The Yellowstone Gateway Museum is hosting a program entitled Women in Wonderland: Lives, Legends, and Legacies of Yellowstone National Park, a program by author Betsy Watry, on Wednesday, October 9, 6:30 PM at the Livingston-Park County Library, Livingston.

Like much of America’s history, Yellowstone’s historical narrative contains numerous stories of the adventures, heroics, and contributions of men, while the contributions of women have become invisible and largely forgotten. In fact, their contributions to Yellowstone were many. In her book Women in Wonderland: Lives, Legends, and Legacies, author Elizabeth Watry has profiled fourteen remarkable women whose contributions to and experiences in Yellowstone figured significantly in the development of the park.  Ranging from park rangers developing nature trails and sealing guns to scientists researching bison and plants to concessioners supplying visitors with comfortable lodging and curios, these spirited, ambitious, and independent women have long gone uncelebrated. Her lecture explores several of the enterprising lives of these noteworthy women as well as a few “behind the book” research experiences.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Watry is a researcher, author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in nineteenth and early-twentieth century cultural history of the American West. Her primary research interests are in tourism and women’s history.

She holds an M.A. in History from Montana State University and is the co-author of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America: Yellowstone National Park (2008); Arcadia Images of America: Livingston (MT) (2009); and Ho! For Wonderland: Travelers’ Accounts of Yellowstone, 1872-1914 (2009) published by the University of New Mexico.

Her newest book releases in 2012 are Women in Wonderland: Lives, Legends, and Legacies of Yellowstone National Park published by Riverbend Press and Images of America: Fort Yellowstone published by Arcadia Publishing.

In addition to being an accomplished historian and author, Elizabeth is a museum professional who has worked in a variety of positions that range from registration and condition reporting to exhibit installation at the Heritage and Research Center in Yellowstone National Park, Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, Charlie Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, AZ and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, AZ. She is currently the Assistant Curator of History at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana.

The program is free and refreshments are provided. Please visit the museum’s website, www.yellowstonegatewaymuseum.org  or call 406-222-4184, for more information about this and other programs that the museum offers.