A Taste of History: Seeing the Old West Through New Eyes
Elk Horn Ghost Town June 20, click here to register
Butte July 25, click here to register
Virginia City August 23, click here to register
Step into the past with A Taste of History: Seeing the Old West Through New Eyes, a unique Extreme History series of immersive, day-long events that bring fresh perspectives to the stories of the American West. Through guided experiences, historical interpretation, and engaging storytelling, you’ll explore how the settlement of the American West can be understood as both a triumph and a tragedy, depending on perspective.
As you journey through the rich histories of each location, participants will also be treated to bite-sized tastes of historic foods—dishes that people living in these places during the 19th and early 20th centuries would have eaten. Join us in Elkhorn Ghost Town on June 20, Butte on July 25, or Virginia City on August 23. These stand-alone programs run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offer “tastes” of history throughout the day. Attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation to each location. Admission is $65 for members and $68 for nonmembers. Come for the stories—stay for the flavors of the historic West.
In Elkhorn Ghost Town on June 20 we will immerse ourselves in the history of this unique Montana mining town, a family-centric community, by touring the Fraternity Hall and the Gillian Hall with particular attention to the architecture. We will visit the Elkhorn cemetery, hearing stories of the people who lived and died in this mining town inhabited by immigrant families. Click here to register!
In Butte, we will visit the Butte-Silver Bow Archives and the Mai Wah Museum to better understand immigrant food preparation and herbal remedies used in early Butte by examining the artifacts that remain to tell the stories. We will focus in on the Chinese and Cornish experiences. Click here to register!
In Virginia City, we will learn about Virginia City entrepreneurs like Sarah Bickford and sisters Minerva and Parthenia Sneed, notable members of the town’s Black community who started a bakery and expansive vegetable gardens that provided food for settlers. We will visit historic locations to better understand this history and learn on the ground where this history happened. Click here to register!
Your guides on these three adventures will be led by Extreme History’s Crystal Alegria and Jennifer Hill, an Associate Teaching Professor at Montana State University with an emphasis on Culinary History, Women’s History, American West, Gender and Reproductive History. Jennifer is the author of Birthing the West: Mothers and Midwives in the Rockies and Plains. Crystal and Jennifer will be joined by experts at each location, to help tell these stories and interpret the west through storytelling, food experiences and place-based learning.
Sponsored by: Vicky York
