Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 111 a Montana Department of Transportation sanding pit is all that marks the site of what a Chicago Tribune reporter called "the wickedest city in America." Built to serve the men building the Milwaukee Road, Taft had every accommodation a hard-working man could want back in 1908. Named for then-Secretary of War William Howard Taft, the town met its comeuppance when the devastating fires of 1910 burned Taft to the ground. EXIT 10, Saltese, takes you to an old mining town with a good reason to get off the highway. The Old Montana Bar and Café was built originally around 1910 and was a popular place among people in neighboring Idaho's Shoshone Coun- ty. The bar was open later than Idaho allowed, and the gam- bling went on after Idaho outlawed that activity. The original bar burned to the ground in 1996 but has since been rebuilt and serves fine meals along with its drinks. And yes, the pok- er machines are active again. EXIT 16, Haugan, is another Milwaukee Road town de- stroyed by the 1910 fire. Hau- gan may be the most adver- tised exit in Montana. Many Montana towns have a Silver Dollar Bar, but Haugan is home to The 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar. The bar, with its at- tached gift shop, café, and adjoining motel and gas station, is indeed home to over 50,000 silver dollars on display in the bar and around the walls. I always take guests there. EXIT 16 is also the exit for the Historic Savenac Nursery. Built in 1907 and active through 1969, the former Forest Ser- vice Nursery now serves as a picnic area and interpretive center honoring forest work and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The next five exits, 18 through 30, serve mainly as ways for fishermen to get to the St. Regis River. Exit 22, Henderson, does lead to the Camelback Road, the old Highway 10, which was used as a detour to St. Regis while the interstate was being built through the St. Regis River canyon.

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