wealth of interviews and research, author A.J. Otjen tells the inspiring story of how often first responders, doctors, and hundreds of good people stepped up to greatness. All the while, Dan fought his own internal battle to live or die.
*FREE for Members *$5 for General Admission
Lea Schoenewald is a retired public school educator and historian from Thermopolis, Wyoming.
Her new book "Lost Coal District of Gebo, Crosby and Kirby" tells the story of early 20th century coal mining in the northern Big Horn Basin of Wyoming.
Sam Gebo was instrumental in determining the high quality of the coal in the district. He was then able to convince seven other businessmen to fraudulently obtain coal mining claims that allowed the founding of Owl Creek Coal Company.
Lea's presentation will cover the book and additional information about Sam's complicated life, which included many business ventures in Montana.
*FREE for Members *$5 for General Admission
Join the Historical Society for a field trip to Red Lodge’s former ski hills. Meet at the Museum at 9:00 AM and carpooling to the three stops. Lunch provided at the Inn on the Beartooth. Limited Spots available! Pre-registration required. Please contact the Carbon County Museum at (406) 446-3667 to secure your spot by August 10th.
*Free for members. $15 for General Admission.
In the event of bad weather, the field trip will be held the following day, August 15th, 2024.
Participants should anticipate light walking in areas with uneven ground.
THE INCREDIBLE SAGA OF THE MONTANA, WYOMING & SOUTHERN AND YELLOWSTONE PARK RAILROADS
Join author Robert Schalla as he delves into the fascinating story of Frank Avery Hall; an entrepreneur from Wisconsin who arrived in Montana in 1898 with the dream of building a tourist railroad to Yellowstone National Park. He later joined forces with Billings civil engineer Phillip M. Gallaher to build a rail line to Cooke City, following the Clarks Fork River.
The line reached the newly created town of Belfry in July 1906 and, soon after, the coal mines along Bear Creek. Despite years of setbacks and hostile interference from the Northern Pacific Railway, Hall and his successors persevered, and the railroad Frank Hall built served as a critical link in the development of the Bear Creek Coalfield and the creation of three towns in Carbon County.
*FREE for Members *$5 for General Admission
Estimated 16 miles round trip. Good walking shoes recommended for tall grass and weeds.
Please join us for the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum Annual Membership Meeting on November 9th, 2023 at 6:30 PM. There will be lively entertainment by Kid Valance, Election of board members and officers, a brief meeting and light refreshments. An award ceremony will take place to honor historical champions from our community!
Linwood Tall Bull is an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe. He has spent over 30 years working with the tribal health programs and the elderly programs as the director of the Shoulder Blade Independent Living Center. Linwood has been a teacher of medical programs in hospitals, teaching Doctors how to diagnose native patients using Indian sign language. Linwood is an active member of an ancient warrior Society. Their role is to preserve our culture and traditional beliefs. Linwood’s Cheyenne name is Ho’neh’eso which means Young Wolf. He now teaches Ethnobotany and other cultural courses at Chief Dull Knife College.
Henry Burrell
Tenontosaurus skeleton found in Carbon County.
The Cowboy Girl, the remarkable life of Caroline Lockhart; journalist, author, rodeo founder, homesteader, and cattle queen with John Clayton-author, naturalist.
John will also be signing his book, The Cowboy Girl.
Caroline pictured at her L Slash Heart Ranch in the Bighorn Canyon. Her former operation is restored and maintained by the NPS.
Philip Gallaher, a civil engineer and determined visionary, pushed for a Cooke City railroad and enlisted the help of Boston financier Elijah Smith. The financial Panic of 1893 and interference by the Northern Pacific stymied Smith and Gallaher’s efforts, but in 1903 a Billings businessman and a youthful entrepreneur from Milwaukee joined Gallaher to revitalize the quest for a rail line to Bear Creek and Cooke City. Construction of the Yellowstone Park Railroad began in 1905, but it never came close to Cooke City or its namesake destination.
The Carbon County Historical Society will be hosting the Red Lodge Chamber After Hours April 13th from 5:30- 7:30 PM. We will be providing light snacks and refreshments, introducing attendees to the museum’s goals and history, as well as giving tours of the Museum building. Raffles for a couple fabulous prizes at the end!
A public meeting hosted by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality taking place at the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum on March 30th, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The meeting is open to public and will be an informational session in regards to the reclamation work that will take place along Rock Creek post flooding, particularly along the area near the old East Side Mine. They will discuss the plan to regrade the bank on the east side of the river and to remove debris in the river to prevent further flooding.
Don’t miss any of the fun! Plan now to join us in Red Lodge for the 49th Annual Montana History Conference, September 29 – October 1.* We will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park with sessions exploring the history of Yellowstone, national and state parks, tourism, outdoor recreation, and the preservation of Montana’s scenic wonders. Learn more and register at mhs.mt.gov
*PLEASE NOTE: The Montana History Conference will not be held in West Yellowstone on Sept. 22-24 as previously announced. Please mark your calendar for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Red Lodge.
