On May 7, 8, and 9, local, state, and national historic preservation organizations sponsored events focusing on historic preservation in western Montana.
Preserving Our Heritage in a Changing Landscape, a conference held in conjunction with the Montana Historical Society’s Montana County History Initiative, was held on May 7 and 8. The Montana County History Initiative is a statewide outreach effort to build relationships among people interested in local history and heritage resources. As part of the Montana County History Initiative, conferences are being held in regions across the state. Missoula’s conference represents the “Glacier Country” region, which includes Glacier, Flathead, Lincoln, Sanders, Lake, Mineral, Missoula and Ravalli Counties and the Flathead and Blackfeet Reservations. The conference concentrated on exploring the varied landscapes of the area, how they are changing physically and culturally, and how we can use historic preservation to protect our heritage in the face of those changes.
The conference began with a reception from 6:30 PM to 8 PM on Thursday, May 7, at Heritage Hall, Fort Missoula. Keynote Speaker was Michael Umphrey of Polson, author of The Power of Community-Centered Education: Teaching as a Craft of Place. Soft drinks and appetizers were provided, and Preserve Historic Missoula, a local non-profit group, sponsored a no-host bar and music by Cat and the Fiddle, featuring Ellie Nuno. Preserve Historic Missoula announced its annual list of “Eleven Most Endangered Places” during the reception.
Conference sessions were held at Heritage Hall from 8:30 AM to 12 Noon on Friday, May 8. Jeff Gruber of Libby was the introductory speaker, presenting “The Libby Story.” Two tracks of speakers followed, including Rolene Schliesman and John Boughton of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Debra Magpie Earling, writer and 
professor at the University of Montana, Mark Hufstetler of Renewable Technologies, Inc., and Kristine Komar of the Bitter Root Cultural Heritage Trust. Refreshments were provided. Tours of local historic districts and sites took place from 2:30 to 4:00 PM. Dan Hall, chair of Preserve Historic Missoula, led a tour of Travelers’ Rest in Lolo. Dr. Robert Brown, Director of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, offered a tour of the Fort Missoula grounds. Dr. H. Raphael Chacon of the University of Montana Art Department and author of The Original Man: The Life and Work of Montana Architect A. J.Gibson, presented a tour of the University of Montana campus. The tours concluded the “Preserving Our Heritage” conference. The conference was free and open to the public.
On Friday night, May 8, the Missoula Historic Preservation Commission presented its 18th Annual Awards Ceremony from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Governor’s Room of the Florence Building in Missoula, 111 North Higgins Avenue. Jane Powell of Oakland, California was the featured speaker. A restoration consultant, house restorer and lecturer, Powell has been labeled “the bad girl of bungalow writing.” She is the author of six books, including Bungalow Kitchens; Bungalow Bathrooms; Bungalow Details: Exterior; Bungalow Details: Interior; Linoleum; and Bungalow: The Ultimate Arts and Crafts Home. Refreshments were provided during the evening. 
The Preservation Fair took place from 10:00 AM to 4 PM Saturday, May 9, on the lawn of the Missoula County Courthouse. Preservation professionals, vendors, and organizations presented products, exhibits, demonstrations, and education and information exchanges during the fair. Jane Powell led a tour of Missoula bungalows from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM and Allan Mathews, author of A Guide to Historic Missoula, provided a tour of Downtown Missoula from 1:30 to 3:00 PM.
These historic preservation events were sponsored by the Missoula Historic Preservation Commission, the Missoula Office of Planning and Grants, the Montana Historical Society, Preserve Historic Missoula, Montana Preservation Alliance, the National Park Service, and Preserve America. For further information, please contact Philip Maechling (pmaechli@co.missoula.mt.us, 406-258-4706) or Suzanne Julin (sjulin@bresnan.net, 406-544-8606).