Through the center’s Voices of the Past, guests learn about life in Billings from the stories voiced by local actors of former residents who are buried in Montview Cemetery.
A recent dress rehearsal at the cemetery had five of the actors sharing this year’s stories. (One actress, Kassi Strong who will portray Ella Alderson, wife of holtelier in Coulson, Montana, was unable to attend)
Actor Casey Visser shared the story of orthopedic surgeon Dr. Clayton Allard. He told of his famous father, Dr. Louis Allard, who he followed in medicine in the area of orthopedic issues of polio.
From Olive Warren, the madam of the well-know Lucky Diamond brothel, guests heard actress Bay Sandefur shared details of prostitution and business deals. A newspaper article on the madam quotes Olive “ you got to have a separate entrance (to the brothel) for those stuffed shirts who patronize their churches once a week and my business every night.”
Olive is in interred in the Mountview Cemetery Mausoleum, where some of her “ stuffed shirts” may rest as well.
How and why the Zimmerman Trail was created is part of the story of Joe and Frank Zimmerman. It started in Alsac, France in the 1850s and transitioned from the rolling hills and hamlets of Europe to the dust and open space of Montana. Actors Cole Kirchen and Hayden Visser provide the details of the Zimmermans’ great adventures.
The life of an Indigenous woman in the early 20th century is shared through actress Nat’aani Holds the Enemy who portrays avant Thelma Shively, an Apsaalooke woman. Thelma was one of the first Indigenous women to graduate from Polytechnic College (now Rocky Mountain College) and one of the first to work in circulation at the Billings Gazette.
Holds The Enemy says she has found many similarities with Thelma.
“She was 22 and I’m 22 now. She comes from the Crow Reservation. She went to Polytechnic, I go to Rocky. But not only that but she was incredibly accomplished. And she took so much solace in her education as I do now. Like my parents have always emphasized the importance of education as they did with her, “ Holds The Enemy explained.
This is the fourth time WHC has staged this living history event.
The center’s community historian Lauren Hunley says the center’s staff starts planning for Voices of the Past in March.
“Any time we come across a fascinating story where the person is buried in Mountview Cemetery, they potentially become a possibility for the event,” said Hunley. “When we sit down, we look at this master list of incredible list and we think what stories are going to resonate with our community today, w hat stories maybe have a relationship to an anniversary or historic event. What stories are people going to engage with. And that’s how we narrow down, narrow down until we choose the 5 or 6 that we really want to focus on and bring to life.”
The actors will be speaking near the gravesite of their historical figures so guests get to move at their own pace to visit the 5 stops, including the Mausoleum which will be open for viewing.
Audience members are encouraged to interact with the actors after their performance and ask questions about their historic figure.
For more information go to the Western Heritage Center website at ywhc.org.
