By Paul Vang I don't know, offhand, how many "Montana Bars" there are in Montana. There has to be a bunch.
The Montana Bar in Culbertson has been around since the 1890s, though it didn't start off that way.
When built in 1896, complete with backbars believed to have been hauled in to Culbertson by covered wagon, it was the Big Horn Saloon. In later years it was known as the Corner Bar and, after surviving Prohibition, in the early 1940s became the Montana Bar.
Culbertson, by the way, is one of northeastern Montana' oldest communities. The Lewis and Clark Expedition came through the area in May 1805, and they were amazed at the wealth of wild game in the area. Later, Alexander Culbertson, an early day mountain man and fur trader, was the chief factor at the American Fur Company trading post at Fort Union, at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers.
In 1879, Culbertson' son, Jack, started a ranch in the area. The railroad came to the area in 1887, and a growing community became a rip-roaring wild west cattle town, with 13 saloons open for business 24 hours a day.
On May 17, 1981, a father/son team, Dan and Bob Linthicum, bought the Montana Bar. Dan Linthicum, now age 84, who also actively operated a farm until age 78, retired from the bar in 2000.
Ron Schuetze, a grizzled-looking old cowboy sitting at the bar when I stopped by, noted something unique about the Montana Bar: "It' the only bar in this town that hasn't burned down." Ticking off the names of a number of old Culbertson bars that no longer exist, Schuetze said, "This is the last original bar."
Bob Linthicum, who continues as the sole operator of the Montana Bar, joined Schuetze in reminiscing about the old days. "This was a real Wild West bar, gun fights and all."
Things have settled down a bit. Sugar beets are now the main crop in the fertile, irrigated farmlands along the nearby Missouri River, and if there are disagreements, these days, chances are the people will settle things over a friendly game of pool.
The Montana Bar is the venue for an active pool league that meets every Thursday night, from Thanksgiving to Easter through the winter. The pool cues of several of Culbertson' long-time pool sharks who have moved on to that big pool league in the sky are framed over the archway above the bar' pool table.
Bob also has an extensive food menu that attracts people to the bar. Except for frozen pizzas, all the food is freshly prepared. During my visit with Bob, a local businessman, also named Bob, came in for a big juicy cheeseburger to take back to work.
This brought to mind an evening when there were eight men named Bob, plus one Bub, who were in the bar at the same time. Confusion is said to have reigned.
As in most small towns, local people are the base of the Montana Bar' business, though oilfield workers and construction workers are also an important factor. In the fall, visiting hunters add to the customer base.
A number of annual community events also bring people into Culbertson, such as the annual Frontier Days rodeo in June, the Roosevelt County Fair in August, a Labor Day weekend Trail Ride and Wagon Train, and the Northeast Montana Threshing Bee in late September.
Bob Linthicum is, incidentally, a long time Montana Tavern Association member and supporter, and always looks forward to the annual fall break he gets when he attends MTA conventions. He could think of just one year when he was forced to miss the convention.
Unlike the old days, cowboys don't ride their horses into the Montana Bar anymore.
It may not be as exciting, but just like the 1890s, it' still a friendly and inviting watering hole.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, Sept, 2005, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.