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Summer Theater comes to Deer Lodge
By admin | June 3, 2009
The Deer Lodge Players Present:
“Same Time, Another Year”
A sequel to ‘Same Time, Next Year’. Continues the saga of an extramarital affair conducted one weekend a year into the last quarter of the 20th Century. Written by Bernard Slade, Directed by Martin Reinbolt and starring Marlene Olmstead and Lewis Smith.
Performances are held in the Gunport Theater inside the Old Montana Prison.
Dates:
June 11th, 12th, 13th at 7:00pm
June 14th at 2:00pm
June 18th, 19th, 20th at 7:00pm
June 21st at 2:00pm
Ticket Price: $10.00 per person, all ages. Seats are on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so please arrive early to get your preferred choice.
Come to Deer Lodge for Territorial Days on the 20th and enjoy the play!
Topics: Deer Lodge, Theater | No Comments »
Summer Times at the Old Prison Museums
By admin | May 23, 2009
All Museums will open on the 1st of June.
The Prison and Auto Museums are currently open 7 days a week, from 9am to 6pm.
Yesterday’s Playthings, Frontier Montana, Powell County Museum and the exhibits in Cottonwood City will open to the public on 1st June.
June is a very busy month for the Museum! Our Summer Theater season starts on June 11th, followed by the 100th Anniversary celebrations of the laying of the Milwaukee Road’s Golden Spike on the 19th. The 20th is the Territorial Days Rod Run, and the annual Weapons Collectors Society Gun Show runs from the 26th to 28th June.
You can see our full schedule of events on this link.
We have recently received new items into our gift shop in Deer Lodge, and have added some of them to our online store at pcmaf.org/shop
We hope you find time to visit us this summer. We are conveniently located on Interstate 90, between Yellowstone and Glacier Parks. You can find maps on this link and here
Have a great Summer.
Topics: Deer Lodge, Museum News, Online Giftshop | No Comments »
The Milwaukee Road E-70 ‘Little Joe’
By admin | March 21, 2009
Class EF-4 Electric Locomotive
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the driving of the Milwaukee Railroad’s ‘Last Spike’. A celebration will be held at the Old Montana Prison Museum on June 19th (details to follow). In the meantime you can read about our very own piece of Milwaukee Railroad history, the last surviving Class EF-4 Electric Locomotive E-70 ‘Little Joe’. This engine can be seen on static display in our Parking Lot to the south of the Museum buildings.
CLASS EF-4 3,000 VOLT DC ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
A brief history of The Milwaukee Road #E-70
The E-70 on display at Deer Lodge, Montana is a proud symbol of the Electric era on The Milwaukee Road. “Little Joe” E-70 served on The Milwaukee Road for more than a quarter century. It was built by General Electric in late 1947/48 as one of twenty electric locomotives originally intended for the Soviet Union’s Trans-Siberian Railway. The beginning of the Cold War and the breakdown in East-West relations prevented the locomotives from being delivered to Russia. With this situation, General Electric had to find other buyers.
The best potential customer for the motors, which had earned the nickname- “Little Joes”-a reference to the Soviet leader Josef Stalin, was The Milwaukee Road. The railroad was able to purchase twelve of these units at bargain prices. This permitted the Milwaukee to update its electrified operations without cutting into the acquisition of diesel engines.
E-70 was the first “Little Joe” to operate on The Milwaukee Road. General Electric converted the unit from 5 foot wide Russian gauge to American Standard gauge of 4 foot 8 1/2 inches. It was then delivered to Harlowton, Montana in December, 1948 for a 4 month trial. During this period the engine wore G.E. colors of dark green with white stripe and the number GE-750.
All twelve “Little Joes” were assigned to the Rocky Mountain Division Headquartered at Deer Lodge, Montana, and were painted in the Milwaukee Road’s then standard colors of Orange, Black, and Maroon. Two units were equipped with train heating boilers for use in passenger service. The other Joes, including the E-70, were used exclusively in freight service.
The Locomotives did yeoman service for the Milwaukee from 1950-1974. Electric operations were discontinued on June 16, 1974, and the system was scrapped in favor of an all diesel operation. The E-70 was painted, donated to the city of Deer Lodge in 1975, and placed on display near the County Courthouse.
Due to 20 years of deterioration at that site, a restoration plan was initiated. Project E-70 started out as an idea of several ex-employees in 1984 but did not get much attention, and only about $300 was raised. The Historical group “MILWEST” entered the project in 1992. Working with Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation over $60,000 was raised to move and paint the locomotive. It was moved to it’s present location in October 1993, thanks to a Grant obtained through the U.S. Forest Service. Painting was done by J & S Painting Service of Deer Lodge, with details being applied by Milwest members during several volunteer work sessions in 1994.
E-70 HAS NOW BEEN RESTORED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO SEE AND ENJOY!
You can read more about the E-70 on the Powell County Chamber of Commerce website (follow this link)
Click on the picture above for a larger version
A range of collectible Railroad souvenirs are available from our online store. All proceeds from gift shop sales help support the Museum.
Topics: Deer Lodge, Museum News | No Comments »
1959 Montana Prison Riot Commemoration
By admin | March 14, 2009
This year is the 50th Anniversary of the 1959 Montana Prison Riot. To mark the occasion, the following events will be held.
Thursday APRIL 16
1:00 pm - Guided Tour of Prison - Old Montana Prison, 1106 Main Street, Deer Lodge
Friday APRIL 17
1:00 pm - Guided Tour of Prison - Old Montana Prison, 1106 Main Street, Deer Lodge
Saturday APRIL 18
Pen Convention Center, 925 Main Street, Deer Lodge
9:00 am - Welcome: Lyle Gillette - Introductions: John O’Donnell
9:30 am - “Setting the Stage/Two Communities” - Jim Blodgett
10:15 am - “Dark Spaces” - Baumler & Cooper (Book available HERE)
11:00 am - The 1959 Riot/”Jerry’s Riot” - Kevin Giles (Book available HERE)
12:15 pm - Lunch/The MT National Guard Film Viewing
1:30 pm - Historic Walk-through of the Prison - Gillette & Giles
2:45 pm - “Parallels in Space; 1908/1959″ - John O’Donnell
3:15 pm - Recollections - Group
6:00 pm - Reunion dinner at The Pen Convention Center - Cost to be announced
William Kohrs Library, 501 Missouri, Deer Lodge
7:30 pm - “Hard Times in Deer Lodge” - Ellen Baumler
Sponsored by Friends of the Library & Humanities Montana
For more information call (406) 846-3111 or email info@pcmaf.org
Topics: Deer Lodge, Museum News | No Comments »
Montana Territorial Gun Show
By admin | March 14, 2009
The 27th Annual Montana Territorial
Gun Show
Old Montana Prison
Deer Lodge, MT
Food & Concessions | 70+ Tables | Bring The Family!
3-day Admission Includes ALL Attractions and Gun Show
DATES
Friday, June 26 - Noon - 6pm
Saturday, June 27 - 9am - 5:30pm
Sunday, June 28 - 9am - 3pm
ADMISSION
Adults - $5.00
Youths (10-18) - $1.00
Under 10 - FREE
Table Rentals Available
Old MT Prison - Julia Brewer - (406) 846-3111
Jack Hinkle - (406) 846-1303
A portion of proceeds support the Powell County Shooting Association
Topics: Deer Lodge, Museum News | No Comments »
Mushers Come to Deer Lodge
By admin | February 7, 2009
Race To The Sky
Friday 13th February is the day that the runners in the Annual sled dog ‘Race to the Sky’ visit Deer Lodge.
There are Community Activities and a Mutt Pull on Main Street from 3 - 5pm. Bring your pet dog along and enjoy the fun.
You can join the musher’s for a pre-race Pasty Dinner at The Pen on Main Street (opposite the Old Prison) from 6pm. Price is just $5 per adult, $3 per child (11 and under)
The race itself starts on Saturday Feb. 14th at Noon in Lincoln and finishes on Feb. 17th at 4pm in Lincoln. You can find more information about the Race at www.racetothesky.org
Topics: Deer Lodge, Museum News | No Comments »
Winter Newsletter
By admin | January 21, 2009
A Year of Anniversaries
2009 sees the Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation enter its 43rd year, and as the Old Montana Prison turns 138 years old we look forward to the following events:
- In May we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the driving of the Milwaukee Golden Spike, followed by a Milwaukee Heritage get-together in August.
- The 50th Anniversary of the 1959 Montana State Prison Riot occurs in April. We will host a reunion to recall those somber days that changed the history of Corrections in Montana.
- On a more playful note, Barbie turns 50 in 2009 and Yesterday’s Playthings will celebrate her Golden Anniversary!
- The Sears Carriage House, located in Haas Park opposite the Old Prison, is a century old.
Other events planned for later this year include Summer Theater, the Weapons Collector’s Show, the Antique Show, the Montana Academy of Living History, our popular Dark Side Tours, plus more to be announced soon.
Subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll be automatically notified of our 2009 schedule of events as soon as it becomes available.
Topics: Museum News | No Comments »
Last Shopping Days before Christmas
By admin | December 13, 2008
Items recently added to the Old Montana Prison Museum Online Gift Shop.
If you have still to buy gifts for your loved ones this Holiday Season, we hope we have something to interest you in our on-line store. Our newest items are listed below:
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Many more items are available, please visit us at www.pcmaf.org/shop
CHRISTMAS 2008 ORDERS
To ensure that your order can be shipped in time for the Holidays, please make sure we receive cleared payment prior to 12 noon Mountain Time on the 17th December. This applies to US orders only (Overseas orders can no longer be shipped to arrive before Christmas, owing to International Post deadlines)
We will do our very best to ship your order to arrive before Christmas. However, the US Postal Service can offer no absolute guarantees and neither can we.
Merry Christmas to you all
We thank you for your support in 2008, and we hope to have the pleasure of serving you during 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR from everyone at the Old Montana Prison Museums in Deer Lodge.
Topics: Online Giftshop | No Comments »
Celebrate Christmas in Deer Lodge
By admin | December 1, 2008
Christmas Festival and Stroll
Come to Deer Lodge this Friday 5th December till Sunday 7th December 2008
The festivities start on Friday with Santa’s visit to City Hall at 5pm, followed by the Youth Carnival from 5-7pm. A Free Children’s Movie will be shown at the Depot Church at 7pm
The Annual Christmas Festival at The Pen starts at 7pm
Highlights of the evening include;
- Limited number of Holiday items for sale
- Auction of our featured tree and local artwork
- Door prizes and 50/50 drawing
- Treat bags for all children, and a special kids only door prize
- Live music by ‘Short Notice’ (the Wes Harr band)
- Dancing
- Food and beverages
- Wine bar run by the Elks
- Special appearance by Santa Claus
- The drawing for our raffle car, the 1955 Thunderbird Roadster (tickets are still available HERE)
Christmas Stroll & Parade
On Saturday, the Christmas Stroll begins at 2pm and runs until 7pm along Main Street. Over 200 prizes will be given away, you may buy a Stroll Button from many stores for $2.00. The Parade along Main Street starts at 6pm. The Prison Museum Gift Shop will be open from 10am till 4pm, take advantage of our Christmas Sales to pick up special gifts for your friends and family.
Grant Kohrs Open House
On Sunday there is a Holiday Open House at the Grant Kohrs Ranch, from 1-4 pm
So, come along to Deer Lodge this weekend and join the crowd as we celebrate the start of Christmas with our local community.
Topics: Museum News | No Comments »
Gift Shop Sale Days
By admin | November 27, 2008
Black Friday - 5% OFF EVERYTHING!
To Celebrate the Holidays, you can save when you shop online with us this Friday and Saturday, 28th to 29th November.
Just enter the code ‘BLACKFRIDAY‘ into the box on the shopping cart page, and we will automatically deduct 5% from your order subtotal. No minimum purchase required.
We have a great range of gift ideas, from Old Prison collectibles, toys and dolls, auto collectibles, books, Christmas Ornaments, Angel Feather gifts, Montana Souvenirs, T-Shirts, Levi 501 Denim Jeans (Made in USA) and much, much more. Start your Christmas Shopping with us by going to www.pcmaf.org/shop
We accept payment by credit cards online or by telephone, or you can mail in your check and money order.
Happy Holidays!
Topics: Online Giftshop | No Comments »