Built, starting in 1946, by John R. Quigley (1915-1979) and his wife Sue (1926-1998), Frontier Town was not only a noted summer tourist attraction, it was a grand example of American folk art. It was located west of Helena, just below the summit of McDonald Pass, with a beautifully expansive view east toward the Helena Valley. It is now a private residence and is closed to the public.

John Quigley is shown above walking down Frontier Town's main street. Quigley built the attraction almost single-handedly from boulders and logs. He also added fine artistic touches, such as his expressive wood carvings.

Along with his building and artistic talents, Quigley was a master of promotion. He emphasized his "frontier" Montana upbringing (on a ranch near Avon), and crafted an image of himself as a wild mountain man, which was mostly true. John worked hard and played hard.

Frontier Town was advertised and promoted widely. Some may recall the log billboards which Quigley erected along Montana highways.

From 1951 -54, Walter and Doris Marshall operated a summer theatre at Frontier Town, utilizing a large rotating stage which John Quigley fashioned out of logs. The Marshalls went on to open the Old Brewery Theatre in Helena in 1954.

Numerous celebrities visited Frontier Town, and it was the go-to place for a unique and memorable Montana experience.

John and Sue Quigley

Many people ask why Frontier Town is no longer open to the public, but the reality is that its days as an attraction have passed. Making Frontier Town pay required a special dedication that could only come from John Quigley and his family. The page is turned, but many memories of that extraordinary place, and the man who built it, remain. Here is a brief history of Frontier Town's final chapter...

John Quigley died of cancer in 1979. His daughter Kitty Ann Quigley Taaler and husband Aavo moved to Frontier Town from their home in British Columbia, and partnered with John's widow Sue in operating the attraction.

In 1992, Sue Quigley chose to sell out to Richard Pegg, who auctioned off John Quigley's extensive western antique, art and heirloom collection in 1994, destroying much of Frontier Town's unique character. Pegg had continuing financial troubles, and the resulting convoluted and protracted legal problems culminated in a neglected Frontier Town being sold at a sheriff's auction in 2001 for $190,000. The buyer was Tom Battershell, who has made Frontier Town a private residence, working hard to protect and preserve the structures.

Quoting Kitty Ann Quigley Taaler in the 12/14/2005 Independent Record:

"The Tom Battershell family bought a shell of a maintenance nightmare, Frontier Town. Aavo and I could have bought Frontier Town, but there was no way we could afford to work for years without income, bringing Frontier Town back to it's old glory and it's Quigley reputation....Nobody but the Quigleys, Taalers, and our generation of friends know what the real old glory of Frontier Town was."

Although the narration and background music leave something to be desired, this video gives us a glimpse of John Quigley's remarkable accomplishment as it appeared in later years.

Shown is Quigley's animated roadside attention-getter. Carved from pine logs and powered by electric motors, it depicted a grizzly bear about to attack a lumberjack and his dog. The figures jerked mechanically -- the man raising his axe, the dog jumping, and the bear lunging -- while a loud tape-recorded loop of growling bear and barking dog sounds echoed across the mountains. How could you not stop for that? Many thousands did.

These tokens were purchased upon entering and used for trade. Of course, many were never used and were carried away as souvenirs. The copper tokens, about the size of a half-dollar, were $1.00 each.

The main attraction at Frontier Town was undoubtedly the 50-foot-long split log bar, made in 1951-52 from a single Douglas Fir.

No matter which way you were traveling from Frontier Town, you had to descend a 6,000-foot mountain pass on a winding two-lane road, so naturally you had a drink or two. The altitude helped to boost the effects of the alcohol, which added to the fun of your descent.

The bar had highly detailed animated Old West dioramas across the back, which could be activated by inserting coins into metal boxes on the wall.

At the far end of the bar was a cozy nook with comfortable rustic chairs in front of a warming stone fireplace. The stone steps leading up to the restaurant were adjacent to the sitting area.

Mounted on that end of the bar was a small bronze sculpture of a cowboy cooking with a
skillet over a tiny natural gas flame. If the bartender noticed someone admiring the cowboy, he'd tell them to look very closely at what he was cooking. When the subject peered into the little pan, the bartender would trigger the cowboy to spit a jet of ice-cold water onto the rocks in front of him, splattering the face of the unsuspecting tourist.

From left to right are: Walter H. Marshall, John Quigley. The third man from the right is early cowboy motion picture star Edward "Hoot" Gibson. Sue Quigley is the barmaid.

Numerous celebrities visited Frontier Town over the years, including Billy Graham (although he probably didn't saddle up at the bar).

The upstairs restaurant was also noted for its construction and decor. John Quigley could be found tending this fireside, chatting with diners and giving kitchen tours. The dining room suffered a major fire in 1975, but was rebuilt.

Pictured is Scott Weaver, a longtime employee of Frontier Town. John Quigley had a large collection of historical items and memorabilia. Among them was this safe, said to be the first in Montana Territory.