Beating the Winter Blahs

For those of us who really enjoy traveling to historical spots in Montana, this is kind of the slow time of year. I have been feeling kind of cooped up restless.   I suppose it makes sense, considering the unpredictability of Montana weather, that there aren't many history related events scheduled during the winter.  Most of the smaller historical museums are closed until after Memorial Day but that doesn't mean that there isn't plenty for us to do. 

This is a good time make some plans for the spring and summer. By starting now, I can do any background reading and research I want to do before I visit a site.  I like to take a look at the schedule of events listed on Montana travel websites and other Montana history websites to see if any of them fit my schedule and my interests.  A good place to start is http://visitmt.com/experiences/events/ .  Many Montana cities and towns also have websites listing upcoming events.  I usually check them out for upcoming events if I am planing to visit. It is always fun just to surf through sites that have historical photos. 

Upcoming in February, Presidents Day weekend, Virginia City is hosting Virginia City Winterfest.  I have other plans for that weekend, but it sounds like lots of fun and it would be interesting to see what Virginia City is like in the winter. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who attends.

A Colorful Chapter in Montana Women's History

The lure of gold brought more than miners to what would later become Montana.  Along with the miners came the merchants and the freighters and maybe most interesting, the women who knew that there was money to be made where the miners were bored and lonely.
I have just started reading  Wanton West: Madams, Money, Murder, and the Wild Women of Montana's Frontier, by Lael Morgan.  It is a fascinating book that explores a part of Women's history that is usually only mentioned in passing.  The author did a good job of researching the topic and presented the material in a very readable format.  Ms. Morgan also wrote Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush: Secret History of the Far North as well as several other books. 

Cooke City

Cooke City has been in the news a lot this winter. Most recently I read a story in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle about Veronika Ohlinger, Miss Montana 2011, who will be appearing in the Miss America pageant on January 14. Ms Ohlinger lives in Cooke City. Before that was the story about the two men who were killed in separate avalanches and the Welch Corgi, Ole, who miraculously survived. Reading those stories reminded me my visits to Cooke City. It is a great little town, with an interesting history.

Before Cooke City became a tourist destination, it was a mining camp. Gold was discovered there in the early 1870’s while it was still within the boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation. It is hard to imagine people flocking to the area in a traditional “gold rush”. The high elevation assures a long winter with heavy snowfall. The miners who lived there must have been a hardy bunch. The town was named for Jay Cooke Jr. who was affiliated with the Northern Pacific Railroad. Ironically the railroad never came to Cooke City. As is the case with many mining camps, Cooke City became a ghost town of sorts when the gold panned out. In 1936 the Beartooth Highway, connecting Cooke City to Red Lodge put the town back on the map. The history of the Beartooth Highway is fascinating as well, but that will be a subject for another day. In 1988, people around the world watched as fire threatened Cooke City and burned thousands of acres in nearby Yellowstone Park.

Even though I am not a winter sports enthusiast I enjoy visiting Cook City summer or winter. It is rustic and friendly and surrounded by grandeur, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that it has a history.

For more information about Cooke City I recommend this website: http://www.cookecitychamber.org/cooke_city_montana_history.html (be sure to take a look at the historical photo slide show.

January Montana History Anniversaries

Sometimes when I am trying to decide what to share in this blog, I do a little research to see what historical anniversaries are coming up.  One of the books I commonly refer to is Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.  It lists, day by day, events that took place in Montana history.  While the book deals just a little too much with sporting events for my taste, there are many entries that have caught my attention, leading to digging for more information.  Here are a few of the January topics that caught my eye:

• January 9, 1874  A major fire destroyed much of Helena's business district, including the building that housed the collection of the Montana Historical Society. 
• January 22, 1890  John X. Beidler, Vigilante hangman and lawman died in Helena. The book tells of his funeral at the Ming Opera House in Helena.
• January 25, 1962 Governor Donald Nutter, two state officials and three members of the Air National Guard are killed in an airplane crash.  The books entry gives some details of the flight and cause of the crash.