Western Montana's Restricted Districts (watch party)

This program will dive into the rich history of the restricted--red light--districts in Missoula and Hamilton, spanning between the region's earliest red-light settlement in 1870 through the deaths of the original founders in the early 1940s.

Throughout the talk, we will look at the influence these ostracized communities had on the socio-cultural development of the Western Montana region, particularly in the Bitterroot Valley, as well as the interconnected relationships shared between the varying districts that provided the foundation for survival in the American West. Additionally, we will also look into the lives of some of the districts' key members such as Clara and Henry Smith, Frank Gray, Tish Nevins, Sam Tom, and Mary Gleim.

This lecture will take a deep dive into the region's diverse demographics at the turn of the 20th century as well as showcase just how these forgotten Montanans paved the way for our society today.

This program is part of the Montana Library Network's virtual programming series. NVPL will host a watch party; the presenter will not be on-site. Zoom option to watch from home available. 

Presenter Bio

Sophia Etier is a Montana Native and Public Historian, focusing her research on the development of local Montana History as well as specializing in the heritage of Western Montana's red-light districts and the development of minority communities within the region. In September 2023, Sophia presented her research Forgotten Souls: The Lost Voices of Western Montana’s Restricted Districts at the Montana History Conference, and in March 2024, she presented Lost Montana: The Path from Remembrance to Inclusive Heritage at the University of Montana Western Ted Talk Conference. Sophia also is a lead guide and tour developer for the Unseen Missoula heritage tour program, primarily overseeing the Carnal Enterprises red-light tour which she curated in 2023. Sophia is currently working on the advancement of her research as a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana.