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First Annual
4-H Western Heritage Conference and National Invitational Shoot


July 30-August 2, 2014
                                               
Virginia City and Nevada City, Montana

General Session Descriptions:

Thursday Morning

Roads to Virginia City
Dan Thyer, M.A. Curator of Living History, Montana Heritage Commission Nevada City Living History Museum

Discover early trails and transportation, stories of Lewis and Clark, trappers, miners, vigilantes, road agents, freighting, supplies, trails and gold. Who were these pioneers to Montana, and what did they leave behind. Explore the Routes to the Gold Fields of Montana Territory, and decide if you had what it takes to ride the trail that many traveled before you.


Thursday Afternoon

Gold Mills and the Bozeman Trail

Nick Shrauger, Statewide 4-H Volunteer, Family History Scholar, Member of Gallatin Historical Society, Current FEMA personnel

High in Alder Gulch at Union City sits the remains of the Christenot gold crushing mill dating from 1866.  The construction of this mill is remarkable due to the 80 tons of machinery transported via ox teams over the Bozeman Trail.  It was the only mill in Alder Gulch to use Chilian Roller technology of that time.  Most of the walls still stand, and wooden support structures still exist to aid in the interpretation of this National Historic Site.  

Nick Shrauger, a descendant of the Christenot Family, presents the history of the mill, as well as of other Alder Gulch mining communities.  The story of a lonely grave will take you to a time when living was difficult.

If attending the tour of the mill on Friday, wear good shoes to walk on uneven ground and rubble.  Also bring insect spray and water. 


Friday Morning

Living History “The Basics”

Dan Thyer, M.A. Curator of Living History, Montana Heritage Commission Nevada City Living History Museum

Living History, what is it? How does it work? What should I know? How do I get started? Explore the basics of interpreting the past in this session, with a question and answer session at the end of the program

Friday Lunch

Cultural Assimilation of Native American Women in Early Montana History.

Glory Blue Earth-Highley, Montana Heritage Commission Interpreter, Native America Scholar

Differences between cultures tend to be obvious, similarities can be surprising.  The lives and roles of Native American and eastern European women on the frontier and how their roles in society were seen and managed is the focus of Glory Blue Earth Highley, a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes on her mother’s side of the family and 5th generation descendant of European immigrants to America. Voluntarily or otherwise, native peoples had to assimilate into the new culture to survive. In doing so they brought their heritage and culture with them and to their families and the community around them.