By Roger Porter Y'all come to Columbus August 4-6 and be prepared to enjoy a good old fashioned party time while celebrating the 100th anniversary of the New Atlas Bar.
The bar has been a fixture in the Columbus area since, well, since there's been a Columbus. The place is perhaps best known for its collection of stuffed animals which, according to a recent article in Outdoor Life, has "more…than there are in most museums."
Actually the New Atlas is indeed a throwback to frontier saloons complete with ornate backbars, a brass rail, spittoons and classic tin ceilings. The back bars (yes, two) themselves would be the envy of any bar owner, one being cherrywood and the other mahogany.
According to family matriarch Mick Barrett, who owns the New Atlas together with other members of her family, one of the bars dates back to 1864 and the other to 1867, although there seems to be a bit of confusion as to the exact dates. Author Joan Melcher, in her book "Watering Hole, a User' Guide to Montana Bars," she fixes the date of the main backbar at 1906.
Either way the backbars are treasures.
The present owners of the bar is a group of family members which, in addition to Mick, include her son, Lars; daughter-in-law, Jamie Swanson, and daughter Dana Burchell.
Name your game and whether it' poker, darts or pool, you're sure to find a worthy opponent at the New Atlas. According to customers, there' been a poker game on tap as long as anyone can remember.
Aside from cleaning up the bar, a few renovations and running the stuffed animals through the car wash (actually, a taxidermy restoration), the bar pretty well looks the same as when the original owner, George Knox, received one of the state's first liquor licenses.
Back to the animals...
The bar exhibits all sorts including a skunk and an owl that looks like he' been spending too much time behind the plank. Another former owner, cantankerous T.P. Mulvihill, is responsible for much of the collection which was either donated or purchased. In fact, the place is also know as "The Dead Animal Zoo."
So take a weekend and come see for yourself a genuine old time Montana bar. And what better time than during the 100th year anniversary celebration to be held in August.
You can bet the New Atlas gang is going to throw a fling worthy of their age. There'll be music on both Friday and Saturday nights, plus a Saturday barbecue and a Sunday Texas Hold "Em Tournament.
It' guaranteed to be one of the truly great summer week-ends. Mark your calendars.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, June, 2006, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.