Architect R. J. Hardenbergh, whose work includes New York City’s Waldorf Astoria, designed the elegant Moss mansion, which is now a museum.

The odds were against early settlers in northeastern Montana, but hard times taught them how to get by.

The odds were against early settlers in northeastern Montana, but hard times taught them how to get by.

Viewed against the backdrop of the early decades of the twentieth century, Nancy Cooper Russell was a woman ahead of her time. A self-taught businesswoman with an innate ability to take charge, she helped turn her husband, rambunctious cowboy Charles M. Russell, into one of America’s most highly acclaimed western artists. Today, scholars consistently identify Nancy as the entrepreneurial force behind the extraordinary number of Russell paintings and sculptures that now grace public galleries and private collections. In a performance that brings Nancy to life, actress Mary Jane Bradbury shares the story of how the couple met, describes the world of art into which Nancy propelled them, and tells about the artists and celebrities the Russells befriended as they traveled from Montana to New York City, and eventually to a growing California suburb called Hollywood.

The odds were against early settlers in northeastern Montana, but hard times taught them how to get by.

Architect R. J. Hardenbergh, whose work includes New York City’s Waldorf Astoria, designed the elegant Moss mansion, which is now a museum.

Helena resident Randall LeCocq makes a presentation based on his book, Frank Lloyd Wright in Montana, published by the Drumlummon Institute in 2013. He includes photographs from the Frank Lloyd Wright archives at the Montana Historical Society and Montana State Historic Preservation Office, and focuses on Wright's architectural style and his projects in Montana. These projects—important parts of Wright's architectural legacy and Montana history—include the 1909 Como Orchards Clubhouse and cabins in Darby, now part of Alpine Meadows Resort; the 1910 Bitter Root Town and clubhouse in Stevensville; and the 1959 Lockridge Medical Clinic, now the Morrison-Frampton Law Office, in Whitefish. LeCocq also addresses some unanswered questions on the uncompleted Bitter Root projects in the context of Montana's development schemes and Wright's personal life at the time. www.montanahistoricalsociety.org

Helena resident Randall LeCocq makes a presentation based on his book, Frank Lloyd Wright in Montana, published by the Drumlummon Institute in 2013. He includes photographs from the Frank Lloyd Wright archives at the Montana Historical Society and Montana State Historic Preservation Office, and focuses on Wright's architectural style and his projects in Montana. These projects—important parts of Wright's architectural legacy and Montana history—include the 1909 Como Orchards Clubhouse and cabins in Darby, now part of Alpine Meadows Resort; the 1910 Bitter Root Town and clubhouse in Stevensville; and the 1959 Lockridge Medical Clinic, now the Morrison-Frampton Law Office, in Whitefish. LeCocq also addresses some unanswered questions on the uncompleted Bitter Root projects in the context of Montana's development schemes and Wright's personal life at the time. www.montanahistoricalsociety.org

Two young renowned Montana pilots met tragic ends in 1911.

Two young renowned Montana pilots met tragic ends in 1911.