Pa g e 4 Gho s t Remember Frontier Town? Frontier Town, Montana was a remarkable Old Westthemed tourist attraction, and masterpiece of American folk art. It was located 15 miles west of Helena Montana, just below the summit of MacDonald Pass, on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide. It operated commercially from 1948 to 2001, and is now a private residence. Map coordinates: 46°34'9.24"N 112°18'23.80"W Constructed primarily of native logs and stone, Frontier Town was built almost singlehandedly by one determined and talented man -- John R. Quigley (1915-1979). With the help of his wife Sue Quigley, his children Jack, Peter and Kitty Ann, John operated and continually upgraded Frontier Town for over three decades. John & Sue Quigley, 1956 The rambunctious history of Frontier Town is wonderfully preserved in many rare photographs and documents from the collection of John's daughter, Kitty Ann Quigley Taaler. I’ll be sharing stories and photos in our upcoming newsletters, a big thanks to our friends at: http:// www.frontiertownmontana.com/index.htm for sharing their family legacy with us! A main attraction at Frontier Town was undoubtedly the 50-foot-long split log bar, made in 195152 from a single Douglas Fir. "I split the log during twenty below zero weather with a chain saw. It took two days to accomplish. The bottom of the log sits on stone pillars while the upper half is over head, held up by log supports from the same tree. The bar top, which has a mirror-like finish from sanding and polishing, I did by hand. You will find two carvings in the bar top, the first being two elk fighting over the female portion of the herd. This I carved during the fall and winter of 1956, putting in more than 300 hours. The carving of a mountain lion is on the lower end of the bar in front of the saddles -- eight good riding saddles placed for bar stools. " -John Quigley T o w n s a n d Hi st o r y o f Mo n t a n a N e w s l e t t er
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