Monthly Program
Yellowstone Historical Society
When: January - May and September - November. Third Friday of the Month (check schedule to verify)
Where: Hilton Garden Inn, 2465 Grant Road, Billings, MT 59102
The free program commences at 6:45 PM. Dinner is served dinner at 6:00 PM and is $30 a person. Our callers contact members prior to the meeting for dinner reservations. First time guests please phone (406) 656-2786 no later than ten days before the program for a dinner reservation. If you sign up for dinner and do not attend you will still be charged for the meal as the YHS must pay for all requested meals.
2025 Fall Programs and Menus
All meals are served with a salad, rolls, coffee, and tea. You do not have to purchase a meal to enjoy the free presentation!
September 19th
Dover Family Homestead by Rosalyn Visser
Dinner is grilled pork chops with smoked apples. Served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
October 10th (Second Friday of the Month)
The History of the Chinese Experience in Montana by Mark Johnson
Dinner is chopped steak with mushrooms and gravy. Served with Chef’s choice of vegetable, mashed potatoes, and salad.
November 21st
Jailhouse Art by Joel Watson
Dinner is chicken stir fry with egg roll.
Dover Family Homestead
Mark Johnson
Joel Watson
2025 Monthly Programs
September 19th
Dover Family Homestead by Rosalyn Visser
Rosalyn Visser, a social studies education major from Rocky Mountain College, will be presenting her research on the Dover Family Homestead. John H Dover homesteaded an island on the Yellowstone River in 1882. The Dover family is a unique part of Montana's Homesteading History, and Rosalyn's presentation will discuss the evolution of the original Dover homestead.
This project was completed as an internship with the Yellowstone River Parks Association and was funded by The Foundation for Montana History. Her research is presented to the public in an exhibit she created for the Yellowstone County Museum, and an interactive lesson plan is available for educators teaching grades 4-8.
Dinner is grilled pork chops with smoked apples. Served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
October 10th
The History of the Chinese Experience in Montana by Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson is an associate professor with the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education. In his history interests, Mark focuses on the Chinese experience in his home state of Montana. Previously working in China, Mark brought students with the necessary language abilities to Montana to translate several collections of documents from the state’s historic Chinese residents to work to tell their history in their own words. Born and raised in Great Falls, he now lives in Helena.
Born and raised in Montana, Mark has always been interested in the region’s history. He had the opportunity to teach in China for eight years. During this time, he spent each summer in Montana and explored the connections between China and Montana. In these explorations, Mark found several large collections of documents in Chinese that had never been translated or interpreted. He crafted several transnational translation projects to bring students with the necessary language abilities to Montana to translate these documents, allowing for the first ever telling of the history of Montana’s Chinese communities in their own words. Mark has worked on elements of this research and storytelling since 2010, which will be utilized in his program.
Dinner is grilled honey ham steak. Served with Chef’s choice of vegetable, starch, and salad.
November 21st
Jailhouse Art by Joel Watson
Take a look back in time with a captivating look at the Old Billings City Jail and the artwork painted by Vine Brokenrope. Joel, an evidence technician & retired detective with the Billings Police Department, will discuss the detailed process of saving and removing the artwork and other artifacts from the jail before the old city hall was sold in May/June of 2025.
Dinner is chicken stir fry with egg roll.