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The History of the Mint

The Mint Bar & Theater in Livingston, MT is something of a living legend . Located in the heart of downtown, the Mint Bar's history reads like something out of a wild west tale. Built by the Hefferlin Brois at the turn of the century, the 2 story brick and mortar building was originally a mercantile that sold staples like flour, coffee, dry goods and clothing. The brothers operated the New York Hotel on the top floor. They catered to the wealthy vacationers who were making their way to Yellowstone Park. Being entrapuners the Hefferlin brothers started dabbling in a more lucrative business, alcohol. As the booze flowed, so did the money and the brothers became quite wealthy. At one point they even built an Opera House in Livingston. When in 1919 prohibition became law, the quick thinking brothers schemed and began selling bootleg liquor underground.

It is rumored that the Hefferlin Merchantile got their booze from a shrude and quick-witted woman named Tillie Wallace from Chateau Montana. Tillie was the only woman in Montana prosecuted for running a moonshine operation during Prohibition. Appearing in District Court in Great Falls in 1932, she received a $50 suspended fine and three years probation from a sympathetic judge. By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the mercantile had an established clientele. Clearly Livingston was demanding a local watering hole. Two conductors from the nearby railroad quit their jobs, purchased the Mercantile and opened the Mint Bar. The tavern had the privilege of being issued Montana's first liquor license.

As Livingston advanced and prospered, the American old west remained alive and well at The Mint Bar. The excitement was generated for the most part by railroad workers who frequented the Mint after shift; the Northern Pacific Credit Union was even conveniently located near the back of the bar. But the NP Credit Union and other Livingston banks were not always open when the railroaders (especially the swing shift) got off work, so the Mint began to take up the slack. It has been rumored that from the 1940's to the 1970's the Mint Bar had more cash on hand than some banks in Livingston. Tales of bar fights, 3-day poker games and gun toting outlaws are all that remains from those wild days.

In early 2008 The Mint Bar was purchased by the Moss family from Bozeman MT. In 2009 the bar underwent a historical renevation and reopened the following year as the Mint Bar and Theater. The owners wanted to give a unique experience to it's patrons. The Bar now features historical photographs from Livingston's own Doris Whithorn collection, a 120 year old brunswick bar back, a trough filled with ice which runs the entire length of the bar giving patrons the ability to have a beer on ice at all times. The Mint Theater shows local documentaries, old black and whites, horror movies, cult classics and westerns.