The third program in the Yellowstone Gateway Museum’s Culture of the 19th Century speaker series is on Wednesday, March 27, “Temptation: Bars, Brothels, and the Law in Livingston,” with Karen Reinhart, presenter. Reinhart discusses drinking establishments and the red-light district from 1883 to the 1960s, and the challenges the businesses faced, including prohibition. The program follows the annual Friends of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum Annual Meeting, which begins at 6:30 pm. Remaining programs are about Fort Parker, Calamity Jane, and Copper King William A. Clark. The free Wednesday or Thursday programs are held at 7:00 pm at Park Photo, 115 S. Main St., Livingston.

Karen Reinhart, a native of central Montana, has worked more than twenty-five years in area museums. She worked as a National Park Service Interpreter in Yellowstone National Park and worked at history museums in Jackson, Wyoming, and currently, at the Yellowstone Gateway Museum. As registrar, Reinhart manages the museum’s collections. She also curates exhibits with the help of museum volunteers and staff, including Pull Up a Chair: Tales from the Seats of History; A Military History of Park County; From Wilsall to Wonderland: Trails, Roads, and Rails; and others.

Reinhart is also the author of two interpretive history books about Yellowstone, “Old Faithful Inn: Crown Jewel of National Park Lodges,” and “Yellowstone’s Rebirth by Fire: Rising from the Ashes of the 1988 Wildfires,” as has published many articles in regional magazines. She has developed and delivered numerous interpretive and educational programs about the natural and cultural history of the Greater Yellowstone area. Reinhart believes that story is a powerful tool that helps make an area’s history relevant and interesting.

On Thursday, April 11, “Fort Parker: The First Crow Indian Agency” is presented by Crystal Alegria and Shane Doyle. They discuss the history of the agency and The Extreme History Project’s work to uncover the unique and important role that the first Crow Agency played in early Montana history.

On Wednesday, April 24, “Me and Martha: Intimate Reflections of Dora DuFran about the Real Life of Calamity Jane,” is presented by scholar and actress, Mary Jane Bradbury. She will bring to life insights about Calamity’s real life through the eyes of madam Dora DuFran, a Black Hills pioneer, entrepreneur and close friend of Calamity’s. Partial funding for the Speakers Bureau program is provided by a legislative grant from Montana’s Cultural Trust and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

On Wednesday, May 8,”A Verdigris Legacy: The far reach of Copper King William Andrews Clark” is presented by historian and writer Robert Brock. He examines how the spoils and costs of Clark’s conquest have weathered the decades, revealing many deep parallels that still exist between cities across the country and Montana. This program was rescheduled from its original date.

All programs are held at 7:00 pm at Park Photo, 115 S. Main St., Livingston. The speaker series is free, open to the public and refreshments are served. Doors open at 6:00 pm for the March 27 program; doors open for remaining programs at 6:30 pm.

Watch for more information about upcoming programs or contact Karen Reinhart at 222-4184 or kreinhart@parkcounty.org. Visit our Facebook page, yellowstonegatewaymuseum.