The Original Montana Club, founded in 1885 in Helena, Montana Territory, stands as a timeless beacon of legacy, exclusivity, and authentic Montana hospitality. Established by fifty influential gentlemen—including attorneys, bankers, mining and livestock magnates, politicians, transportation leaders, wholesalers, and self-described capitalists—it was designed as a private enclave for literary pursuits, mutual improvement, and social fellowship, inspired by the English model of gentlemen’s clubs adapted to the American frontier. For nearly 140 years, the Club has been a cornerstone of Montana’s cultural and architectural heritage, once the longest-continuously operating private social club between Minneapolis and Seattle. Today, having emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership, it thrives once again as a vibrant private members’ club, while inviting the public to experience its historic Rathskeller bar, the charming Garden Room, and the soon-to-open fine dining restaurant, and public space to showcase the gilded age ensuring its traditions endure for generations to come.
The Club’s illustrious history is intertwined with remarkable figures who served as its presidents, many of whom were pivotal in shaping Montana’s early development. Notable among them were territorial leaders like Samuel T. Hauser, a prominent banker and former territorial governor, and A. J. Davidson, the Club’s inaugural president. Over the decades, the presidency has been held by visionaries in business, law, and public service, reflecting the Club’s role as a hub for intellectual exchange and networking among the state’s elite.
The Club’s iconic six-story stone and brick Clubhouse, rebuilt in 1903-1905 after a fire destroyed the original 1893 structure, was masterfully designed by renowned architect Cass Gilbert. Known for his Beaux-Arts style and landmark works such as the Minnesota State Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the Woolworth Building in New York City, Gilbert infused the Montana Club with elegance and grandeur. Local materials shine throughout: bricks from Helena’s Western Clay Manufacturing Company and granite quarried near Baxendale. Highlights include the majestic second-floor Dining Room, adorned with a replica of Charlie Russell’s “When the Land Belonged to God”; the wood-paneled Russell Room, featuring reproductions of the cowboy artist’s works; the sunny Classical Revival-style Garden Room (formerly the Oval Room) on the sixth floor, offering stunning views of downtown Helena; and the Banquet Hall, with its Jacobean-Tudor fireplace, custom light fixtures, and 25 stained-glass windows depicting Montana’s early history—from Native American scenes to gold miners and stagecoaches. The subterranean Rathskeller, Montana’s only one of its kind, retains original features like Kessler brick fireplaces, faux leather walls, leaded glass ceilings, and historic light fixtures, making it a beloved spot for live music, gatherings, and spirited events.
No figure embodies the Club’s enduring spirit more than Julian Anderson, its legendary bartender who served for an extraordinary 60 years from 1893 until his passing in 1962 at age 102. Born in Hamburg, Germany, to parents who were formerly enslaved in Virginia, Anderson honed his skills as a bellhop in Denver and at a bakery in Laramie, Wyoming, before becoming a Helena institution. A teetotaler himself, he authored “Julian’s Recipes” in 1919—one of the last cocktail books before Prohibition and only the second by a Black bartender in America—featuring classics like the Sazerac, Daiquiri, and the Montana Club Cocktail. His signature Mint Julep, crafted with bourbon, brandy, Jamaican rum, sugar, and fresh mint from his own garden, was hailed as “the mother of all mint in Helena” and remains a Club tradition. Anderson navigated the Club through financial panics, a pandemic, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and two World Wars, earning acclaim as “the master of mixers.” He delighted luminaries such as Mark Twain, William Jennings Bryan, Prince Olaf of Norway, and Belgian royalty, with Theodore Roosevelt as his favorite patron.
The Montana Club has welcomed an array of distinguished visitors, including U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who dined here in 1900 and 1903, forging lasting ties to the nation’s history. Other notable guests have included literary icon Mark Twain and political orator William Jennings Bryan, adding to the Club’s aura of prestige. Its cultural footprint extends to literature and film, with a memorable mention in Norman Maclean’s semi-autobiographical novel A River Runs Through It—and its 1992 Robert Redford-directed adaptation—where the Club is evoked as a symbol of Montana’s gilded past, built by rich gold miners.
Today, the Montana Club continues its mission of enlightenment, upliftment, and fellowship, blending historic ambiance with superb dining, dynamic events, and year-round programming. As a shareholder-owned cooperative, it honors its roots while embracing the future, offering exquisite cuisine in settings like the Rathskeller’s cozy nooks, the Garden Room’s panoramic vistas, and the upcoming fine dining restaurant. Whether for private members or public guests, the Club remains Helena’s finest venue for connection, celebration, and the timeless allure of Montana’s heritage.
