summer Grilling
Fra Dana
Her Story
annual
Tenth
Bluegrass on the Bay
Water Falls
of the Missouri
2
3
Vol. 4 No. 2
Publisher/Editor
Ben Chovanak
Marketing/Sales
Ben Chovanak
Contributing Writers
Creative Director
Contributing Photographers
Contact us
Rhonda Adkins
Norma Ashby
Laura Cotton
Judy Ellinghausen
Adam Jordan
Sally Murphy
Dwayne Nelson
Heather Palermo
Courtney Peterson
Ken Robison
Suzanne Waring
Mary Willmarth
Paula Wilmot
Ben Chovanak
Rhonda Adkins
Ben Chovanak
Adam Jordan
Dwayne Nelson
Suzanne Waring
406-870-0122
820 2nd Avenue NW #2
Great Falls, MT 59404
ben@bestofgreatfalls.com
www.bestofgreatfalls.com
The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to the publication are not
necessarily those of the editor or publisher. Acceptance of advertisements does
not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. While
every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of content, no responsibility can
be taken for any errors or omissions. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. ©2012
4
TA BL E O F CO N TE N TS
Summer 2012
6 “Pretty” Tinker & Great Falls Baseball in 1900
By Ken Robison
10 Tenth Annual Bluegrass on the Bay
By Norma Ashby
12 William G. Conrad
A MONTANA MONEY MAGNET
By Suzanne Waring
16 Fra Dana - Her Story
By Paula Wilmot
Fra Dana, Marigolds, oil on panel 22” x 28”
19 23rd Annual Lewis & Clark Festival
By Sally Murphy
20 Water Falls of the Missouri
By Judy Ellinghausen
26 Region 4 – Montana State Parks
By MFWP Staff
29 Great Falls Ad Club Announces Celebrity
for 2nd Annual Celebration
By Mary Willmarth
30 C.M. Russell Museum Presents the First
Major Exhibition
Rainbow Falls of the Missouri - ca 1890, J.C. Cowles photo
Devoted to the Watercolors of Charles M. Russell
By Courtney Peterson, Communications Coordinator
32 Great Falls Farmers Market - Celebrates 30 years
By Paula Wilmot
34 Montana Senior Olympic Summer Games
By Suzanne Waring
36 Steamboat Mountain
By Adam Jordan
37 The Japanese Woodblock Print:
An Extension of the Impermanent
By Laura Cotton, Curator of Art, Paris Gibson Square Museum
Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), Last Chance or Bust,
1900, watercolor on paper, C.M. Russell Museum, Great
Falls, Montana, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Stephenson
Cover Image:
Giant Spring State Park, Great Falls, Montana
Photo by Ben Chovanak ©2012
38 The Last Salute
By Dwayne Nelson
40 Good Cause for Summer Grilling
By Rhonda Adkins
42 European Whites
By Heather Palermo
5
“Pretty” Tinker and Great Falls
Baseball in 1900
By Ken Robison
baseball season, we can remember Joe Tinker, Johnny
Evers, and Frank Chance, all now in the Major League
Baseball Hall of Fame and irascible manager “Honest
John” McCloskey
Spring is here, and we welcome spring rains and the
sounds of “Play Ball!” and the crack of a bat. Fans dust off
memories of past players and teams that have brightened
summer evenings. As we cheer on our Great Falls Voyagers
this summer, and remember the good years of the Dodgers,
Giants, Electrics and Selectrics, and pause to look back to
the year 1900, when the Great Falls Indians first brought a
pennant and a bright shining star to our city.
The season started badly for the newly organized Great
Falls Indians in May 1900, competing for the first time in
the Montana League against Butte, Anaconda, and Helena.
Manager John J. McCloskey had not yet arrived, and Joe
Tinker was a rookie playing, mainly on the bench, for a
Denver team. The Indians lost their first game narrowly to
Helena 6-7 and the losses continued. By the seventh loss, a
12-25 shellacking by Helena that featured 13 errors by
bumbling Indian fielders, local fans were losing patience.
The Tribune sports reporter lamented, “The people of
Great Falls will not object if the alleged ball players of the
Great Falls club are called sheepherders or any other old
thing.”
The Great Falls Indians won the Montana State League
in 1900, well sort of, and they did it with a bunch of castoffs led by legendary manager named “Honest John” McCloskey and a sparkling little youngster named “Pretty”
Tinker. Yes, Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Tinker began his
legendary career in none other than Great Falls, Montana
in that exciting summer of 1900.
At age nineteen Joseph B. Tinker, was a good hitter and a
spectacular fielder with exceptional speed. His start in
Great Falls in 1900 propelled him within two years to the
National League Chicago Cubs, where he anchored the
famed double-play combination of “Tinker to Evers to
Chance.” Today as we celebrate the start of another
McCloskey finally arrived the first week of June, just as
the team absorbed its eighth loss, another drubbing to
Helena. Honest John began to change the team as he hired
and fired players with a vengeance. Loss number nine
6
he drew rave reviews from the Tribune, “Tinker was the
star,” and for the first time the box score read “double play
Zearfoss to Tinker to McCloskey.” The Indians played their first error-free game
that day, winning 7-6.
came at the hands of the Butte Smoke-eaters with eleven
more Great Falls errors. Three new players, including
highly regarded catcher Zearfoss arrived,
but the Indians still lost in another
slugfest. Loss number eleven in a row
came in Butte, compliments of seventeen
Indian errors.
By now, McCloskey had replaced all
but two players, but he wasn’t done yet.
The Indians won their first game of the
season June 19th over Butte. The Tribune
declared, “At last Great Falls has a baseball club” resulting from McCloskey’s
training and the new talent. Win two
came two days later against Anaconda.
Friday June 15th 1,000 fans flocked to
Black Eagle Park to watch “the best game
of baseball that has been played in the
league this season.” Great Falls lost narrowly 4-5 because of clutch errors, but the
game was exciting. The Indians won the
next three straight, before dropping a
game to Butte from sloppy fielding.
Sparked by McCloskey’s leadership and
the sparkling play of Tinker and other new
guys by mid July the Indians were playing
good ball, the crowds were flocking to
Black Eagle Park, and the Tribune was celebrating with headlines like, “Great Falls is
Victorious in a Magnificent Game.” The Indians were climbing in the standings.
John J. McCloskey
The First Series (half) of the baseball season ended July 22, and the Indians stood at
15 wins, 20 losses. The Second Series got
off to a fast start with the Indians winning
five games in a row and beating their old
nemesis Helena in four of those games.
But the Great Falls club was out of
money, McCloskey’s free spending had
caught up and the club was in debt, so in
a deal that will live in infamy to Great
With a record of 5 wins and 14 losses, on
Falls fans, Honest John traded rookie star
a sunny day at Black Eagle Park before a
Joe Tinker to Helena! In Tinker’s own
thousand fans, the Indians took home
words, “When the second half of the seafield against Butte with 19 year-old Joe
son was pretty well advanced and Great
Tinker playing second base, a new position
Falls had climbed from the bottom to the
for him. Tinker had been released by Dentop, the club was found to be $195 in debt,
ver in Sioux City when he got the call from
Joseph B. Tinker
and McCloskey sold me to Helena for $200
McCloskey offering a job. With just $2 in
and [infielder] Joe Marshall. Again I made good, for the
his pocket and a ticket to Great Falls, Montana, “Pretty”
Helena fans took a strong liking toward me, but our team
Joe Tinker boarded the train. In his first game as an Indian,
7
straight Great Falls batsmen giving them the
lead, and as soon as he had done this
“Ducky” Pace, our catcher, deliberately
threw the ball out of the lot, and McDonough forfeited the game to Great Falls.”
was just nosed out at the
finish by Great Falls, which
necessitated a play off for
the championship.”
Adding further insult,
good hitting Joe Marshall
was soon in the hospital
with season ending typhoid fever. McCloskey’s
response was to bring in
more new players, and the
Indians won the Second Series to qualify for a five
game playoff with Helena,
winner of the First Series.
So, that is the story of baseball in Great
Falls in 1900. The Indians were, sort of,
“Champions of Montana.” They had, and
then traded away sparking young Joe Tinker. And Great Falls fans had a glimpse,
however brief, of an amazing future hall of
famer who within two years would become
a star in the big leagues and anchor the most
famous infield in history. That Cubs infield
was immortalized in this verse bitterly written by a New York Giants’ fan in 1910 as his
team lost year after year to the Cubs:
Joe Tinker tells the story
of the wild and wooly playoffs: “The first two games
we [Helena] played in
Great Falls, and we broke
even with them, and the
next two games were to be played in Helena, and if the
fifth was necessary a neutral point was to be chosen. We
got off good in the first game on our home lot and defeated
them, but in the fourth game we had the lead when Umpire Burke made several of the fiercest decisions ever rendered. He put me out of the game, and because I did not
leave within one minute he forfeited the game to Great
Falls. The fans rose en masse and chased him over the back
fence to his hotel, and followed this up by having him arrested before he could leave town for Butte, where the fifth
game was ordered played.”
These are the saddest of possible words:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Ken Robison is historian for the Great
Falls/Cascade County Historic Preservation Commission and the Overholser
Historical Research Center in Fort Benton. He writes regularly for Destination
Great Falls and the Fort Benton River
Press. The Montana Historical Society named Ken one of two
Montana Heritage Keepers for 2010, and The History Museum
presented him an Historic Legacy Award in 2011. Ken is a retired
Navy Captain, after a career in Naval Intelligence.
Tinker continues, “McCloskey took the Great Falls team
to Butte that night, and he had Miles McDonough, formerly a catcher, appointed umpire for the occasion. In the
seventh inning we had the game won by a score of 5 to 2,
but in the eighth, McDonough called four balls on seven
8
By Karen Ogden, Chief Communications Officer
Benefis Health System
The Benefis Peace Hospice Residential Facility serves more
than 200 patients a year, allowing terminally ill patients to
spend their final days in a warm, homelike environment.
Rooms at the Benefis Peace Hospice Residential Facility offer the
comforts of home. Each bed has a quilt handmade by volunteers.
For patients, the Hospice House provides 24-hour care by a
multidisciplinary team of experts who are trained to address
the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that surround the
dying process.
experienced an outpouring of support. We’re confident that
our community will once again step up and help us to meet
this important need for many years to come.”
For families, the facility offers peace of mind and a place to
savor precious days with their loved one, without the worry
and strain of providing around-the-clock care.
How to Give:
For more information about how to give or to receive a campaign brochure, call the Benefis Health System Foundation at
406-455-5840, or visit their office in the Benefis South Tower at
1101 26th St. S. Donations also may be given securely online
at benefisfoundation.org. Memorial or tribute pavers also will
be available starting in mid-May. The pavers will be installed
in the remodeled atrium area of the Benefis Peace Hospice
Residential Facility.
But in recent years, demand for residential end-of-life care
has outpaced capacity, and since 2009 the facility has had a
waiting list of about 100 people a year. The Benefis Health
System Foundation has launched a $1.57 million capital campaign to add eight rooms to the Benefis Peace Hospice Residential Facility, boosting its capacity by 66 percent.
“Our vision is that Hospice patients in northcentral Montana who wish to spend their final days at the Hospice Residential Facility will no longer be turned away for lack of
space,” said Benefis Foundation President Dan Hollow.
The silent phase of the campaign already has garnered
nearly $1 million in pledges, including seven commitments of
$100,000 to sponsor seven of the expansion’s eight new
rooms. Now the Foundation is asking the community to help
it reach the $1.57 million goal.
“Philanthropy is what built this facility, it’s what supports
it, and it’s what will allow it to continue serving our region in
the future,” said Campaign Chairman and Foundation Board
Member Gene Thayer, who secured the pledges for the new
rooms, as well as two $50,000 pledges for the sun rooms that
will grace the ends of the two new wings.
The Hospice Residential Facility was built in 2002 through
the generosity of anonymous donors,who gave $7.1 million to
build the 12-room facility and create an endowment to support operational expenses. Through careful stewardship and
additional gifts, the endowment has grown to $5 million. In
addition to the remaining capital needed for the expansion
project, the Foundation hopes to raise an additional $1 million for the endowment to help support continued operations
of the facility.
“So many families in our community have been touched
by Hospice,” said Thayer. “Since the day it opened we’ve
9
Tenth
annual
Bluegrass on the Bay
Written by Norma Ashby
Tenth Annual Bluegrass on the Bay, major fund-raiser for
the History Museum, is scheduled for Saturday, July 14,
2012 at Odd Fellows Park in Great Falls, Montana.
outdoor event. Pets and coolers are not allowed.
Departing a bit from strictly bluegrass performers, Suzy
Bogguss and her band from Nashville, Tenn. is this year’s
headliner. The country, folk singer songwriter and acoustic
guitarist has released one Platinum and three Gold albums
and charted six top ten singles winning the Academy of
Country Music Award for Top New Female Vocalist and the
Country Music Association’s Horizon Award.
Three top bands featuring outstanding performers are
appearing at the Tenth Bluegrass on the Bay Saturday, July
14, 2012 at Odd Fellows Park in Great Falls, Montana. Gates
open at 5 p.m.
Held for the benefit of the History Museum, tickets are
$25 and are available at the Mansfield Box Office, Mansfield
Convention Center, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. They
may be purchased in person or by phone, 406-455-8514 or
on-line 24/7 at ticketing.greatfallsmt.net. Children 12 and
under are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets for
History Museum members are $20 and may be purchased
at the History Museum, 422 2nd Street South, Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets go on sale April 18.
She has been associated with Lee Greenwood, Patty
Loveless, Pam Tillis Reba McEntire and Chet Atkins.
Her most recent contribution is the American Folk Songbook featuring classics like Shenandoah, Beautiful Dreamer
and Red River Valley.
The Bluegrass on the Bay committee members first heard
Sierra Hull and her band Highway 111 perform at the National Folk Festival in Butte. They were successful in booking her for their 2012 concert.
Food and beverages will be available. Concertgoers are
invited to bring their own folding chairs or blankets for the
The word prodigy isn’t handed out with regularity but it
certainly is the case with bluegrass vocalist and mandolinist
Sierra Hull. As an 8-year-old she showed a dexterity on guitar and mandolin that amazed and shocked veteran players
and fans alike. She recorded her first L.P. Angel Mountain at
10. A year later she was performing on the Grand Ole Opry
stage with Alison Krauss. Rounder Records signed her to a
label deal at 13.
At 20 she’s already received five International Bluegrass
Music Association nominations in the past three years and
is the first bluegrass musician to receive the Boston based
Berklee School of Music’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship. She now lives in Nashville, Tenn.
Sierra’s band includes bassist Jacob Eler; guitarist/vocalist Clay Hess and fiddler Christian Ward.
The Farewell Drifters is the third band in this year’s Bluegrass on the Bay lineup. This young quintet blends folk,
bluegrass, newgrass and mild mellow-rock.
They are composed of Zach Bevill, guitarist/vocalist;
Joshua Britt, mandolinist/vocalist; Clayton Britt, lead guitarist/vocalist; Christian Sedelmyer, fiddler/vocalist and
Dean Marold, upright bassist/vocalist.
According to Franne Jennings, The Amplifer, “The
Farewell Drifters are among the leaders for the next generation in this unfolding epic we call American Music.”
Suzy Bogguss Photo by Delman
Chris Spector, Midwest Record says, “Pull up a chair, tip
it back on two legs and enjoy a warm evening with this
10
bunch. The Farwell Drifters are the new wave and this is one
cool wave to ride.”
Raffle tickets with prizes totaling over $2,000 will be sold for
$5 each or six for $25. Prizes include a pendant with diamonds
and rubies from Riddle’s Jewelry valued at $1275; a $300 gift certificate from Scheels; 100 gallons of free gas from Montana Refining Company, a raft or kayak self-guided day trip from
Montana River Outfitters and a $100 gift certificate from Albertson’s.
Committee members are: Heather and Todd Lehman, cochairmen; Bonnie Warren, secretary; Sarah Schumacher, treasurer; Dave Wilson, bands and m.c.; Patty Rearden, vendors and
city liaison; Norma Ashby, sponsors and publicity; Dan Perbil,
graphic arts; Dwight Smith, raffle; Joyce Madson, volunteers;
Tim Shanks, police department liaison; Milburn and Arlyn Johnson, stage and sound; Jack Beckman, parking; Harry Mitchell,
production and Jim Meinert, History Museum Director.
The History Museum at 422 2nd Street South, is dedicated to
preserving and promoting the heritage of this area. In the previous Bluegrass on the Bay concerts more than 8,000 people have
attended and over $102,000 have been raised for The History
Museum.
For more information call The History Museum at 406-4523462 or go to the event’s website: bluegrassonthebay.com.
Sierra Hull and her band Highway 111
The Farewell Drifters Photo courtesy Farewell Drifters
11
William G. Conrad
A Montana Money Magnet
But also a Man with a Place in
North Central Montana’s History
Written by Suzanne Waring
On September 10, 1902, the collection plate was
passed at the rustic Episcopal Church situated on the
northwest corner of Sixth Street and Third Avenue
North in Great Falls. Among the checks and bills was a
sheaf of papers. To everyone’s delight, it turned out to
be the deed to three lots located diagonally across the
street on the southeast corner of the same intersection.
These lots had been purchased and given to the church
by W. G. Conrad for the location of the church building
that stands there today.
William George Conrad had come to Montana in
1868 along with his brother, Charles Edward. At the
time, they were twenty and eighteen years old respectively. Having fought in the Civil War and returned
home to Virginia, they discovered that plantation wayof-life no longer existed. They and their father, James
W. Conrad, realized that something different had to be
done to support the family of thirteen children. Being
the oldest sons, the two struck out for New York where
they had relatives who sponsored them. Although they
soon realized that they couldn’t support the family by
working for someone else, it was there that they heard
about the opportunities in Montana which sent their
destiny in a westward direction.
After a trip of over three thousand miles, they arrived in Fort Benton in 1868 and went to work for I. G.
Baker who promised them an opportunity to take over
the mercantile business that he managed from Fort Benton. By 1876, they had bought out Baker’s interest in
Montana’s branch of the business and named it Conrad
Brothers. They owned steamboats that navigated the
Missouri River and shipped cargo overland a thousand
miles in every direction mostly by oxen teams. This was
an extremely lucrative business. Ora Halvorson in the
article “Merchant Prince with a Gentle Touch” for the
Montana Magazine of Western History cited William Conrad as saying he once opened a business letter with an
12
William G. Conrad. Courtesy History Museum
order for $160,000 worth of provisions for the U.S.
government.
By 1878 when the Conrad brothers saw railroads in
southern Canada and throughout Montana taking
over the shipment of freight, they used the fortune
that they had amassed to buy into ranching, banking,
and mining.
Other than making money, William and Charles had
little in common. Charles—who was tall, handsome,
and slender—built forts, negotiated treaties with the
Indians, waged contracts with the Canadian government, and traveled to seek new business opportunities. William, who was short of stature and heavyset,
preferred to administer the business. He did the buying and selling, communicating, and organizing,
which, by the number of their interests, was no easy
task. Conrad’s niece, Alicia Conrad Campbell, described William Conrad in Half Interest in a Silver Dollar by James E. Murphy as a “rather pompous figure
who liked to put his thumbs under his vest and make
Olympian pronouncements.” The Great Falls Tribune
wrote in Conrad’s obituary that in business he “might
have been termed a grim-visaged man, but behind the
firm face was a kindly spirit that his friends knew and
loved. Though brusque of manner, he was quick to respond…[to] need, was liberal in his charities, and
[remained] considerate in his dealings.”
The Conrads’ motto for business was to
adapt to the changing needs of the country. By 1878, they were into raising cattle,
mostly with their younger brothers or the
husbands of their sisters, as most of the
family had moved west by 1874. In a few
short years, the Conrad Circle Cattle
Company became one of the largest in the
West.
The Conrad family owned the 7 Block
Ranch of over 200,000 acres that stretched
from what is now Conrad—named for
William Conrad—to Fort Benton. Because
much of the ranch was considered dry
land, William Conrad conceived an irrigation project. Initially it was a 50-mile ditch
that irrigated the Conrads’ hayfields.
Originally known as the Conrad Investment Company when they sunk as much
Young W.G. Conrad, standing third from left, with Territorial Council.
as a million dollars into the project, over
Photo Courtesy Montana Room at GF Public Library
the years it has been greatly expanded
With all of their investments, the Conrads saw the
and renamed the Valier Irrigation Project. Presently it
need
to have their own bank. In 1880 they opened the
goes by the name of Pondera County Canal and ReserFirst
National
Bank in Fort Benton, but as Fort Benton
voir Company.
13
corner of Baker and Choteau streets. They had their five
children—William, who died as an infant, Josephine,
Minnie, George Harfield, and Arthur F.—during the
years they lived in Fort Benton. In 1900 they moved to
Great Falls and built a new home at 316 Fourth Avenue
North. This house and the one in Fort Benton have since
been demolished.
diminished in business activity and Great Falls expanded, the bank was renamed Northwestern National
Bank and moved to Great Falls. In 1896 the bank was
bought by the Boston and Montana Copper Company,
and then two months later, the bank doors were closed,
leaving depositors bilked. William Conrad resumed control and notified all depositors that they would be repaid, even though the Conrads were not legally
responsible. Paying out almost a million dollars was just
one indication of the honesty and fair dealing for which
the Conrads were known. On November 19, 1897, Helena
Independent Record said, “We wish there were 175,000
Conrad brothers in Montana.” The Conrads also owned
banks in Kalispell, Helena, Livingston, and Conrad.
William Conrad began to look beyond regional politics, so the family made their home in Helena, transitioning sometime between 1905 and 1910. Earlier he had
been a county commissioner in Chouteau County, Fort
Benton’s first mayor, and a territorial senator. In 1889, he
ran against William A. Clark for U.S. Senator and lost by
only four votes. He was also favorably mentioned as a
candidate for the Democratic Party’s candidate for VicePresident at one time.
In 1900 the Conrad Banking Company built an impressive structure on the southwest corner of Central
Avenue and Fourth Street in Great Falls and located
their headquarters there. The Conrad Bank, predecessor
of First Interstate Bank today, was located on the first
floor. The two-story Strain building, located across the
street on the southeast corner of Central and Fourth, was
also built by the Conrad Brothers.
In 1911, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad’s grandson—the son of
Harfield—died of meningitis. Eight months later, the remains were stolen from Highland Cemetery, and the coffin was left at the cemetery’s gate. A ransom was sought,
and in the act of trying to catch the perpetrator,
Harfield’s brother, Arthur, accidently shot and killed Joe
Hamilton, a former Cascade County sheriff, who was assisting the Conrad brothers in capturing the thief. The
body of the child was never found nor were the grave
robbers arrested and punished.
William Conrad married an aristocratic Virginia
woman, Fannie E. Bowen—Lake Frances is named for
her—in 1878. When he brought her to Fort Benton, she
was able to move into a new Victorian-style home on the
14
William Conrad was at his winter
home, Montana Hall, in Virginia when
he died on March 6, 1914. The editorial
in the Great Falls Tribune the following
day honored Conrad—one-time owner
of the paper—by saying “…W. G. Conrad left a more enduring monument to
his memory than wealth gathered up in
heaps of business and commercial successes. He was a builder. He was a
pathfinder in new lands. He set up the
guide posts along the paths of civilization…in which many feet have since
trodden.”
Conrad Bank at Central and Fourth Street South. Photo Courtesy History Museum
A life-long interest in communications made Suzanne Waring
first a college English instructor then a writer. She lives in Great
Falls and writes about Montana people and their communities.
15
Fra Dana
Her Story
Written By Paula Wilmot
Fra Dana’s life story, told in a new book by two Montana college teachers, is as compelling as the art she
created. Born in the Midwest, she studied art in New York, London and Paris before she married a rancher
and ultimately chose life in the West over the pursuit of art on a world stage.
Her story, “Fra Dana: American Impressionist in the Rockies,” was written by Valerie Hedquist of the
University of Montana and Sue Hart of Montana State University-Billings and published by UM’s Montana
Museum of Art and Culture, home of most of her artwork and her collection of art by her famous mentors
including William Merritt Chase and Joseph Henry Sharp.
“She was an extraordinary person who lived an extraordinary life,” says Hedquist, marveling at the
places Dana visited — alone and with her husband of 50 years — and the acquaintances she made, including Gertrude Stein, noted writer and art collector who showed Dana her personal collections which included works by Matisse, Picasso and Renoir.
Fra (pronounced “Fray”) Dana lived the last 11 years of her life in Great Falls, making her home in the
northside Blackstone Apartments. She died in 1948 and is buried in Highland Cemetery.
Despite a worldly outlook, she embodied the Western spirit.
According to Hedquist, associate professor of art history and art criticism at UM, Dana was a competent
painter who could have been a great painter, but she refused to give up the love of her life and their home
on the range in order to continue her studies. To develop and grow as an artist, you can’t let the study stop,
and Dana did, Hedquist explains. She chose Edwin and the ranch.
Still, Hedquist considers Dana a strong
artist, though not prolific. Her favorite piece
is a still life of marigolds. Still lifes, she
says, were Dana’s strength.
Born in 1874 in Terre Haute, Ind., Dana
studied art at the Cincinnati Art Academy,
Art Institute of Chicago and New York
School of Art. After moving with her family
to Wyoming, she met and fell in love with
Edwin L. Dana. They married in 1896. With
ranches in Wyoming and Montana, they
built America’s largest purebred Hereford
operation.
After their marriage, she continued to
travel to New York and beyond to study,
but became conflicted because of her duties
at the ranch in rural Big Horn County
where they lived from 1896 until they
moved to the Great Falls area in 1937.
Fra found herself married to the land. In
her journals, she wrote “I always keep it in
my heart, but I speak no more of my vanished dreams.”
Edwin provided her a home art studio,
supplies and a vast library to quench her
16
thirst for culture, but they were poor substitutes for the art community she missed.
She wrote in her journals in 1907: “There were two cattle dealers here this week, a surveyor and a woman
selling tombstones. For all these people I have to make their beds and empty their slops and wait on them.
How the spirit doth rebel. Especially at having to talk to them when they are not interesting.”
Her journals also captured the beauty of the countryside and the ranch she loved and hated: “Sunshine like
spun gold, filtering through the lace work
of dried weeds. Yellow and orange and
gold trees, painted against the quivering
blue sky …”
She acknowledged that Edwin needed
her on the ranch, writing in 1911 in New
York City: “I could fight the world and
conquer, but I cannot fight the world and
Edwin too; he will always pull against me
in the life I desire. So I shall give up. He
has won.”
When the Danas moved to the Great
Falls area, Fra took an apartment in Great
Falls. Edwin stayed most of the time at the
Cascade ranch. Both were in declining
health.
Because Fra didn’t date her paintings,
their chronology was based on the subject
matter and her journals.
Hedquist figures Dana painted at least
two of her 40 known works while she was
living in Great Falls. One featured a pair of
turkeys with hollyhocks. The flowers, according to the artist’s writings, grew in a
Great Falls alley.
Another work featured a mother and her
six-month-old daughter. Born during Fra’s
Great Falls years, Simone Chesner was the
baby in the painting, sitting on the lap of
Left: Fra Dana, Mother and Child, no
date, oil on canvas, 23.5” x 19.5”
Top Right: Fra Dana, Marigolds, no
date, oil on panel 22” x 28”
Right: William Merritt Chase, Portrait
of Mrs. Dana, no date, oil on canvas,
24” x 20”
17
were lost, and along with them, more details of a remarkable life.
Following a successful exhibition of Dana’s art in Missoula earlier this year, the UM museum is considering
the possibility of a tour, according to Barbara Koostra,
director of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture.
“Now we have a beautiful book to travel with the
art,” she says.
The book and renewed interest in Dana follow
decades of near obscurity. Beginning in 1982, the art —
then scattered across campus — was collected, catalogued and restored, thanks to Dennis Kern, the permanent collection’s first curator.
Edwin, dog, Fra Dana
Koostra recalls that the artist was promised a museum
building to house her art and the rest of the museum’s
permanent collection of some 11,000 items. “We’re still
hoping for that,” she says.
her mother, Delores Chesner, a local nurse who cared
for the Danas.
Edwin Dana died in 1946 at age 82. After a funeral
in Great Falls, he was buried in Sheridan,
Wyo. He had retired four years earlier after
selling the last of the ranch holdings, the
Cascade ranch.
The following year, UM asked Fra to
send her art to Missoula for an exhibit. That
request led to a treasured gift to the university of her art and book collections. She said
she had considered leaving the collections
to Great Falls, but “nothing could be
arranged.”
Along with her art exhibit at UM came
this humble self-description: “I do not
know that there is anything to tell you
about my life. My annals are short and simple. I was born, I married, I painted a little,
I am ready to die.”
After her death in 1948 at age 74, her art
collection of 113 items — 36 of her own
paintings, plus works by Sharp, Chase, Alfred Maurer and others — and her private library of
2,383 volumes were left to UM.
Fra Dana, Tangerines, no date, oil on canvas,
10.5” x 13.75”
“Fra Dana: American Impressionist in the Rockies” is
available, $35 soft cover, $55 hardcover, at the Montana
Museum of Art and Culture at the University of Montana, Missoula. Phone 406-243-2019.
Among her other bequests were $10,000 to her
housekeeper, $50,000 to Sloan-Kettering Institute for
Cancer Research and almost $215,000 to the Montana
Children’s Home and Hospital, now the Shodair Hospital.
Paula Wilmot is a University of Montana
journalism graduate. After 38 years as a reporter and editor at the Great Falls Tribune,
she still enjoys writing about her home town.
Her estate also paid $2.20 to the Ayrshire Dairy for
11 quarts of milk delivered during the last weeks of
her life.
Although some of Dana’s journals were transcribed
and saved by Great Falls author Mildred Walker, more
18
23rd Annual
Lewis & Clark
Festival
Written by Sally Murphy
Photos courtesy
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
I
Opening Ceremony featuring a Black Powder Salute
by the Lewis & Clark Honor Guard
Center at 9 a.m. Join the Lewis & Clark Honor Guard at 10 a.m.
at the Interpretive Center for a flag raising ceremony and the
official opening of the Lewis and Clark Encampment. Experience the excitement, thrills and perils of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition as members of the Lewis and Clark Honor Guard
demonstrate cooking, navigation, medicine, trading on the
trail, sign language and furs,
hands-on activities at every station
and much more. The Honor Guard
is the premier Lewis and Clark living history organization in the nation.
t’s been over 200 years since Captains Lewis and
Clark and the Corps of Discovery traveled through
Montana on their way back to St. Louis. The men (and woman)
of the expedition were hearty frontiersmen. Traveling through
uncharted territory for more than
two years and only lost one member
of the expedition. They hunted and
traded for the things they needed to
proceed on. Tending to each other’s
wounds and worked together for the
good of the group.
Join the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Lewis and Clark Foundation, the Honor Guard and their
many partners at the 2012 Lewis and
Clark Festival to get a taste of life –
Corps of Discovery style. Learn
about the trials of their journey, the
skills they developed and what they
did for fun!
Stay for the day and be inspired
as members of the Two Medicine
Drum & Dance Troupe bring their
heritage alive with performances at
1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Learn more about
snakes from accomplished presenter Jeff Monheim; programs at noon
and 3 p.m.
Beans and Blarny
The Festival runs for two full days, from
June 29 through June 30, 2012, and it literally has something for everyone.
Plan lunch with us! Our Festival
Foods will serve a variety of
morsels to satisfy all taste buds at the Interpretive Center from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday’s events conclude with an
The fun kicks off on Friday, June 29,
hour long program showcasing the upenroll the youngsters in Kids Corps Activicoming Lewis & Clark Kite Exhibit at 6
ties from 9 a.m. - 12 noon. Friday afternoon
p.m. In case you missed it, check out
brings the Opening Ceremony featuring a
the Lewis & Clark Honor Guard EnBlack Powder Salute by the Lewis & Clark
campment until 8 p.m. as well as the
Honor Guard at the Interpretive Center.
Central Montana Astronomy Society as
Friday evening join the Corps of Discovery
they explore Montana’s Big Sky at night!
for a Beans, BBQ & Blarney dinner on the
On Sunday, float 16 picturesque miles
river’s edge and wrap the night with the
of the Missouri River while historian
musical styling of Rough Cut Grass
Don Peterson shares his lifelong knowlagainst the backdrop of the mighty Misedge of local and Lewis & Clark history
Drum & Dance Troupe
souri. Come early and pick up dinner at
the whole way; float trip leaves the Inour concession stands and don’t forget your lawn chairs!
terpretive Center at 8 a.m. The 23rd Annual Festival has it all:
The early bird really does get the worm as Saturday, June 26
kicks off with an early morning Birdwalk along the Missouri
River around the Interpretive Center and Giant Springs State
Park beginning at 6:30 a.m. Take in the sites and sounds on a
guided hike to Sulphur Springs; caravan leaves the Interpretive
food, fun, nature, music and so much more – you won’t want
to miss it! For ticket registration and more information contact
the Lewis and Clark Foundation at 406-452-5661 or
www.lewisandclarkfoundation.org
19
Black Eagle Falls of the Missouri and Black Eagle Dam, 2011. Photo by Ben Chovanak
Water Falls of the Missouri
Written by Judy Ellinghausen
The five waterfalls on the Missouri River, the namesake of both the City of
Great Falls and Cascade County, have served as a source of awe and beauty, and
inspiration and bedevilment to many who have witnessed their grandeur over
the years. Black Eagle, Colter, Rainbow, Crooked and the Great Falls, in order
downriver have figured prominently in area history. Although there are five water
falls and five hydroelectric dams in a 12 mile stretch of river, two of the dams are
not located at waterfalls.
on upriver and described another four waterfalls in his
journal. William Clark would later draw a map indicating
many topographic details of the area. Lewis’ awe at the
beauty of the falls was tempered by the expedition’s need
to make an eighteen mile, three week portage around the
falls, dragging their canoes and cargo over difficult terrain
and facing encounters with wind, hailstones, rattlesnakes,
grizzly bears, mosquitoes and prickly pear cactus.
Even though the falls on the upper Missouri were well
known landmarks to the Plains Indians who utilized the region for countless generations, the first documented encounter with the falls came in mid June of 1805 when the 33
members of the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through
the area in search of a continuous waterway to the Pacific.
The previous winter Hidatsa and Mandan Indians had
informed the expedition about prominent features along
the upstream journey including the great falls, which
would indicate they were following the correct waterway.
When Meriwether Lewis first approached the great falls on
June 13, he could hear the roar from a great distance away
and described the falls in his journal as “…the grandest
sight I ever beheld…”. Knowing he had found the great
falls as described by the Indians, the next day he continued
For the next 75 years what would become the Great Falls
area remained much as it had been when the Lewis and
Clark expedition encountered it in 1805. The fierce reputation of the Blackfeet, who hunted the area, kept trappers,
traders and potential settlers away.
In 1853, the Issac Stevens Expedition came through the
area, but concluded that the Missouri River Canyon with its
20
Rainbow Falls of the Missouri and Rainbow Dam, photos by Dan Ball.
waterfalls and ravines should be avoided as a transportation
route.
Beginning in 1860 when the first steamboat came up the Missouri River from St. Louis until the arrival of the railroad in the
late 1880s, Fort Benton claimed the title of the head of navigation
on the Missouri River. The great falls and series of other waterfalls, prevented river craft from journeying farther upstream.
From Fort Benton, passengers and freight traveled to other Montana Territory destinations by land.
Tourists from Fort Benton frequently traveled to the falls of the
Missouri to view the spectacular sights. One of these spectators
from Fort Benton was Paris Gibson, a businessman from Minneapolis, who came to the area to pursue the wool business. After
reading about the fabled waterfalls in the Lewis and Clark journals, Gibson made his first trip to the great falls in 1880. Two
years later he returned to view the series of five waterfalls and
quickly recognized the vast waterpower potential of the region.
The same falls that had thrilled and bedeviled explorers Lewis and
Clark inspired Paris Gibson to quickly set about acquiring land
and gaining financial backing to stake out a townsite between the
confluence of the Sun and Missouri Rivers and Black Eagle Falls;
the falls which offered the least difficult access. The fledgling community, established in 1884 and called Great Falls, wasted little
time harnessing the water power. Black Eagle Dam, built above
the 26-foot falls in 1890-91, by Gibson’s Great Falls Water Power
and Townsite Company, at a cost of $175,000, became the first hydroelectric dam in Montana. It supplied power to the Boston and
Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company, later
the Anaconda Company, which built a refinery on the north bank
of the Missouri near Black Eagle Falls to take advantage of cheap
21
Top: Black Eagle Falls of the Missouri,
1883 - Height 30 feet.
Colter Falls – Height 12 feet, and
Rainbow Falls of the Missouri – ca 1890,
J.C. Cowles photo, Height 46 feet; width
1,200 feet. Courtesy The History Museum.
Left: Crooked Falls of the
Missouri and the Rainbow
Falls
Forrest Service photo.
Right: Great Falls of the
Missouri and Ryan Dam
Photo by Dan Ball
and abundant water power. It also furnished mechanical power,
by means of shaft or rope drive, to the Royal Milling Company
built on the south side of the river. Originally built as a timber crib
structure the dam was rebuilt in concrete in 1926-1927.
Called “Where the Canoe Went Over” by the Blackfeet, Black
Eagle Falls was given the name by railroad surveyor Thomas P.
Roberts in 1872. The name comes from the fact that Lewis noted
an eagle’s nest in a tree near the falls in 1805, and 67 years later
Roberts saw a similar site and thought it fitting to christen it Black
Eagle Falls.
About three miles downriver from Black Eagle Falls and located
just above Rainbow Falls is Colter Falls. At six feet high it is the
smallest of the falls and is now submerged by water backed up behind Rainbow Dam. Around 1882 the falls were named by Paris
Gibson in honor of John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition and noted frontiersman in his own right.
Rainbow Falls, located three miles below Black Eagle Falls is 47
feet high. Described as “handsome” by Meriwether Lewis, the falls
were named by Thomas P. Roberts in 1872, when he was impressed by the rainbow seen in the spray at the base of the falls.
A timber crib dam filled with concrete and rocks was constructed at the top of the falls in 1910 by the Great Falls Power
Company. No excavation was required for the dam as solid
bedrock was already exposed across the entire site. State-of-the-art
transmission lines sent power directly to the mines of Butte and
the smelter in Anaconda 150 miles away. In 1917, the height of the
dam was increased. A new rubber bladder and concrete structure
was installed in 1989.
Crooked Falls, at 19 feet high and within sight downstream of
Rainbow Falls, is the only visible falls left undammed. As its name
implies, this unusual falls cascades sideways. It is also known as
Horseshoe Falls by locals.
22
Top: Crooked Falls of the Missouri –
Height 20 feet.
Great Falls of the Missouri – Height
96 feet. A drive of eight miles from
the city.
Courtesy The History Museum
Cascade County dams were not built at
the site of waterfalls. Morony Dam, farthest downriver, was completed in
1930 by the Montana Power Company.
It was named in honor of John J. Morony, one of Montana Power Company’s first directors, and a leading
figure in Montana banking and finance
was instrumental in the development
of power plants in the Great Falls area.
Located about 12 river miles from
Black Eagle Dam, the 94-foot high, concrete gravity dam was built mainly to
provide the extra power needed as a result of statewide industrial growth.
Cochrane Dam, the last of the series
to be constructed, is located between
Crooked Falls and the Great Falls. Built
by the Montana Power Company in
1956-58 at a cost of $10 million, the 103-foot high dam was
built to meet the growth in residential power demand. It
was named in honor of Harry H. Cochrane, the Chief Consulting Engineer of the Montana Power Company who supervised the design of Ryan and Morony dams and a
redesign of Black Eagle Dam. Once Cochrane was built the
combined electrical capacity of the five dams totaled
220,000 kilowatts.
Below Rainbow Falls the river drops at a fairly uniform
rate of 140 feet in four and a half miles, and then plunges
down 96 feet, forming the Great Falls of the Missouri. This
is the greatest drop of the Missouri in its entire length. Harnessing the power of the “Big Falls”, as it was known by locals, started shortly after the Montana Power Company was
organized in 1912. Located about eight river miles from
Black Eagle Falls and completed in 1916, the dam raised the
water level to form a 152-foot falls. Originally called Volta
Dam after pioneer Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, the
dam was renamed Ryan in 1940 to honor John D. Ryan an
organizer and president of the Montana Power Company.
Constructed of solid concrete, and resting on a rock foundation, it was the largest hydroelectric project in the Northwest at the time. Volta/Ryan helped provide electricity for
the newly electrified Milwaukee Railroad.
With a natural fall of over 400 feet in less than ten miles,
the Missouri River near Great Falls was ideal for electric
power development. True to Paris Gibson’s vision, the falls
of the Missouri powered the copper refinery in Great Falls,
which employed thousands of workers for almost 80 years
and provided electricity to the copper mines in Butte and
the smelter in Anaconda. In addition, the dams lit communities throughout Central Montana and electrified the Milwaukee Railroad. Is it any wonder that Great Falls became
known as the “Electric City”?
The first three hydroelectric dams, Black Eagle, Rainbow
and Volta/Ryan, were all constructed slightly above the
falls so as not to obscure the natural falls. The last two
23
Giant Springs, photo by Ben Chovanak
Giant Springs State Park
Plants in the Park
The 3,238 acres of Giant Springs State
Park includes many native plants. Plants
you will find are the Silver Sage, Rubber
Rabbitbrush, Purple Prairie Clover, Indian
Blanket, Wild Licorice, Common Sunflower, Creeping Juniper, Blue Flax, Prickly
Pear Cactus, Chokecherries, Golden Current, Woods Rose, Needle and Thread
Grass, and Cattails. This is not a complete
list.
Birds in the Park
You will find bald eagles, Rough Legged
Hawks, Canada geese, Great Horned Owls,
Cliff Swallows, mourning doves, wrens,
robins, and Brewers Blackbird, and the
Western Meadowlark. All these birds were
described by Lewis and Clark in the journals and are still found in Giant Springs
State Park. This is not a complete list.
Mammals in the Park
The Red Fox, Coyote, Eastern Grey
Squirrel, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Beaver,
Yellow-bellied Marmot, and Pronghorn. All
these animals are found in Giant Springs
State Park and were described by Lewis
and Clark in their journals. This is not a
complete list.
Set aside a whole afternoon to experience this scenic and historic
freshwater springs site. It is one of the largest freshwater springs in
the world, flowing at 156 million gallons of water per day! In this
day-use park, you can picnic by the Missouri River, visit the fish
hatchery and visitor center, walk along the Rivers Edge Trail. This
site is a great location for a picnic, hiking, fishing, and generally relaxing in a natural setting just outside the city.
The huge underground freshwater ocean is created when water
seeps through the cracks of the Madison limestone, near the Little
Belt Mountains, the underground freshwater is forced out of cracks
in the earth’s crust, which forms Giant Springs. The water is pressured through the crack traveling about 340 feet from the ground
water level to the brim of the spring and eventually flows into the
Missouri River.
• Water is 54 degrees year round.
• Became a state park in 1972.
The site, prevalent in Native American oral tradition. Currently
the Lewis & Clark natural history trail is a walking trail between the
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and the Giant Springs Park. Also
on the grounds of the park is one of Montana’s fish hatcheries which
hatches and raises about 1 million rainbow trout.
The park is open from 8 a.m. to dusk year round, admission for
non-residents is $5 per car, free to Montana residents with annual
vehicle registration fees. If you have questions or comments please
send mail to: Giant Springs, 4600 Giant Springs Rd Great Falls, MT
59405 or call (406) 454-5840.
26
Roe River
Giant Springs also is the site of the Roe River, officially measured at 201 feet in length and noted as the shortest river in the
world. It’s considered a river because it is a main tributary of the
Missouri River.
Left: Bullock Oriole Right: Yellow Warbler, they
are both found at Giant Springs.
Photos by Bill Marsik
Roe River, photo by Ben Chovanak
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park
Summer hours, April 1 - September 30, 8 a.m. 6 p.m., 7 days a week.
Winter hours, October 1 - March 31, Visitor
Center is open Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4
p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump
State Park, located south of
Great Falls, provides an educational and scenic adventure into the past. Prehistoric
inhabitants of the Great
Plains, as a primary means of
survival, hunted bison by
stampeding them over cliffs
and this site is one of the best
preserved “buffalo jumps” in
the northwest. Recent research has revealed that this site is perhaps one of the largest of
its kind in the world.
There are a variety of interpretive talks explaining the ancient
hunting method used by the Native Americans who hunted
here. The park offers a 3-mile hiking trail, visitor center and
“What the Buffalo Became” exhibit, spectacular vistas of the
mountain ranges and river valley, picnicking area, a prairie dog
town, and special events throughout the year. Admission is $5
per car for non-resident, free to Montana residents with annual
vehicle registration fees.
27
Plan at least a two-hour stop in this day-useonly park. For more information on interpretive
programs for group tours or school field trips, call
406-866-2217.
Left: View from the top of First Peoples Buffalo Jump
State Park. Above: Native American display in Interpretive Center. Photos by Ben Chovanak
Sluice Boxes State Park
excellent hiking, fly fishing, kayaking and rafting (requires advanced skills), photography, camping and
contains abundant wildlife. The chasm’s limestone
walls are riddled with caves, where visitors sometimes
spot pictographs made centuries ago by Native Americans.
The history behind Sluice Boxes State Park includes
a major role in mining and ranching during the late
1800s and early 1900s. From prehistoric data recorded
in the area, we know that Native Americans also utilized the area.
The ghost town of Albright was the largest mining
production site in the Sluice Boxes canyon, with Logging Creek and Riceville, laid on each end of the
canyon. Their contribution to the railroad and mining
of natural resources is still evident in the park.
Floating the Belt Creek thorough Sluice Boxes canyon.
Photo courtesy Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
Beneath the soaring limestone cliffs of Belt Creek is the
Sluice Boxes State Park, located south of Belt, Montana. It remains a fascinating playground for historians, nature lovers,
and the average recreationist.
The park is rich in history and geologic features, provides
The primary entrance to Sluice Boxes State Park is at
the Riceville Bridge, 8 miles south of Belt on U.S Highway 89, then a half-mile west on the Evans-Riceville
road. A permit is required for back country camping.
For more information, contact Montana State Parks at
406-454-5840.
Tower Rock State Park
Captain Meriwether Lewis noted in his journal,
An Indian road enters the mountain at the same place with
the river on the Stard side and continues along it’s border
under the steep clifts. At this place there is a large rock of
400 feet high wich stands immediately in the gap which
the Missouri makes on it’s passage from the mountains...
This rock I called the tower. It may be ascended with some
difficulty nearly to it’s summit and from it there is a most
pleasing view of the country we are now about to leave.
From it I saw that evening immense herds of buffaloe in
the plains below.
Tower Rock State Park. Photo by Ben Chovanak
Meriwether Lewis, July 16, 1805.
The public can park their vehicle in the parking lot at exit
247 off I-15, then learn about the geology and history of the
site with interpretive panels located at the trail head. The
trail to the base of the saddle is maintained for a quartermile, but the park may be explored further along the informal trails. Tower Rock State Park is a day use only park.
Overnight camping is allowed in nearby fishing access sites.
Tower Rock State Park lies in a 140-acre site along the
stretch of the Missouri River and I-15. The 400-foot high igneous rock formation was first referenced in the journals of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Prior to that, many Native
peoples used the rock as a landmark when they were entering and leaving the rich buffalo grounds of today’s north central Montana.
28
Great Falls Ad Club Announces Celebrity
For 2nd Annual Celebration
Written by Mary Willmarth
of Great Falls, a local organization working to build the MarLions and tigers and bears, oh my! If any one can loudly
garet J. Maclean Animal Welfare Center, located near North
proclaim that statement, it’s world-renowned animal expert
Junior High School.
Jack Hanna, better known as “Jungle Jack.” Kids and adults in
Great Falls and across the state will be happy to hear that the
Tickets to the event will go on sale June 4 at the Mansfield
Great Falls Advertising FedBox Office, Mansfield Convention Ceneration, better known as “Ad
ter, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Club,” has confirmed Hanna
They may be purchased in person or
as the next celebrity for its
by phone, 406-455-8514 or on-line 24/7
Second Annual “Celebrity
at http://ticketing.greatfallsmt.net.
Celebration.” Hanna will
Tickets will cost $25 for adults and $15
visit Great Falls on Tuesday,
for children age 12 and under.
August 14, 7 p.m. at the
Coupons for $10 off the children’s tickMansfield Theatre. Tickets
ets are available at the following sponwill be sold on a first-come,
sors: Happy Tails Lodge, Montana
first-served basis and are exRefining Co. , and Hartelius Durocher
pected to sell quickly. “Dear
& Winter. The Premier Sponsor is NaAbby”/Jeanne Phillips was
dyne and Frank Ritter, and MSU-COT
the featured celebrity for the
and Croxford Funeral Home & Cremafirst “Celebrity Celebration”
Grizzly Bear, Alberta – Suzi and Jack Hanna visited with
tory are also sponsoring the event.
held last fall.
this bear at the Wildlife Discovery Park.
For further information, or to beHanna is one of the most visible and respected ambassadors
come a member, call 406-761-6453.
between the human and animal worlds. His hands-on approach and experience with wildlife has won him widespread
acclaim as an author, television personality, conservationist,
and Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. A
dynamic orator, Hanna now enjoys speaking across the country, sharing his globe-trotting experiences with thousands of
people. His timeless tales continue to captivate audiences of
every generation.
The family farm is where Hanna’s love for animals was cultivated at an early age. He spent his teenage summers helping a
local veterinarian by cleaning animal cages. After college, he
and his wife, Suzi, opened Pet Kingdom, a successful pet store
and petting zoo. Shortly thereafter, he became the director of
the Central Florida Zoo, followed by the opportunity of a lifetime, being named the director of the Columbus Zoo in Ohio.
The zoo was struggling when he arrived, but his public relations skills sparked a remarkable transformation, making it a
state-of-the-art zoo and aquarium.
Hanna is a regular guest on The Late Show with David Letterman and Good Morning America, along with other national
appearances. His “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild” is an Emmy
award-winning nationally syndicated animal program and his
“Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures” program broadcasts in the
US and 62 countries. He speaks to a variety of groups throughout the year, ranging from corporations to colleges, and he can
be referenced at www.jackhanna.com. Hanna does have a
home in Bigfork, Montana, where he spends time, when his
busy schedule allows.
Ad Club is pleased to announce that it will donate a percentage of the event’s proceeds this year to the Animal Foundation
29
C.M. russell Museum Presents the
First Major exhibition
Devoted to the Watercolors of Charles M. Russell
Written by Courtney Peterson, Communications Coordinator, C.M. Russell Museum
From June 15 to September 15, 2012, the C.M. Russell Museum becomes the second of only two museums in the United
States to host Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles M.
Russell, the first national exhibition devoted exclusively to the
artist’s work in that medium. Organized by the Amon Carter
Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, the exhibition
brings together for the first time more than 100 of the finest
and best-preserved Russell watercolors from both private and
public collections across the United States.
“The Russell Museum is thrilled to bring this important exhibition to the northwestern part of the country,” said chief
curator Sarah Burt. “Major national exhibitions of Russell’s
art have in the past not traveled to our area, so it is especially
exciting not only to offer our visitors a show of this magnitude, but also to provide them with an exceptionally rare opportunity to view artworks that seldom leave their home
institutions. Watercolors are almost never loaned out because
of their fragility.”
Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), The Attack/ Attack on the Red
River Carts (detail), 1903, C. M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana, Gift of Martha Ann Birch Davies
“Charles Russell is recognized today as a leading artist of
the Old West,” said exhibition curator and Russell authority
Rick Stewart, Ph.D., former Amon Carter director and curator
of Western paintings and sculpture. “The body of work on
view in this exhibition represents the most memorable watercolors he created during his lifetime, placing him in the upper
tier of American watercolorists at the turn of the 20th century.”
Until Romance Maker, the watercolors of Charles Russell
(1864–1926), as well as his mastery of the medium, have
never been examined in depth. During his career, he produced approximately eleven hundred finished watercolors—
a number representing fully one-third of his artistic output.
Russell himself thought he was a better watercolorist than oil
painter, and many of his friends and family members agreed
with him.
Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), Wild Man’s Meat, 1899,
Courtesy Sid Richardson Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
By the late 1890s, despite the fact that he lived and worked
in relative isolation in Montana, Russell reached a pinnacle of
achievement in watercolor that few American artists of his
time managed to attain. In Romance Maker, his remarkable accomplishment is recognized and his works are placed for the
first time in the larger context of the watercolor movement in
America from the Civil War to the late 1920s.
Montana Territory, where he initially gained valuable experience as an apprentice hunter and trapper. Within a few years,
he began working as a cowboy on the great open ranges of
the Judith Basin and Milk River country. Whether he was
working the roundups, night-herding horses, or watching his
fellow punchers breaking broncos, he never stopped sketching the scenes he observed in the vast frontier spaces. In 1893,
after 11 years on the range, Russell gave up cow punching to
devote the rest of his life to making art.
“The American watercolor movement—both amateur and
professional—came to full fruition during Russell’s formative
years as an artist during the 1880s and 1890s,” Stewart said.
“The rapid rise of watercolor painting actually made it possible for a young, untutored artist like Russell to find his own
way, even within the context of an isolated frontier society.”
“Initially, Russell had a great concern for historic detail and
collected artifacts to be used in his work,” Stewart said.
“However, as he grew older and his fame increased, his work
began to show more romantic overtones with a heightened
At age 16, Russell set out from his home in St. Louis for
30
The C.M. Russell Museum will offer several public
programs in conjunction with the exhibition.
Romance Maker Seminar
Charles M. Russell: American Master of Watercolor
Saturday, June 16, 2012, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The museum presents a special free lecture by Romance
Maker curator Dr. Rick Stewart, nationally recognized
Russell expert and former Amon Carter director and curator of Western paintings and sculpture. Stewart discusses Russell’s place among the great watercolorists of
his era, such as Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent. He is joined by Jodie Utter, Amon Carter conservator of works on paper, who offers a fascinating talk on
Russell’s inventive watercolor techniques and materials.
After the lecture, Dr. Stewart will sign copies of his new
book Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles M. Russell.
Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), Bronc to Breakfast, 1908
watercolor on paper, Montana Historical Society, Mackay Collection
sense of nostalgia for the frontier he had known as a young man. He
had experienced the West as it had once been, and he lamented its
passing. The wilderness was rapidly shrinking, and animals like the
grizzly bear and mountain sheep were becoming endangered. He
had witnessed the destruction of traditional American Indian life by
the white man, and his own way of life as a cowboy on the open
range had become a thing of the past. Vivid subjects culled from his
own youthful experiences were fused with
the power of his artistic imagination to create unforgettable images of the mythic
American frontier.”
In addition to Russell’s watercolors, the
exhibition includes a special section on the
technical aspects of his work by Amon
Carter paper conservator Jodie Utter. The
artist’s personal studio materials—his
paints, brushes, and his last watercolor
palette—will be displayed and his innovative techniques analyzed for the first time.
A 140-page catalogue written by Stewart
and featuring every painting in the exhibition is available in the C.M. Russell Museum Store.
Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles
M. Russell is organized by the Amon
Carter Museum of American Art. The exhibition and publication are generously supported in Fort Worth by BNSF Railway, the
Sid Richardson Foundation, Mr. and Mrs.
Trevor Rees-Jones, the Erwin E. Smith
Foundation, the Lakeside Foundation, and
the Peters Family Art Foundation. The exhibition is supported in Great Falls by the
C.M. Russell Museum Board of Directors
and friends of the Russell Museum.
31
For more information on events and programs offered
in conjunction with the exhibition, please visit www.cmrussell.org.
The mission of the C.M. Russell Museum is to collect,
preserve, research, interpret, and educate on the art and
life of Charles M. Russell; the art and life of his contemporaries; and the art of preceding and ensuing generations that depicts and focuses on the culture, life, and
country of Russell’s West.
Great Falls
Farmers Market
Celebrates 30 years
Written by Paula Wilmot
Hunger for fresh, locally grown food is what drives the
success of the Great Falls Farmers Market, according to
gardening guru Marcia Bundi.
establishing a convenient
marketplace, Murfield
said.
Bundi and her husband operate Bundi Gardens, a Great
Falls nursery, and they’ve been selling garlic and other
homegrown produce at the market for more than 25 of the
market’s 29 years in business. They’ll be there for this
summer’s 30th anniversary season too.
The market gives Hutterites and other local
growers a place where
customers can come to
them, instead of the
other way around.
“Some people might be after bargains, but I think it’s
the fresh, local food they want most,” she said.
Photos courtesy Farmers Market
And the customers keep coming. Murfield estimates
crowds reach 2,000 on busy Saturdays.
That and the social gathering the weekly summertime
markets offer.
Over the years, the market has grown in size too, currently taking over Whittier Park and other property south
of the Civic Center, including a block of Park Drive and
the city parking lot south of Park Manor (formerly the
Downtowner and the Park Hotel before that).
“It’s the place to be on Saturdays,” said Michael Winters, Great Falls mayor and a former market manager.
Begun 30 years ago with a couple dozen booths, the
market reached a high of 160 vendors last summer, according to Barbara Murfield, chairman of the board of directors.
The 30th anniversary season starts June 2 and runs Saturdays through Sept. 29, 7:45 a.m. - noon. Wednesday
markets run 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. July 11 through Sept. 26.
The project was born during a low period in Great Falls
history, following the closure of Smelter Hill and during
the failed fight to save the Big Stack from demolition.
In addition to fresh garden goods, markets sell a variety
of baked goods and crafts, and concessionaires tempt customers with foods to consume on the spot. Musical entertainment and pony rides add to the festivities.
Before Farmers Market opened, area Hutterite colonies
sold produce, poultry, eggs and baked goods door-todoor. That practice actually started the conversation about
Prizes add to the fun too, according to Murfield. Winners are selected by lot from “market bucks” that vendors
32
give away with purchases and customers
deposit in prize bins.
The grand prize will be
awarded Sept. 15.
he left eight years later.
Farmers markets were growing nationwide by then, he
said. He attributes local growth to increased visibility
through advertising and an emphasis on customer service.
“From the opening bell, we wanted to create a celebratory atmosphere,” Winters said.
“We strive to keep a
good mix of vendors, so
customers aren’t overrun by one category of
wares,” Murfield said.
Naturally, goods are
seasonal, with seed
plants early and huckleberries, cantaloupes and
sweet corn later.
“The 30th anniversary will be celebrated all summer,”
Murfield said, from balloons bearing the number 30 to the
giveaway of 30 prize tote bags on June 9, official “Welcome to the Market Day.” The 30th birthday bash will be
Aug. 11.
Roger Licini has already celebrated 30 years of Farmers
Markets, because he remembers the first markets happening outside the Civic Center before bylaws were written
and a board of directors was established. He was one of
the early organizers who approached city government and
the Downtown Business Council with the idea.
To succeed, Farmers
Market has to stick to
rules. To be a vendor, you have to make it, bake it or grow
it, Bundi said. “We don’t allow resale of factory-made
items. And it’s not a second-hand flea market,” she added.
“At the time, I didn’t think the market would grow this
big and become such a popular social event,” Licini said.
“We just thought it was a good way for people to get produce from the Hutterites,” he explained.
Some produce grown out-of-state is allowed, if it’s
something that doesn’t grow here. If products come from
somewhere else, the origin is supposed to be posted.
“It gets better every year. We have a lot of good managers and people who served on the board to thank for
that,” he added.
Winters’ service as market manager began in 1993. He
remembers having 35 to 40 vendors to start and 110 when
33
Montana Senior Olympic Summer Games
Recognizes Charlotte Sanddal as Athlete of the Year
Written by Suzanne Waring
Photos courtesy Senior
Olympic
She lay next to the road that paralleled
the Helena airport. It was Mother’s Day
2010, and Charlotte Sanddal had decided to
take a bike ride. Along the way, she hit
something and crashed. Unable to get up,
she dragged herself off the highway so a
vehicle wouldn’t hit her, but she needed
help. The road wasn’t well traveled, and she
couldn’t get anyone’s attention as dusk darkened
the ditch where she was lying. After an hour and
half, airport security came along and discovered
her. They took her to the hospital where she
learned that she had a cracked hip. She went into
surgery the next morning to have it pinned.
this year’s Montana Senior
Olympic Summer Games, to
be held in Great Falls on
June 7 - 9. The following
thirteen different sports are
open for entry: archery, basketball,
bowling, cycling, field and track,
golf, horseshoes, race walking,
racquetball, road race, swimming, tennis, and table tennis
with several events within
each sport for a total of approximately 700 events.
There’s no residency requirement. All ability levels
are welcome to compete for
gold, silver, and bronze
medals in age groups of five-year increments,
starting at age 50.
This year the 5 kilometer race will kick off
the games Thursday evening, June 7, starting
near the Civic Center at 6 p.m. and will take
place around the Alive@5 event to be held in
Whittier Park from 5 – 9 p.m. Last year, participants found this event to be a great way to
rekindle friendships
During the summer, Sanddal didn’t swim,
which is her athletic event, but she did go kayaking. By August, she realized something was wrong
with the hip and had to return to surgery to have a
pin replaced. In September she went to Boulder
Hot Springs and discovered that she could swim
again. By October she was competing at the
Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George,
Utah, and she has been swimming or cross training almost every day since.
This is a qualifying year, so in most sports,
the top four finishers in each age group qualify
for Nationals, as well as those who meet the
Minimum Performance Standards (in applicable sports). The National Senior Olympic
Games will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, July
21-August 5, 2013. For further details on qualifying for the National Senior Games, visit the
website at www.nsga.com.
Sanddal has participated in the World Masters
Games for a number of years. She first participated
in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2005, which led to a surprising event. Early in 2007, she received a call
from the Montana Environment Information Center (MEIC) in Helena, saying there was a message
for her. It turned out that three women who were
in Sanddal’s age group wanted to participate in
the 200 Medley Relay swimming event at the
World Masters Games in Sidney, Australia, in 2009,
and they needed someone who could do the 50
meter butterfly. She replied that she would most
certainly join them.
Lacey Gallagher, who is one of this year’s organizers, said, “I volunteered to be a table tennis commissioner last year. I met the eight men
and two women who were the competitors.
There was so much camaraderie among the
group. They helped me with my responsibilities, and they worked it out so that they could
play a doubles competition.”
“I have never figured out how they found my name connected with MEIC except that I have, on occasion, been a contributor to the organization, and my name must be on the
organization’s web page,” Sanddal said.
“Right away I noticed that all seemed young
for their ages, and they definitely played to
win. Each person had tricks for scoring; however, they had so much fun while they were doing it,” Gallagher said. “A man from Helena invites his friend to come
from Illinois to join him every year in the table tennis competition. They are both in their 80’s.”
Having competed in Sidney, Australia, in both individual
swimming events and the medley relay, Sanddal is now planning to participate in the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy,
next year when she is 91 years of age.
During the banquet at the Holiday Inn on Friday night, June
8, Sanddal will receive the Montana Senior Athlete of the Year
award honoring her as a person who continues to exercise and
compete despite physical issues.
Sanddal is one of over 200 athletes who will participate at
In addition to Great Falls’ central location in the state, the
34
Montana Senior Olympic Summer Games - June 7-9 in Great Falls
Those aged 50 and older can compete. There’s no residency requirement.
Registration: Early registration should include $10 plus any applicable event and facility fees and has a deadline of May 21. Late
registration of $20 will be accepted until May 25.
Registration Packets can be picked up at the Great Falls Park and
Recreation Center, 1700 River Drive North; Community Recreation
Center, 801 Second Avenue North; or can be printed at
http://www.montanaseniorolympics.org/summer.html.
Questions can be directed to the Park and Recreation Office, 406771-1265 or Kay Newman at 406-586-5543 or kayjn@imt.net.
ease of getting around town, Rivers Edge Trail, Eagle Falls
Golf Course, the track at Memorial Stadium, the pool at Great
Falls High School, CMR Tennis Courts, the horseshoe court in
Elks Riverside Park, and the support of the Park and Recreation Department make Great Falls the perfect community for
the Montana Senior Olympic Summer Games.
Sponsors for the games are Platinum sponsor: Benefis
Health System and Gold sponsor: Max Media of Montana.
Additional sponsors are Kalispell Regional Medical Center,
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Montana, Missouri River Care and
Rehab, New West Health Services, Big Sky
Wind Drinkers of Bozeman, and First Interstate Bank. In-kind sponsors are Great Falls
School District; Great Falls Park and Recreation Department; North Central Montana
RSVP; Wendt, Inc; Peak Health and Wellness; Insty-Prints of Bozeman; Holiday Inn;
Tom Hayes; and Bozeman Senior Center.
Race Walk Clinic
A clinic will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at Memorial
Stadium on Fourth Avenue South and 19th Street, under the direction of Ken Chomo and Denny Huffard for those who would like to
learn techniques necessary to compete successfully in race walking. There is no charge. Race walk competitions, including those
for novices, will be held following the clinic.
35
steamboat
Mountain
Written by Adam Jordan
Photo by Adam Jordan
Two miles down the main forest service trail I stop at a caron
marking the route up the mountain. The sun is beginning to
warm me up so I remove a layer before I start the ascent. From
this point I look north and see a three hundred foot cliff beckoning me its direction. Past experience tells me it is this rock
face that I want to head toward. Once while climbing this
mountain I made the mistake of getting to close to the cliff
band and ended up spending extra time and energy skirting its
base scrambling over Volkswagen size boulders. Determined
not to make the same mistake I take a bearing and began my
ascent.
It doesn’t take long to gain elevation and a great view to the
east. Once close to my cliff landmark I turn to the east and head
up a steep but rewarding slope. It’s at the top of this section that I
run into what snow is remaining from the long winter. The
snow is in the form of hard pack drifts, lined up behind what
few trees are at this elevation. In the winter months the winds
never cease to blow up here and the trees bare the scars from
many years stunted growth. The drifts grow in size and I soon
find myself climbing up and over six foot heaps. I make my
way to the edge of the mountain overlooking the plains and
from there I can see the summit. At this point the drifts reach
over the side of the mountain and form massive cornices resembling breaking waves off the shore of Hawaii. Careful not
to get to close and fracture one off I make my way to the summit. Kooter reaches the pile of rocks marking the top before I
do and looks on as I make the remaining slog.
a
As the sun began to rise and pour its warmth on the
Dearborn canyon, the landscape came to life.
Towering cliffs that had lay in the cold of the early
spring night were now brilliant in color as they
mirrored the suns golden rays. American Dippers were already
at work on the riverfront searching for food and performing
their candid bobbing dance while they bounced from rock to
rock in the shallow water. With a bluebird sky overhead and a
gentle breeze on my face I welcome the anticipation of a wonderful day outside.
My goal is to summit Steamboat Mountain. From just north
of Great Falls on I-15 you can see this mountain emerging out
of it’s surroundings like a tugboat blasting through an oncoming wave. At 8,200 feet this giant chunk of limestone may not
be the tallest mountain around but it boast a length of nearly
six miles from peak to peak, spanning its reach from the Dearborn canyon to Elk creek. The east face of the mountain is layered with cliff bands that stack on top of one another like an
IHOP breakfast, deterring the average hiker from this approach. The west side of the mountain is altogether different.
Not different because it is easy, just different. From the Dearborn river, at the base of the “boat”, you can start your climb
up what would appear to be the upward sloping deck of the
massive stone ship. The moment you leave the main Forest
Service trail #206 you better have your boots on tight. The trail
isn’t long, only 3 ½ miles, but it gains 3,000 feet in elevation, a
thigh burner for even those who are in the best of shape.
As I reach the peak I’m greeted by my energized buddy and
a spectacular view. To the north I can see the mountains that
form Glacier Park, to the west the 1.5 million acres that make
up the Bob Marshall wilderness, to the east the vast plains of
farm and ranch land, and to the south the way in which I came.
As I take all this in, my mind is flooded with thoughts. I’m reminded of why I enjoy the climb almost as much as the goal
and in my contemplation, I realize that there is something for
me to learn. I think that often times in life, I look for the paths
that lead me along gentle slopes, with as few unknowns and
hardships as possible. In times like this, however, I realize that
the gift of this experience is only possible, because of what it
took to get there, for without the struggle and difficulty of the
climb, the reward would be nothing of what it could be.
At the trailhead with my faithful companion Kooter looking
on, I throw on my pack loaded with water, a few bars, and a
camera, an essential peace of gear for such a beautiful place as
this. Kooter is a black lab Chesapeake cross and a veteran in
the mountains. Noticing my pack on my back and hiking poles
in hand, Kooter races down the trail ahead of me and we are
off.
After an hour on the top and some photos for the files I decide to head back down the mountain. Once again Kooter notices my pack sliding over my shoulders and leaps up from his
perch on the rocky edge, ready for our decent. I’m sure this
won’t be the last time I make this trek. The views are to rewarding and the clarity of thought to great not to make this
journey again.
36
The Japanese Woodblock Print:
An Extension of the Impermanent
Written by Laura Cotton, Curator of Art, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
immigrant Paul Jacoulet as well as Hiroyuki Tajima. In most
cases, multiple examples of each artist’s work are present.
The work in this exhibition, curated by Nathan Barnes of
the Idaho Falls Arts Council, has been chosen from among
the many fantastic cultural products found in the George
and Claire Louden Collection. It showcases pieces by some
of Japan’s most important and influential print artists, including Kuniyoshi,
Hiroshige, Kunisada and Hiroshi
Yoshida.
The history of the Japanese woodblock is overflowing with
details of human interest and intrigue. Until the mid to late
20th century the production of a single
print involved a collaboration of a
number of parties. Artist, carver,
printer and publisher didn’t always see
eye to eye. Artists and their subject
matter, especially actors, were sometimes at odds with the end product of a
work. Add to this mix a number of natural and man-made disasters along
with a world war, and the incredible
turmoil of Japan’s history as it moves
away from an isolationist nation towards a more international future, and
the historical cross-section of prints in
this exhibition become real artifacts of
an incredible past.
Japanese woodblock prints are products of incredible skill and items of
amazing beauty. But they are also notably delicate. In form, the tradition’s
closest western analog may be etching,
while in content there is some overlap
with the genre of vanitas still-life painting and 19th century romanticism. But in
the Japanese tradition of woodblock
printing, form and content seem perfectly allied in their concern for the fleeting. The subject matter of Ukiyo-e, or
floating world prints from the Edo and
The Japanese Woodblock Print: An ExtenMeiji periods, consists of Noh and
sion of the Impermanent will be open for
Kabuki scenes and actors, warriors,
viewing from May 31 – June 30, 2012.
courtesans, sublime landscapes and
An exhibition catalogue will be availwildlife. The hand-made mulberry paable for purchase at The Square.
pers used in the printing process possess
Painterly: Paintings from the Permaonly slightly greater longevity than the
Elephant, Hiroshi Yoshida, woodblock print, 1931
nent
Collection
momentary experience of a night at the
theater or the sensory pursuits with which the prints often
Opening reception in conjunction with The Japanese Woodblock
concern themselves. Tissue thin and often of noticeable anPrint: An Extension of the Impermanent to be held Thursday
tiquity, the work in this exhibition speaks powerfully of the
May 31, 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Wine and hors d’oeuvres to be
Japanese experience and the cultural phenomena of its time.
served.
The exhibit is comprised of original and genuine woodblock prints from the Louden Collection created as early as
the late 18th century and as recently as the early second half
of the 20th century. George and Claire Louden, both artists in
their own rights, were employed by National Geographic
and the United States Foreign Services. They traveled the
world studying and photographing foreign lands and cultures, as well as curating exhibitions for United States Embassies abroad. As evidenced by their collection, they had a
particular appreciation for Japanese items of art and antiquity and accumulated over 100 individual items between
1950 and 1970. Within the collection and included in this exhibition are works by Japanese masters such as Toyokuni,
Hiroshige, Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, Koson Ohara and Hiroshi
Yoshida. The exhibit is populated with a number of colorful
triptychs, single prints, epic scenes comprised of as many as
seven individual prints, and the oversized works of French
For more information please contact Laura Cotton, Curator
of Art at 727-8255 X311 or laurac@the-square.org
37
The Last Salute
Written by Dwayne Nelson
flag and removed from the battlefield on horse drawn
caissons after which three shots were fired signaling
that the fighting could resume. This eventually became
the basis for the flag draped coffin and the firing of the
three volley salute, not to be confused with a gun salute,
or as we often hear, a 21-gun salute. Gun salutes are
fired with cannons. A 21-gun salute is for the President
and former Presidents, a 19-gun salute is for the vicePresident and other heads of state and cabinet members
and military of five star general rank, a 17-gun salute for
a four star rank, and so on, in decreasing increments of
two but always an odd number, until a one star general
rank receives an 11-gun salute. Gun salutes are not fired
simultaneously but in sequence. Other than these rare
situations, what you see at military honors are rifle volleys where all rifles fire simultaneously three separate
times. Taps, as we know it, originated from a Civil War
bugle call to signal light-out.
Any deceased veteran from any
branch of the military that served
during any era, including war or
peacetime, that served honorably,
by law is entitled to receive military
honors, including a folded flag at no
cost to the family.
Currently, there are about 22 million veterans alive in
the US. Of those, about 1.7 million are under 35 years old
and between 9 and 10 million are over 65. Of the roughly
2 million WWII veterans still alive, about 1100 are beckoned to their final duty station every day.
According to the Montana Veteran’s Affairs Office,
percentage-wise, Montana ranks second among the
states for having the most veterans. The population of
Great Falls and the surrounding area is rich with those
that have served and their families. Locally, both Mount
Olivet and Highland Cemeteries have special veteran’s
areas set aside where those who honorably served in
peacetime and those that served in war time can rest
side by side as comrades. So, remember, no matter when
or where your loved ones served, they are not only entitled to, but deserving of, the last salute as provided by a
military Honor Guard.
In the Great Falls and the surrounding area these
honor ceremonies are usually performed by the VFW,
some element of the Army Reserve or the Marine Corps
League. Each Honor Guard performs honors for all
branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast
Guard and Marines). Many services in the Great Falls
area are performed by the Marine Corps League Honor
Guard and most of their services are for Army and Navy
veterans simply because there are more Army
and Navy veterans than any other branch.
Public Law 106-65 enacted in 2000 requires
that, when requested, every veteran that served
honorably shall receive dignified final honors
consisting of a military funeral protocol to recognize their service to our Nation. These final honors to comrades are steeped in tradition that
started during the Napoleonic Wars when fighting ceased while the dead were covered with a
38
While occasionally Military Honors are performed at a church
or funeral home, most often Honors are performed as the final
act at a cemetery.
As the flag is held shoulder high over the casket or urn, by
commands, the firing detail fires three rifle volleys, after which
taps is played as the last salute is rendered.
Photos by
Dwayne Nelson
freedom they enjoy is not free.
Request military honors through your funeral director
who will make all the arrangements.
Dwayne Nelson is a Marine Corps veteran
and a member of the Marine Corps
League Honor Guard. As a free-lance
writer and photographer some of his interests are military and veteran’s affairs.
He lives in Augusta with his wife Diane.
At the conclusion of taps the flag is ceremoniously folded to a
strict procedure resulting in the tri cornered flag that is presented
to the next of kin or other person designated by the family.
The folded flag is presented as an expression of thanks from a
grateful Nation for the service of their loved one.
In addition to honoring your veteran, military honors
also is an opportunity for our younger generations to see
that military service is respected and to understand that the
39
Good Cause
For summer Grilling
Written by Rhonda Adkins
through without being burnt, otherwise leave the
cover off.
• Direct or indirect heat? If your food needs to cook
long and slow use the indirect method and use a
drip pan if you are using a charcoal grill (prevents
flare ups).
• What do I do if some of my food is finished be
fore the rest? If some food is finished before the
others, you can put it on the top rack of the gas
grill or move it to an area where there is little or
no heat, it’ll keep warm. Alternatively you can
place it on a platter and cover it with foil.
• How do I know what heat I should be using? I
basically only use two heat levels, hot and medium
low. I use a hot heat for foods that I want to cook
quickly and get a nice crust on, such as steaks and
burgers. I use medium low for just about everything
else, indirect cooking, smoking, hot dogs, corn, etc.
Sometimes I’ll use a combination, such as starting
on a high heat to sear my brisket and then moving it
to indirect heat for the long slow cook.
What if you thought you could help save the rainforest and
endangered animals by pleasing the palates of Montanans? For
years people have known the way to someone’s heart is
through their stomachs; local resident Marty Bannon is banking on that.
Marty has started a small business in Great Falls... his product? The most delectable Spicy Black Pepper sauce from Borneo. Borneo is the third largest
island and home to the oldest
rainforest in the world. Spicy
Black Pepper sauce is the premier condiment in Borneo, it’s
used like our ketchup, and you’ll
find it on every café table.
Marty liked it so much that
after retiring from the USAF, he
decided that he wanted to share
this sauce with Montanans. But
more than just bring a new product to our tables, he’s taken great
care to make sure that the ingredients are all natural and that 5%
of profits go towards saving the
Herman Yap,
rainforest and animals on the enphoto by Ms Yuhui Tay
dangered species list, like the
Sumatran Rhino pictured on their label.
The Genuine Borneo Spicy Black Pepper Sauce is also the
perfect grilling sauce and summer time is the perfect time to
grill! The sauce has citrus undertones and then finishes off
with a slightly sweet and peppery taste which makes it a perfect complement to beef, seafood, chicken and pork. To get
your grilling off to the right start here are few tips:
• Make sure your grill is hot before you begin
grilling, for a charcoal grill that means waiting
until the briquettes are ashen colored and for the
gas grill, that’s turning all the burners on high and
merely waiting a few minutes till it gets warm.
• Let your meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, game
meat…not seafood) sit out at room temperature
up to 2 hours prior to grilling, this will ensure that
it’s cooked evenly and more quickly. Don’t worry
the food police won’t come and get you.
• Have everything you need ready to go, tongs,
meat, sauce, platter, etc. You don’t have to be
gone long for your whole dinner to catch on fire.
• Lid off or on? Only use your grill cover or lid when
you are cooking something that you would cook in
the oven such as a brisket or pork shoulder or if you
prefer your steaks or hamburgers well done.
Covering them will ensure they get cooked
Chili Lime Grilled Shrimp - Photo by Rhonda Adkins
40
Cowboy Steaks
2 large T-bone steaks
1 ounce espresso salt
Spicy black pepper sauce
At least 30 minutes before time to grill coat the steaks with the
espresso salt, gently pressing it into the steaks. Grill the steaks
over high heat, brush with the Spicy Black Pepper sauce the
last 5 minutes of grilling. Serve with sautéed mushrooms if desired.
Note: If you are interested in trying some Genuine Borneo Spicy
Black Pepper Sauce you can purchase it at Wines by Wednesday,
the espresso salt was also purchased at Wines by Wednesday
and the steaks are from 2J’s Market.
Rhonda Adkins is a food blogger and amateur
photographer. She began her website The
Kitchen Witch, after retiring from a 22 year
dental career in the Air Force. Her love of
food started from her mother, who enjoyed
experimenting in the kitchen. Even at a young
age she showed her creativity in the kitchen.
When Rhonda was 9 years old she cooked
her first meal on her own.
Cowboy Steaks - Photo by Rhonda Adkins
Spicy Black Pepper and Chili Lime Grilled Shrimp
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon mild chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
Zest of ½ lime
Spicy black pepper sauce for basting
Lime wedges
Wooden skewers
Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes. In a small bowl mix
the salt, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and zest of
lime. Generously coat the shrimp in the spice mix and
skewer them. Grill the shrimp over high heat basting frequently with the Spicy Black Pepper Sauce, until the shrimp
is cooked (turns pink).
41
WINe
European Whites
Written by Heather Palermo
blancs from South Africa or the United States but still maintain some of the fruity notes, such as orange or apple, common among Sauvignon blancs. Overall, Sancerre has a very
clean finish. There can be a bit of acidity to the wine. It is
usually a pale, straw colored wine. The aromas are fresh
and fruity. It is a very refreshing wine and pairs nicely with
chicken, fish, or a huge fresh salad.
Woo hoo! Summer is here. This is my favorite season of
the year. I love summer in Montana. There is so much to do
and the days are long. A glass of wine is the perfect way to
cap off the fun events of the day such as hiking, camping,
floating, boating, gardening, fishing, or whatever else you
like to do. Normally I am a red wine drinker, but during the
summer nothing beats a nice, chilled white wine. It can be
so refreshing. In honor of the warm weather, I am going to
focus on two European whites (while you drink them you
can dream you are visiting foreign locales) you probably
haven’t tried.
While I was in Paris last year, I found Sancerre on the
menus everywhere. My favorite pairing happened in a
creperie (a restaurant specializing in crepes) in the Latin
Quarter of Paris. I had ordered a ham and cheese savory
crepe, while my husband got a lemon curd crepe. Of
course, I saw Sancerre on the wine list and ordered a glass.
We had been walking all day and I needed a pick me up!
While my crepe was good, my husband’s was better, so we
switched. I took a bite of the lemon crepe and a sip of
Sancerre and I couldn’t believe how well the tangy lemon
paired with the acidic, mineral taste of the wine.
Sancerre – have you heard of it? I hadn’t until a couple of
years ago, when a good friend told me about it; she kept
telling me I had to try this French wine. I was hesitant, since
I knew nothing about it and it was white. But then, we were
in Vegas at the Eiffel Tower restaurant at the Paris casino.
There on the wine list was a Sancerre wine (there is also a
red Sancerre but that is very rare to find). Of course, we ordered the wine, since by this point I was really curious. Oh
my goodness, I loved it. It was fantastic. It has become a
wine I look for on menus. Normally, I have a specific brand
to tell you about, but for this type, I haven’t found a
Sancerre wine I haven’t liked. Sancerre is a not a specific
grape but an area in France. Wines in France are named for
the area or appellation where the grape is grown. The
Sancerre area is in the eastern part of the Loire Valley.
Now, Sancerre wines are in my top five favorite wines,
and I look for it everywhere I go. I am happy to say you can
find it at Vintage Sellers and Corkmaster. While, I haven’t
seen it on wine lists at restaurants in town, it can be found
throughout the state – like Walker’s in Billings. A bottle
costs a little over $20 at the store, but much more at restaurants, of course. I highly recommend trying a bottle this
summer.
Ok, enough about the background of Sancerre; I am sure
you are wondering what it tastes like. Let me tell you – it is
made from Sauvignon blanc grapes, so it tastes like Sauvignon blanc but different. How can that be, you ask. The soil
in which the grape is grown creates the taste. The Sancerre
wines have more of a mineral taste than, say, Sauvignon
Next, let your palate travel west from France to Greece.
Greek white wines will have you thinking of ancient times,
sunny days, and white washed buildings. My first exposure
to Greek whites was in Greece when I was not yet a wine
connoisseur. At the time, all I knew was I was drinking a
white wine that tasted good, especially sitting at a café
overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Since that time, I have
slowly discovered Greek whites are not your typical white
wines. Greeks have been in the wine making business for
thousands of years, so they know what they are doing.
There are several types of Greek grapes you may have
never heard of such as assyrtiko, athiri, robola, and many
more. However, the one you can get locally and is very enjoyable is moschofilero. Moschofilero grapes are grown all
over Greece, but mostly in the Peloponnese area.
While the moschofilero grapes are a darker color (red to
gray), they produce a crisp, white wine. While I was reading up on this type of white wine, many articles said the
wine is similar to muscats, which is more of a sweet dessert
wine. I have to disagree with this comparison. The nose of
42
the wine is very floral—roselike—, and is light yellow in color. To my taste buds,
moschofilero wines are very flavorful and have hints of orange and grapefruit
along with spiciness to it. While a moschofilero wine could be paired with a
dessert, it works wonderfully with Mediterranean fare (like excellent Greek
food) – chicken, fish, and vegetables like asparagus.
To have this wine with the food it pairs the best with, you can find it at Dimitris restaurant. I have had it with the Greek pork chops, lemon chicken, salmon,
and chicken gyros. It isn’t very expensive by the glass or the bottle at Dimitris.
Vintage Sellers also sells a moschofilero wine for about $10 a bottle. Both of
these places carry Boutari Moschofilero, which is one of the most common
brands here in the states. It often receives a high rating (above 90 points) by wine
reviewers.
Finally, the last type of wine I want to talk about is not a particular grape or
brand, but something fun you can do with white wine in the summer – make
Sangria. Normally, Sangria is made with red wine, but white wine works just as
well, especially in the summer. Sangria is type of wine punch from Spain and
Portugal, but many other countries have their own versions. Sangria is made
with any white wine, a sweetener, something fizzy, and a whole bunch of fruit
such as strawberries, oranges, peaches, green apples, kiwi, etc. Sangria can be
made in large batches and served at almost any type of event. I have found that
people who are not normally wine drinkers will enjoy a glass or two. It is so
yummy. Below is a recipe for white wine sangria (or if you want the original version, use red wine). The recipe can be altered in many ways to fit your taste. I
have included some ideas in parentheses, but the best way to figure out your favorite is by experimenting and taste testing.
• One bottle of white wine (can be any type you prefer – use a sweeter
wine if you want a sweeter Sangria)
• One cup of orange juice (or other fruit juices, such as peach or
lemonade)
• 12 oz (one can) of 7-up (club soda, ginger ale, or Sprite can be used)
• Several types of fruit cut up (oranges, peaches, lemons, grapes,
strawberries, grapes, apples, kiwi, star fruit – the list is endless)
• 1 shot of Grand Marnier (this can be left out)
• 2 Tbsp (this does not have to be added)
• Dash of nutmeg (cinnamon can be used and this is optional)
Mix all the ingredients together in a large pitcher and let sit in the refrigerator
for awhile. This will help all of the flavors to blend. Serve over ice and put a dash
of nutmeg on the top.
Have a fun and safe summer and don’t forget to try some of the different
wines suggested. Enjoy the long days and all Montana has to offer in during the
best time of the year (at least in my opinion). Before we all know it, the leaves
will be changing and the fall crispness will be in the air. Until then, Cheers!
Heather Palermo is an amateur wine connoisseur and loves any
opportunity to share her worship of wine with family and friends.
When not working at Benefis Health System as a communication
specialist, Heather enjoys traveling the world to seek out new wine
stories. She has lived in Great Falls for six years and is still trying to
adjust to the winters, since moving here from San Diego. Heather
enjoys spending time with her husband and friends over amazing
food and excellent wine. She lives downtown with her husband,
Cory Crawford, and their dog, Maisy.
43
Directory To Advertisers
ART GALLERIES
GOLF & WATER PARK
Gallery 16 – 600 Central Avenue Plaza
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-6103
Gallery Sixteen, now in its 42 year, carries paintings, pottery, clothing, hats, jewelry, sculpture, fibers and wood art. The gallery and
gift shop is operated by 14 women who display their own work
and that of other Montana artists. Located in the 600 Central Plaza
complex, it can be entered by its own door on Central Avenue or
from the Plaza foyer. For over four decades, Gallery Sixteen has
been a trusted place to find large paintings and sculpture for offices
and homes as well as just the right gift for any occasion. You can expect personal attention and complimentary gift wrapping. Hours
are 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday with special
evening hours during the First Friday Art Walk. Contact 453-6103
for more information or go to gallery16greatfalls.com.
Park & Recreation – 1700 River Drive North
Great Falls, Montana • 406-771-7265
Electric City Water Park, Eagle Falls Golf Club & Anaconda Hills
Golf Club – See page 7.
HEALTH
Benefis Walk-In Care – 1401 25th Street South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-731-8888 - See page 2.
Gold’s Gym – 715 13th Avenue South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-727-8888
www.goldsgym.com/greatfalls
Fitness is Fun, Friendly and Affordable! – See page 32.
AUTOMOBILE
Park Place Health Care Center – 1500 32nd Street South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-4300
A Kindred Community. – See page 33.
Bennett Motors Subaru – 26 9th Street South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-727-2100
www.bennettsubaru.com - See back page.
Peak Health and Wellness Center – 1800 Benefis Court
Great Falls, Montana • 406-727-7325 • www.peakclub.com
Peak Day Spa– See page 9.
CHAMBER of COMMERCE
The Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce – 100 1st Avenue
North, Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-4434
www.greatfallschamber.org – See page 4.
COFFEE SHOP
Morning Light Coffee Roasters - 119 9th Street North
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-8443 or 1-800-290-8443
Coffee roasted fresh daily, Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.,
Saturday 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Wholesale roasters of speciality coffees with 60 varietals and organic
coffees, with over 20 years experience in purchasing of green
coffee beans. We sell green coffee beans to home roasters.
INTERPRETIVE CENTER
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center –
4201 Giant Springs Road • Great Falls, Montana
406-727-8733 • www.fs.usda.gov/main/lcnf/learning
Lewis & Clark history, family fun & much more. – See page 33.
Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center
701 7th Street • Fort Benton, Montana • 406-622-4000
www.blm.gov/mt – See page 29.
FINANCE
LODGING/RESORTS
Mountain West Bank – www.mtnwestbank.com
Home Loans Made Easy. – See page 13.
Best Western Heritage Inn – 1700 Fox Fram Drive
Great Falls, Montana • 1-800-548-8256
Largest and Finest Resort, Convention Center & Casino – See
page 47.
RBC Wealth Management - Milwaukee Station
101 River Drive North, Suite 101 • 406-761-3111
There’s Wealth in our Approach. – See page 13.
State Farm Insurance and Financial Services
725 1st Avenue North, Great Falls MT • 406-770-3040
Contact Greg Franczyk – See page 23.
MUSEUM
C.M. Russell Museum – 400 13th Street North
Great Falls, Montana • 1-727-8787 • www.cmrussell.org
What will inspire you? – See page 31.
FUNERAL HOME
Croxford Funeral Hone and Crematory- 1307 Central Avenue
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-0315
www.croxfordfuneralhome.com
Where Friendship Dwells & Proves Itself – See page 47.
PET RESORT
Weona Pet Resort – 6125 2nd Avenue North
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-2000
The only indoor-outdoor heated kennel in Great Falls. Your dog
doesn’t have to wait to go outside. We provide doggie day care,
grooming, boarding and a great resort for your pets. Military
discounts available. Visit: www.weonapetresort.com.
GENERATING POWER
PPL Montana – pplmontana.com
...energizing Montana communities. – See page 3.
44
SHOPPING
REAL ESTATE
Great Falls Realty – 305 3rd Street NW • Great Falls, Montana
www.greatfallsrealty.com
Great Falls Realty since 1958 specializing in Farm, Ranch,
Commercial & Residential. • info@greatfallsrealty.com
Kelly Parks Broker/Owner cell: 406-788-6826
Russ Eustance Realtor cell: 406-788-3363
Larry Hannah Realtor cell: 406-788-1250
RESTAURANTS
3D International Restaurant & Lounge
1825 Smelter Avenue NE, Black Eagle, Montana – 406-453-6561
The 3D International Supper Club first opened in July 1946. In
1996, the 3D Club introduced the Mongolian grill (the first in
Montana). The Mongolian Grill, with lunch menu is open Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Open for Dinner 5 p.m. to closing
every day, offering Casual Dining at its best, excellent appetizers,
signature beef dinners, fresh seafood selections, and home made
Italian dishes. Prime Rib every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, children’s menu, and full service bar. Serving Black Eagle and Great
Falls for more than sixty five years. The Grasseschi family welcomes you to a classic Italian/American experience.
Borrie’s – 1800 Smelter Avenue NE
Black Eagle, Montana • 406-761-0300
Serving Steaks, Chicken, Seafood, and Homemade Spaghetti
Sauce & Ravioli. Open 5 p.m. to closing Tuesday-Friday, Saturday
& Sunday, open 4 p.m. See page 43.
City Bar & Casino – 709 Central Avenue
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-9432
Serving Lunch Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m - 3 p.m. On the menu
Homemade Soups, Hefty Meat Sandwiches, Salads, & Daily Specials. They also, have the widest variety of machines in town.
Your favorite beer or cocktail is also available from the bar, open
daily at 9 a.m. – See page 8.
Daily Grind Coffee House, Deli & Bakery
320 1st Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana • 406-452-4529
Serving Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wireless internet access, daily lunch special, all you can eat
soup & salad bar and delivery available. In the bakery, fresh
baked bread, whole pies and cakes. We do custom catering and
holiday events.
2J’s Fresh Market –105 Smelter Avenue NE
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-0134
www.2jsfreshmarket.com
Your Store for Organic & Fresh produce! – See page 41.
Amazing Toys – 515 Central Avenue
Great Falls, MT • 406-727-5557 • davec@amazingtoys.net
For a neat shopping experience, be sure to visit Amazing Toys in
Downtown Great Falls. They offer a large selection of toys, games,
puzzles, and collectibles for funsters of any age. Amazing Toys has
the classic toys that every child needs as well as some of the newest.
Bighorn Outdoor Specialists – 206 5th Street South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-2841
For over 30 years, Bighorn Outdoor Specialists has combined
award winning products with local knowledge and service to become the hub of Central Montana’s outdoor community. Stop in
to learn about a great hike, bike, paddle or climb—and check out
the award winning gear, clothing and footwear. – See page 11.
Blue Ribbon of Montana – 3400 10th Avenue South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-1233 • www.blueribbonmt.com
Your Made in Montana Headquarters! – See page 37.
Canyon Mountain Outfitters – 133 Main Street
Augusta, Montana • 406-562-3550
Sporting Goods Store – See page 39.
Dragonfly Dry Goods – 504 Central Avenue
Great Falls, Montana • 406-454-2263
www.buydragonfly.com – See page 35.
Eagle Beverage - 1011 Broadwater
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-5457
Latah Creek – See page 42.
Great Falls’ Original Farmers Market – Civic Center Park
Downtown Great Falls, Montana
Always Fresh . . . Always Fun! – See page 8.
Frontier Inn & Diamond City Casino - 3317 Vaughn Road
Great Falls, Montana • 406-727-4439
Join the Players Club – See page 23.
Innovative Postal Services – 920 2nd Street South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-8965 • 800-362-8845
One stop for all your mailing needs. – See page 39.
Denny’s – 3715 31st Street SW
Great Falls, Montana • 406-727-1558
Always Open 24 Hours-A-Day. – See page 15.
Noble’s Westside Liquor – 623 First Avenue NW
Great Falls, Montana • 406-454-3612 – See page 43.
Howard’s Pizza – 713 1st Avenue North
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-1212
Dine In - Take Out - Delivery, open 4 p.m. Daily – See page 15.
Portage Cache Store – 4201 Giant Springs Road
Great Falls, Montana • 406-453-6248
www.lewisandclarkfoundation.org – See page 33.
Pizza Baron – 203 2nd Avenue North,
Great Falls, Montana • 406-761-6666
An Italian eatery with Western flair. – See page 15.
Sun Cleaners – 113 9th Street South
Great Falls, Montana • 406-452-4235
The best value for your drycleaning dollar. – See page 35.
45
2012
fairs, festivals and events
Visions of Lewis and Clark
The Interpretive Center and the Great
Falls International Airport will play
host to a special exhibit, Visions of
Lewis and Clark, from Memorial Day
weekend through the end of September. The exhibit consists of 27 kites in
all shapes and sizes, each one detailing
some aspect of the Lewis and Clark expedition and a phrase from the Expedition journals. The Interpretive
Center will include six kites, with the
balance on display at the airport. Special events involving kites and the
wind will take place over the summer,
and there will be a special kite-flying
event at the end of the exhibit.
Saturdays, June 2, start of the Farmers
Market, 7:45 a.m. - Noon. Celebrating
their 30th year. Check out page 32.
Thursdays, June 7 - August 30. Alive
@ 5 June 7 - Whittier Park, featuring
the 49th Street Blues Project. For updates on other bands and locations go
to www.downtowngreatfalls.com/events
Friday, June 8, First Friday Art Walk.
A self-guided tour of galleries in Great
Falls and downtown the first Friday of
each month. Some restaurants and business are open, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
June 18, 5 - 7 p.m. reception for the
Urban Art Project show at the UAP
and across the street at Bert & Ernie's.
The Summer 2012 UAP Exhibit will
run from June 5 - September 5, and
will feature the art of a combination of
new and returning artists. You will remember seeing installations by retired
art teachers Terry Thall, Kate Morris,
and Lorinda Bollwitt in the past, and
some of the younger artists who may
have been their students in the past,
Halley Gallagher, Diane Rae, Rachel
Kaiser with her daughter Zoe, and
Corene McCrea. Joining them will be
current art teacher Andrew Nagengast; the director of the Emerson Art
Gallery in Bozeman, Ellen Ornitz; an
adjunct instructor form MUS-GF-COT,
Renata Birkenbuel; and a collaborative
piece by the Great Falls Arts Association. Contact information: Jean L.
Price, 406-452-9315, jl_price@breanan.net
Tuesday, June 19, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Tell
It Like It Is: Stories in American Folk Art
will be presented at the Paris Gibson
Square Museum of Art. Art Share Presentation by Willem Volkersz begins at
6 p.m. Wine and hors d'oeuvres to be
served. Free!
Friday nights, June 22 - August 31,
Riverside Voices. Come and see presentations by members of the Interpretive Center staff and different guest
presenters on aspects of the Lewis and
Clark story, Native American culture
and Montana history. Presentations
start at 7 p.m., and normally last about
one hour. Bring your own lawn chair
or blanket and have a seat in our outdoor amphitheater on the bluffs above
the Missouri. We will move indoors if
the weather turns inclement or the
presentation requires audiovisual support. Contact the Interpretive Center at
(406) 727-8733 for additional information on any of our summer events.
Thursday, June 28, Alive @ 5, Gibson
Park, Voodoo Cadillac will be the
band. The announcement will be made
of the winner of the Paris Gibson
Award. The Essay Contest winner will
read his/her essay. The Mayor will do
a Proclamation of Paris Gibson Month.
June 29 - July 1, the annual Lewis and
Clark Festival. Come out to the Interpretive Center for concerts, special
presenters, a living history encampment, float trips and other special
events. The Festival is held in cooperation with the Lewis and Clark Foundation, the Portage Route Chapter and the
Lewis and Clark Honor Guard. Check
out page 19.
Saturday - Sunday, June 30 - July 1, in
Elks Riverside Park. People’s Park and
Recreation Foundation will be presenting the 1st Annual MusicFest on the
River. The headliners for the festival
are Jeni Fleming, The Dave Walker
Band and Pinky and the Floyd. There
will also be local and regional bands
performing over the weekend. Admission is free, and the festival will include continuous music, food,
beverages, children’s activities and
more.
46
Sunday, July 1, Paris Gibson Month
starts with tree planting in Gibson
Park at 1 p.m. then over to Birthday
Party at 2 p.m., Park Manor, Dale &
Bonnie Nelson will host party. They
will have an 1880s theme and their
staff will be in costume. In the evening
at Highland Cemetery, Waking the
Dead, hay wagon rides through the
cemetery visiting grave sites. $10
charge per person. Get your tickets at
The History Museum.
Wednesday, July 4, Independence Day
& Parade on Center Avenue.
Saturday, July 7, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. in
Lions Park. Gather up the family and
head to Lions Park for the 4th Annual
Lions Family FunFest – a great way to
spend a summer day! For more information call the Park and Recreation
Office at 771-1265.
July 13 - 15, 9 a.m. - noon, Summer
Kids Camps. The Interpretive Center
cordially invites children from the
Great Falls area for some special summer camp events. Camp session for
children entering grades 1-3. A longer
session for children entering grades 46 is scheduled July 30 - August 3, 9
a.m. - 4 p.m. Advance registration is
required. Contact the Center for additional information at (406) 727-8733
Saturday, July 14, gates open 5 p.m.
Odd Fellows Park. Tenth Annual Bluegrass on the Bay, major fund-raiser for
the History Museum. Check out page 10.
July 27- August 5, Montana State Fair
Go to www.montanastatefair.com for
all events.
Road Scholar 2012, June 24 - 30 &
August 12 - 18 at the Ursuline Retreat
& Conference Centre. Through the Eyes
of Toussaint Charbonneau, Artist C.M.
Russell & Plains Indians Culture and Traditions. For more information call (406)
452-8585 or email ursuline@in-tch.com
The C.M. Russell Museum present
Montana Painters Alliance: Historic
Ranches of Montana, the fourth biennial
exhibition and sale of works by members of the Montana Painters Alliance
(MPA) from May 17 - September 3.
47