19 December 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Zachary Coe Community Outreach Manager

The Montana History Foundation
zachary@mthistory.org
(406) 449-3770

Contact: Genevieve Lighthiser

Administrative Specialist
Montana State Library
glighthiser@mt.gov
(406) 444-3384

The Montana History Foundation and Montana State Library Announce Completion
of 9 ARPA Funded History Projects Across Montana

The Montana History Foundation (MHF) in association with the Montana State
Library (MSL) announces the completion of 9 historical digitization projects across
the state. In total, $57,187 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded this
effort. The work results will be available on the Montana Memory Project (MMP) for
public access.
Each project is run by a community organization focused on preserving and
sharing local stories.
“The preservation of Montana history is at the core of the Foundation’s
mission,” says MHF President & CEO Charlene Porsild. “Adding these new interviews
and photographs to the digital collections of the MMP both preserves and provides
access to these community stories”
MSL received ARPA funds through the Institute of Museum and Library
Services to provide online educational resources to support distance learning during
the COVID pandemic.
“It was important to MSL that we use this opportunity to make sure Montanans
had greater access to information about our home,” says State Librarian, Jennie
Stapp. “We are thrilled by the unique collections added to the MMP and our
partnership with the MHF which made our APRA dollars stretch farther.”

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1750 North Washington Street Helena, Montana 59601 (406) 449-3770 info@mthistory.org www.mthistory.org
The Montana History Foundation is an Independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
 MSL’s partnership enabled MHF to grant more funds to more community
history efforts around the state than ever before. Some digitized projects include:

Bear Paw Development Corporation, “The Metis of the Hi-Line Oral History Project”
- $8,400

Bear Paw Development oral historian Candi Zion conducted interviews with 10
descendants of the original Hi-Line Metis settlers. This project provides insights
about the hardships, lives, and work ethics of the Metis of the Hi-Line. This work is
currently available on the Montana Memory Project.

Missoula Legion Hellgate Post No. 27 Baseball Program, “Missoula Mavericks Oral
History Project”- $1,000

Working with the Missoula Legion, University of Montana professor Charles Palmer
conducted 10 oral interviews with former pivotal contributors to the Missoula
Mavericks American Legion Baseball program. This project compiles and shares
nearly 100 years of Mavericks baseball. This work is currently available on the
Montana Memory Project.

Montana Museum of Art and Culture, “Pattee Canyon Ladies Salon Oral History
Project”- $6,000

The Museum conducted 19 oral histories with members of the Pattee Canyon Ladies
Salon. This project celebrates and records the revolutionary achievements of this
important group of female artists and their models over 33 years. This work is
currently available on the Montana Memory Project.

O’Fallon Historical Museum, “Humans of Fallon County Oral History Project”-

$3,447

Staff at the museum conducted oral histories with five Baker residents over the age of
65. This project preserves the rich stories of Fallon County and allows the oldest living
generations to share this history from their perspective. This will be available on the
Montana Memory Project by the end of January.

The Montana History Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity raising money for
history and preservation projects across Montana. You can see a complete list of our
2022 grantees here. For more information, or for help contacting any of the ARPA
funded grantees, please contact Zach Coe at zachary@mthistory.org.

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1750 North Washington Street Helena, Montana 59601 (406) 449-3770 info@mthistory.org www.mthistory.org
The Montana History Foundation is an Independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization