Events in April 2020
- Free Lecture - St. Mary's Mission: Then and Now
Free Lecture - St. Mary's Mission: Then and Now
Historic St. Mary’s Mission and Museum in Stevensville
Speakers: Susan Doverspike and Lyn Graves
Who is Ravalli County named for? How did Stevensville become the first pioneer settlement in Montana, 48 years before statehood? Attend the Ravalli County Museum Lecture Series “St. Mary’s Mission - Then and Now” on Thursday, April 2 from 6-8 p.m.
The Bitterroot Valley is the ancestral homeland of the Salish Indians. Learn about “Montana’s First Best Place” and the blending of the Indian and European cultures against the backdrop of the Western Frontier. Discover St. Mary’s Mission from its origins in 1841 to its function as a National Historic Site and museum today.
Susan Doverspike and Lyn Graves, both retired Montana history teachers, will present a brief over view of the history of the Bitter Root Salish Indians, the fur trade era and the founding of St. Mary’s Mission in 1841 to the closure in 1954. Learn of the critical restoration efforts to preserve five historic buildings, dating back to 1862 left in the care of the non-profit museum.