The Extreme History Project

We have BIG NEWS! We are so excited to debut our new PODCAST, The Dirt on the Past; A Podcast of The Extreme History Project! We’ve been thinking about this podcast for a LONG time and decided to make it happen! The podcast is hosted by Crystal Alegria, the Director of The Extreme History Project and Nancy Mahoney, a downtown Bozeman business owner and member of The Extreme History Project’s Board of Directors. Crystal and Nancy will converse with professionals in the fields of history, archaeology, and anthropology to bring you cutting-edge research and why it matters today. Extreme History is partnering with Gallatin Valley Community Radio (KGVM 95.5). A big thanks to Steve Durbin of KGVM for recording and editing. You can find The Dirt on the Past on Apple Podcasts (aka itunes, please subscribe!) or you can listen directly from either the Extreme History Project website, CLICK HERE or catch it on KGVM 95.5. Thanks, and keep listening for more . . . dirt on the past!

We are excited to announce that The Extreme History Project has a new pop-up exhibit, “From Boudoir to the Brothel: Reproductive Health in 1900’s Montana” now on display! This exhibit showcases the history of women’s reproductive healthcare in Montana through the lens of two women who lived in Bozeman, MT during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Rachel Lindley and Libbie Hayes. Lindley was a member of Bozeman’s social elite and Hayes managed a house of prostitution. Jennifer Hill PhD, the Director of the Women’s Reproductive History Alliance curated the exhibit and is an expert in the field of women’s reproductive history and a pioneer in the field of digital humanities. To view the exhibit visit The Extreme History Project at 234 E. Mendenhall Street in Bozeman, MT or visit the virtual exhibit by clicking below.  Extreme History is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 3pm. This exhibit will be on display for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. 

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUAL EXHIBIT

CLICK HERE FOR PODCAST EPISODE

A BIG THANK YOU to the sponsors who made this exhibit possible including:

Susan Sewell

Bridgercare

Students for Choice at MSU

Montana NOW

Patrick and Kris Holland

Women’s Reproductive History Alliance

On August 26, 2020 we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

In Montana, men voted in favor of equal suffrage on November 3, 1914. But nationally, many women had to wait until the passing of the 19th Amendment to have the vote. For more on the Montana suffrage story, click here.

At The Extreme History Project, we have partnered with many other local organizations to commemorate this important anniversary. The group, which is called, “The 19th Amendment: Expanding the Arc of the Suffrage Story” is a coordinated effort of individuals and organizations in the Gallatin Valley, Montana who are working to change the narrative of women’s suffrage.  We recognize that the fight for women’s voting rights, culminating with the 19th Amendment, was a key achievement for white women’s rights, but we also recognize that many indigenous women and women of color were excluded from both the process and the outcomes of the fights for suffrage.  We are committed to using this anniversary as an opportunity to include these voices and their stories of suffrage, or lack thereof, and to highlight the continued threats to women’s rights today. To follow this groups events, please like the Facebook page by clicking here. 

In commemoration of the 19th Amendment anniversary we are raffling off a “Suffragist Quilt” made by Extreme History volunteer, Susan Sewell. The quilt will be raffled on August 26, 2020.  The colors and design of the quilt are based on the sashes worn by suffragists over their white dresses during parades, meetings, and protests. “Purple is the color of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause. White, the emblem of purity, symbolizes the quality of our purpose; and gold, the color of light and life, is as the torch that guides our purpose, pure and unswerving.” The quilt is approximately 60 x 72 inches, the material is 100% cotton batiks. It is Machine washable & dryable (warm/cool water, delicate cycle suggested). It will “pucker” when washed and dried – that is an attribute of quilts, not a defect. The quilt pattern is called Rail Fence or Split Rail Fence.  A very traditional quilt pattern. This is a unique Montana-made piece that commemorates a significant historical event. Its beauty will bring you joy and  warmth on cold winter nights as you remember the women who worked hard to achieve the national vote for women. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. You can purchase raffle tickets at Extreme History headquarters (234 E. Mendenhall in Bozeman which is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 3pm) or you can put a check in the mail to us at P.O. Box 5019, Bozeman, MT 59717. Or you can venmo us at @ExtremeHistoryProject. Proceeds from the raffle tickets will go to educational events on women’s history.

Watch The Extreme History Project Facebook page for more upcoming events and opportunities to commemorate this important anniversary year!

For a recap of this important fight for suffrage watch The Vote on PBS. Here is a link to Part 1 and Part 2.

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We are offering a free walking tour of Bozeman’s historic black neighborhood in honor of Juneteenth on June 19! Due to the popularity (it is currently full) of this tour we will offer more throughout the summer so watch this space for additional dates/times or follow us on Facebook or join our mailing list for updates.

Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day or Liberation Day. It is a holiday celebrated annually on the 19th of June throughout the U.S. to commemorate the end of slavery. On June 19, 1865 general George Granger publicly announced federal orders in Galveston, Texas proclaiming that all people enslaved in Texas were free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed enslaved people almost two and a half years earlier on January 1, 1863, and the Civil War had ended with the defeat of the Confederate States in April of 1856 it took until June 19th, 1865 for the proclamation to reach and be read in Texas. This holiday is now widely celebrated throughout the United States. 

Bozeman’s historic African American community is nearly invisible until you begin to examine the historic census records, newspaper accounts, and city directories. Only then do Bozeman’s Black citizens come into focus. One name leads to another and soon a tight knit and thriving African American community emerges during the late 19th century. Working as machinists, laborers, laundresses, housekeepers, and porters, Bozeman’s African American people contributed to the building of our city through their labor, religious activity, child rearing, social clubs and community participation. Our walking tour, “Family Matters: Bozeman’s Historic African American Community” explores the lives of these founding families and uncovers a history that has been silent for over a hundred years.

For more information on our walking tour program, click here.

We didn’t know if walking tours were going to happen this year, but we’re taking it slow and moving forward with tours! We will limit the group size to 10 people, including the guide. Click here for the schedule of tours. Watch this space for updates on walking tour dates/times for the rest of the summer. We look forward to seeing you on a walking tour!

Check out the short video below to give you a preview of our historic walking tours!

On April 30th and May 1st, The Extreme History Project will participate in Give Big Gallatin Valley. Now, more than ever, the Gallatin County nonprofit community needs your support.

Give Big Gallatin Valley is an online county-wide effort to raise awareness and important operating funds for local nonprofits and to celebrate the generosity and vibrancy of our community.

We’ve seen our community come together in extraordinary ways over the past two months, let’s keep the momentum going and continue to support each other in this time of crisis.

We need history and a connection to our community’s past now more than ever. Understanding where we’ve been, helps us better understand how to move forward without repeating past mistakes. Please help us continue our mission to make history relevant and bring that history to you.

We’re a grassroots, non-profit history organization, and, like you, we’re struggling to navigate through today’s challenging times. In these extraordinary circumstances, your donation, big or small, can make an even greater impact. Your support allows us to continue providing in-depth programming and exciting events that bring the history of our community alive.

We ask you to Give Big to History from 6pm on April 30th to 6pm on May 1st! Follow this link for more information and to Give Big!

Thank you for your continued support of The Extreme History Project, and thank you for Giving Big to Gallatin Valley.

Welcome to Montana Archaeology Month! At Extreme History we celebrate Montana’s rich archaeological past all year, but in April we join the Montana Archaeological Society (MAS) is raising awareness about Montana archaeology. We usually look forward to attending the annual meeting of The Montana Archaeological Society to catch up with friends and colleagues. Of course, this year it’s been cancelled. We will miss our annual gathering, but know it’s better to stay home and stay safe. There are still ways to learn about Montana’s archaeological past, you can visit the Montana Archaeological Society’s website, http://mtarchaeologicalsociety.org/, or like their Facebook page by clicking here. This year we are celebrating indigenous archaeology, commemorated by the 2020 MAS poster seen below designed by Tim Ryan.

Here at the Extreme History Project we celebrate women’s history all year, but we’ve been working with local Bozeman, MT resident, Jane Klockman, to document her families history and wanted to share that with you during Women’s History Month. Our colleague, Amy Talcott wrote a wonderful article on Jane’s great aunt, Florence Ballinger Hamilton that we are excited to share with you.

Florence Ballinger Hamilton – By Amy Katherine Talcott

The author would like to extend her sincere gratitude to Jane Davidson Klockman, granddaughter of Lulu Ballinger Davidson and grandniece of Florence Ballinger Hamilton, whose reminiscences and extensive collection of correspondence and photographs made this biography possible. Click here to read the article.