A fascinating case study of the line between myth and performance is the topic at a historical presentation on Monday, June 16, in Kalispell.

Author Joseph Shelton will look at the career of "Montana Frank" McCray, a mysterious Wild West performer whose career spanned from the 1890s to the 1950s.

Triggered by the discovery of weathered show posters discovered in the Bozeman Public Library, Shelton's research uncovered the story of this self-proclaimed "last of the Buffalo Bill scouts."

While some of MCray's more outlandish claims - like riding for the Pony Express before he was born - strain credulity, his potential early association with Buffalo Bill adds intriguing legitimacy to his later career. McCray is both a genuine link to the golden age of Wild West shows and a uniquely American dreamer who understood that sometimes the appearance of authenticity matters as much as authenticity itself, notes Shelton.

Along with his version of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, McCray's career included a traveling film exhibit of the Miles City Round-Up, and as a vaudeville performer working with the Circle M Rangers, accompanied by colorful characters like "Fresno Rose" and "Cattle Annie, the World's Smallest Cowgirl."

Shelton is the editor of Distinctly Montana magazine. With degrees in English, he brings a literary perspective to how performers and entertainers contributed to the mythology of the American West. It is no surprise that he is a devoted fan of Western movies.

The presentation is at the monthly meeting of the Northwest Montana Westerners, a local history group. The talk starts at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Northwest Montana History Museum, at 124 2nd Ave. East in Kalispell. 

Cost is $5 for the general public, with members and youths under 16 admitted free.