MISSOULA — Wednesday is the last day of Women's History Month.
The specialists over at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula dug through the archives and found some "exciting" remnants of women's clubs. Curator Emma Sieh found booklets with all kinds of information she was excited to share, from club constitutions to recipe books.
"You find the cool stuff that makes you giggle, but you also find the cool stuff that makes you realize, wow, we are a community of many histories and many origins, and many lives coming together, making stuff happen," Sieh said.
The Women's Club of Missoula joined a larger network of Montana women's clubs back in 1902, many of which are still operating. Sieh took to social media to showcase these documents and just in time for the Museum to reopen, she plans to share finds like these online every week.
Executive director Matt Lautzenheiser says while the museum has been closed due to COVID-19, they've gotten creative with virtual events and education.
"It's been really interesting as a historian, somebody that's used to looking in the past, but to actually gathering history as it happens, in this which is a watershed moment," Lautzenheiser explained. "For when folks look back on their life and they'll picture half a dozen or so moments that really stand out, I think that this year will be something that shapes future generations and that we all will remember."
The Historical Museum At Fort Missoula main building will be reopening on May 3 but on Thursday the outdoor historic park exhibits are opening to the public for the first time since the pandemic hit. The hours will be limited at first, running from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.
