PONY TRACKS EXPRESS · 2019-09-09 · PONY TRACKS EXPRESS Newsletter of the Northwest Montana Posse...
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PONY TRACKS EXPRESS Newsletter of the Northwest Montana Posse of Westerners Supplemental Non-Member Meeting Announcement Issue Volume 6, Number 8-S Kalispell, Montana September 2019 ABOUT THE PRESENTATION Montana Historical Society This presentation promises an unprecedented glimpse at a little understood chapter in Montana’s past - the Chinese pioneers. Chinese laborers helped develop Montana’s mineral resources and as placer mining dwindled, some 17,000 Chinese recruits helped lay the tracks of the Northern Pacific across the Northwest. If mining was tough, railroad work was even tougher. Back-breaking labor, blasting acci-dents, swampy, mosquito-infested camps, and poor diets claimed hundreds of lives. The route of the Northern Pacific was indeed a “railroad paved with bones.” Mining and railroad camps, urban remnants, and the legacy of Montana’s Chinese through archaeology and artifacts tell the stories of this significant ethnic group. Time erased mining and railroad camps and Chinese neighborhoods fell victim to urban renewal. Chinese culture, never well understood, became the stuff of myth and legend. Chinese settlements in urban areas across the West supported their laboring countrymen, but the Chinese Exclusion Act made it very difficult to bring families, and predominantly males, into the US so the Chinese population could not grow. Ellen Baumler, PhD, is a historian, educator, award winning author of 12 books (and one in the oven), and longtime interpretive historian at the Montana Historical Society until her retirement in 2018. Her many awards include the Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History, the Governor’s Award for the Humanities, and the Peter Yegen Award. Signed copies of one of her books will be available. REGULAR MEETINGS All Posse meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month, except the months of December and January. All meetings begin with a Grab ’n’ Greet for a chance to “chew the fat” and to get acquainted, followed by the evening meal, and a presentation pertaining to Western history. ! Evening meals are open to both members and non-members Dinners require advance reservation. Pay for the meals at the door upon arrival ! ! Walk-in seating in the “peanut gallery” for the presentation will be available free to all Posse members and youths under 16 and $5 each for all non-members. ! There will be our usual raffle for door prizes. ! Local history authors will sign their books. ! Attire: Period or historical preferred, but not required. THE AUGUST MEETING Monday, September 16th, 2019 Topic: Montana’s Chinese: Our Forgotten Pioneers Presenter: Dr. Ellen Baumler of Helena, MT. Where: The Red Lion, 20 North Main, Kalispell, Montana (east end of the Kalispell Center Mall) Time: 5:15 pm Grab ’n’ Greet and book signings 6:00 pm - Dinner (includes the presentation) 7:00 pm - Presentation Dinner: $19 (See website for complete menu) Reservations: Call 406/752-9642 (leave message with names and phone number); or send email to [email protected] with the same information. Reservation Deadline: Thurs, Sept. 12, 9:00 pm . NorthwestMontanaPosseofWesterners.wordpress.com
Transcript of PONY TRACKS EXPRESS · 2019-09-09 · PONY TRACKS EXPRESS Newsletter of the Northwest Montana Posse...
PONY TRACKS EXPRESS Newsletter of the Northwest Montana Posse of Westerners
Supplemental Non-Member Meeting Announcement Issue
Volume 6, Number 8-S Kalispell, Montana September 2019
ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
Montana Historical Society
This presentation promises an unprecedentedglimpse at a little understood chapter in Montana’spast - the Chinese pioneers. Chinese laborers helpeddevelop Montana’s mineral resources and as placermining dwindled, some 17,000 Chinese recruitshelped lay the tracks of the Northern Pacific acrossthe Northwest. If mining was tough, railroad workwas even tougher. Back-breaking labor, blastingacci-dents, swampy, mosquito-infested camps, andpoor diets claimed hundreds of lives. The route ofthe Northern Pacific was indeed a “railroad pavedwith bones.” Mining and railroad camps, urban remnants, and the legacy of Montana’s Chinesethrough archaeology and artifacts tell the stories ofthis significant ethnic group. Time erased miningand railroad camps and Chinese neighborhoods fellvictim to urban renewal. Chinese culture, never wellunderstood, became the stuff of myth and legend. Chinese settlements in urban areas across the Westsupported their laboring countrymen, but theChinese Exclusion Act made it very difficult to bringfamilies, and predominantly males, into the US so theChinese population could not grow.
Ellen Baumler, PhD, is a historian, educator,award winning author of 12 books (and one in theoven), and longtime interpretive historian at theMontana Historical Society until her retirement in2018. Her many awards include the Leadership in
History Award from the American Association forState and Local History, the Governor’s Award forthe Humanities, and the Peter Yegen Award. Signedcopies of one of her books will be available.
REGULAR MEETINGS
All Posse meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of themonth, except the months of December and January. All meetings begin with a Grab ’n’ Greet for a chanceto “chew the fat” and to get acquainted, followed bythe evening meal, and a presentation pertaining toWestern history.! Evening meals are open to both members and
non-members Dinners require advance
reservation. Pay for the meals at the door uponarrival!
! Walk-in seating in the “peanut gallery” for thepresentation will be available free to all Possemembers and youths under 16 and $5 each forall non-members.
! There will be our usual raffle for door prizes.! Local history authors will sign their books.! Attire: Period or historical preferred, but not
required.
THE AUGUST MEETING
Monday, September 16th, 2019Topic: Montana’s Chinese: Our Forgotten
Pioneers
Presenter: Dr. Ellen Baumler of Helena, MT.Where: The Red Lion, 20 North Main, Kalispell,
Montana (east end of the Kalispell Center Mall)Time: 5:15 pm Grab ’n’ Greet and book signings
6:00 pm - Dinner (includes the presentation)7:00 pm - Presentation
Dinner: $19 (See website for complete menu)Reservations: Call 406/752-9642 (leave message
with names and phone number); or sendemail to [email protected] with thesame information.
Reservation Deadline: Thurs, Sept. 12, 9:00 pm.
NorthwestMontanaPosseofWesterners.wordpress.com
