Geological society receives funding for 'Carter County Talking Trail'

The Foundation for Montana History recently announced $222,460 in funding for 29 historic preservation projects across Montana in 2023. Carter County Geological Society will receive $10,000 of that funding. The $222,460 marks the largest amount awarded in one year since the grant program began in 2012 and brings the foundation's total funding for community-based history projects to over $1.5 million to date.

"Growing our grant program is at the core of our mission," said President/CEO Charlene Porsild. "The milestones reached [this year]make us more determined than ever to continue mobilizing the generosity of donors on behalf of community-based history across the state."

The Foundation grants up to $10,000 per project. This year, funding supports projects from Lincoln to Carter counties. Five of the 29 projects include:

• Carter County Talking Trail, Ekalaka, $10,000: The Carter County Geological Society will use the foundation funds to create a 10-point interpretive trail throughout the region. Once completed, visitors and locals will experience the history of Carter County through accompanying video and audio narration.

• A New Roof for the Historic Libby Hotel, Libby, $10,000: The Friends of Historic Hotel Libby will use The Foundation funds to install a new roof on Hotel Libby. This is the first step in a multi-phase preservation project to eventually restore and reopen the hotel to the public.

• The Story of Us: Women Who Shaped Montana History Documentary, Bozeman, $10,000: A grant from The Foundation will help The Extreme History Project produce two new episodes as part of the popular documentary series "The Story of Us." The series highlights the stories of unsung female figures in Montana's history.

• Railroad Passenger Car Restoration, Harlowton, $10,000: The Foundation funds will help the Harlowton City County Preservation Committee restore the roof of a historic Milwaukee Railroad passenger car.

• Historic Photo Collection Digitization, Colstrip, $2,500: A $2,500 grant from The Foundation will help the Schoolhouse History & Art Center digitize their collection of 43 year books from Colstrip High School in addition to local photographer Wes Chapman's collection of historic photos in the community.

"We are so excited to continue working on future episodes of The Story of Us," says Crystal Alegria with The Extreme History Project. "We couldn't do it without the support of The Foundation for Montana History!"

The Foundation for Montana History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity raising money for history and preservation projects across Montana.