The Oxford Saloon in Missoula, Montana

March 21, 2020

The Oxford Saloon in Missoula has been open since 1883 and has been open 24 hours a day for decades.

The Oxford has been around since before Grandad was riding around the mean dirt streets of Helena on horseback. The Oxford was open while my Great Grandad was roaming about between the Helena Valley and Elliston. We can even somewhat surmise that the Oxford might even be older than dirt when you stop to consider the generations of Montanan’s that have come and gone since it’s opening.

The Oxford is known far and wide in the Treasure State and beyond.

I’ve been in the Oxford at 2 in the afternoon, and at 2 in the morning. It’s a pretty hopping place during homecoming as well, with tipsy college kids milling about looking for a neat snack.

When Covid came around, the Oxford, like all restaurants in Missoula were told to close their dining room during the closures, and they were happy to oblige but they couldn’t find the keys, so being since this is Montana, a simple hand written closed sign was hung on the door instead.

As an aside … One of my dear followers on the Twitters pointed out the fact that the Oxford did change their locks in order to accommodate the Covid closure mandates — However, it took the Oxford a few days or so to do it because everybody was closed due to the mandates .. in the meantime, a simple “closed” sign was posted initially.

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The Oxford Saloon & Cafe, located in the heart of downtown Missoula was established in 1883 and is open 24 hours a day, all through the year.

The Ox has been open 24 hours a day for so many years that there are no keys for the entrances.

The Ox, as it is affectionately referred to by locals, has been highlighted in several national publications throughout the years as a “must see”.

It will surely prove to be one of the most interesting stops for any visitor passing through Western Montana.

The patrons are an eclectic mix: from local businessmen grabbing lunch to cowboys and bikers.

Locally it is known for gambling machines 7 days a week and its extensive menu including their infamous gigantic 1/2 lb Ox burgers, 1lb rib-eye steak dinners and chicken fried steak with JJ’s special gravy.

The Oxford Saloon

The Ox is located at: 337 N. Higgins Ave. (Corner Higgins & Pine) Missoula, Montana

View the menu online at: https://the-oxford.com/menu/

Have any interesting stories or memories of the Ox to share?

Sound off in the comment section below.

Thanks for the read.

Happy Trails

Lewistown, Montana (a short history)

Alan

December 11, 2019

Lewistown, first called Reed’s Fort for Maj. A. S. Reed, who opened the first post office in 1881, began as a small trading post on the Carroll Trail between Helena and Crow Island at the mouth of the Musselshell. When it was incorporated in 1899 the name was changed to honor a Major Lewis who in 1876 established Fort Lewis two miles to the south. Until the arrival of the Central Montana (Jawbone) R.R. in 1903, which brought homesteaders to the Judith Basin, Lewistown was merely a freighting and trading center for cattlemen and miners.

An incident of the settlement’s roaring days is related in the Journal of Granville Stuart (see notes below). Large scale rustling was causing so much trouble for central and eastern Montana that in April 1884 the Montana Stock Growers’ Association, in convention at Miles City, was forced to consider the situation. Afraid of precipitating a range war, the majority voted to take no action against the cattle thieves, despite vigorous protests from Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores. The rustlers extended their activities. Groups of desperate ranchers united and took matters into their own hands, catching and hanging a few of the thieves.

On July 4, 1884, a couple of suspected ringleaders, Edward (Longhair) Owen and Charles (Rattlesnake Jake) Fallon, who were more villainous-looking than even their motion-picture successors, rode into town. After they had lost most of their money on a horse race, and had become very drunk, they thrashed one citizen and started to shoot up the town. Local men, armed with Winchesters, quickly took positions in stores and saloons along the single street. Rattlesnake Jake started to leave town, but, seeing Longhair wounded, fought his way back to him; the two continued firing until they could no longer pull a trigger. Rattlesnake Jake received nine wounds, Longhair eleven. Their last stand was made in front of the tent of an itinerant photographer, who photographed the bodies where they fell, to his profit. The aroused ranchers continued the clean-up until large-scale cattle thievery in Montana ended.

Lewistown is the county seat of Fergus County, Montana. Lewistown is surrounded by large cattle ranches and wheat farms and is still a major trading center.

The Croatians from Bribir near the Adriatic did much of the town’s stonework and the high quality interiors of the buildings were crafted by Norwegian and other highly skilled workers. Together, they add a distinctive, lasting imprint on the beauty of the town.

Montana Fun Facts!

The largest snowflake ever observed was 38 cm wide was recorded in Montana on January 28, 1887.

Montana holds the world record for the greatest temperature change in 24 hours. On January 14-15, 1972, the temperature went from from -45°F to 49°F a whopping 103 degrees in Loma!

At the Rocky Mountain Front Eagle Migration Area west of Great Falls more golden eagles have been seen in a single day than anywhere else in the country.

Notes:

Granville Stuart (1834-1918) was a prominent rancher and historian in Montana.

Granville Stuart was born August 27, 1834, near Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia, to Robert Stuart and Nancy Currence Hall. He was the second of five children. Stuart left Iowa in 1852 with his brother James to seek a fortune in the gold fields of California. They traveled with their father, Robert Stuart, from the American Valley (Quincy) to Bidwell Bar, then on through Morris Ravine near Cherokee, finally arriving at Sam Neal’s ranch near present-day Durham. He and his brother moved up the mountain to Dogtown trying their luck in several different mining ventures. After prospecting all over northern California, Stuart eventually ended up in Montana, becoming the state’s largest cattle owner in the 1880s. A horrible freezing winter later killed his entire herd. In 1862, Stuart married Awbonnie Tookanka, and had eight children with her before her death in 1888. On June 8, 1890, he married Allis Isabelle Brown. Stuart became the state librarian for Montana and wrote several books describing his Western experiences before he died on October 2, 1918, in Butte, Montana.

Christmas Canon by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Alan

November 11, 2019

Christmas Canon by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra here is remastered in video HD – “Christmas Canon” from ‘The Christmas Attic’ (1998). “Christmas Canon” is set to the tune of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D”.

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Paul O’Neill founded Trans-Siberian Orchestra with the vision “to create a progressive rock band that would push boundaries further than any group before.” With more than 10 million albums sold and having played live to over 15 million people, TSO has inspired generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of the rock opera and has become one of the world’s top touring acts in the process.

Stay In Touch:

Website: https://www.trans-siberian.com/
Tour Dates: https://www.trans-siberian.com/tour
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transsiberianorchestra/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/trans-siberian-orchestra
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trans_siberian

Lyrics:

Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas (the joy that he brings) Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas (the joy that he brings) Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas (the joy that he brings) Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas (the joy that he brings) Merry Christmas
This night we pray our lives will show this dream he had
Each child still knows
This night we pray our lives will show this dream he had
Each child still knows
Our lives, will show (he had)
This dream, he had (our lives)
Each child, still knows
Our lives, will show (he had)
This dream, he had (our lives)
Each child, still knows
We pray (on this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night)
(Our lives) our lives
(On this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night) will show
He had (on this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night)
(Our lives) each child
(On this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night) Still knows
(He had) this night, we pray (our lives) (on this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night)
Our lives, will show (he had) (on this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night)
This dream, he had (our lives) (on this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night)
Each child, still knows (on this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night)

HB192 passes House & Senate – Criminalizes non-consensual pornography

Alan

April 14, 2019

HB192 passed it’s 3rd reading as amended by the state Senate and was signed by the speaker on Monday April 8th —

HB192’s primary sponsor was Marilyn Ryan (D) HD 99 Missoula.

House Bill 192 would make sharing non-consensual pornography criminal in the State of Montana.

Rep. Marilyn Ryan, D-Missoula said a person’s first and second violation would result in misdemeanors. The fines range from $500 to $1,000, and perpetrators could be held in county jail for up to a year. A person’s third violation would result in a felony, and offenders could face up to five years in the state prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Read the bill HB192

Montana is now the 42nd state in the Union to criminalize non-consensual pornography with the passage of HB192.

HB192’s passage was assisted greatly with help from the testimony of the victims directly affected by the distribution of their nude photos without their permission, thus violating their right to freedom and personal autonomy.

The ACLU’s SK Rossi seems to think the the bill is too harsh, but also that Montana did need a non-consensual pornography law of some sort while emphasizing the rights of the defendant should be more highly regarded.

Coffee is health food: Myth or Fact?

Alan

March 24, 2019

Coffee is health food: Myth or Fact? Coffee may taste good and get you going in the morning, but what will it do for your health?

A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes.

“There is certainly much more good news than bad news, in terms of coffee and health,” says Frank Hu, MD, MPH, PhD, nutrition and epidemiology professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Researchers don’t ask people to drink or skip coffee for the sake of science. Instead, they ask them about their coffee habits. Those studies can’t show cause and effect. It’s possible that coffee drinkers have other advantages, such as better diets, more exercise, or protective genes.

So there isn’t solid proof. But there are signs of potential health perks — and a few cautions.

If you’re like the average American, who downed 416 8-ounce cups of coffee in 2019 (by the World Resources Institute’s estimates), you might want to know what all that java is doing for you, or to you.

In 2005, Hu’s team reviewed nine studies on coffee and type 2 diabetes. Of more than 193,000 people, those who said they drank more than six or seven cups daily were 35% less likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who drank fewer than two cups daily. There was a smaller perk — a 28% lower risk — for people who drank 4-6 cups a day. The findings held regardless of sex, weight, or geographic location (U.S. or Europe).

How might coffee keep diabetes at bay?

“It’s the whole package,” Hu says. He points to antioxidants — nutrients that help prevent tissue damage caused by molecules called oxygen-free radicals. “We know that coffee has a very strong antioxidant capacity,” Hu says.

Coffee also contains minerals such as magnesium and chromium, which help the body use the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar (glucose). In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its ability to use insulin and regulate blood sugar effectively.

It’s probably not the caffeine, though. Based on studies of decaf coffee, “I think we can safely say that the benefits are not likely to be due to caffeine,” Hu says.

Coffee may also counter several risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

In a study of about 130,000 Kaiser Permanente health plan members, people who reported drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day were 20% less likely to be hospitalized for abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) than nondrinkers, regardless of other risk factors.

And, for women, coffee may mean a lower risk of stroke.

In 2009, a study of 83,700 nurses enrolled in the long-term Nurses’ Health Study showed a 20% lower risk of stroke in those who reported drinking two or more cups of coffee daily compared to women who drank less coffee or none at all. That pattern held regardless of whether the women had high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and type 2 diabetes.

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases

“For Parkinson’s disease, the data has always been very consistent: higher consumption of coffee is associated with decreased risk of Parkinson’s,” Hu tells WebMD. That seems to be due to caffeine, though exactly how that works isn’t clear, Hu notes.

Coffee has also been linked to lower risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. A 2009 study from Finland and Sweden showed that, out of 1,400 people followed for about 20 years, those who reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee daily were 65% less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared with nondrinkers or occasional coffee drinkers.

Cancer

The evidence of a cancer protection effect of coffee is weaker than that for type 2 diabetes. But “for liver cancer, I think that the data are very consistent,” Hu says.

“All of the studies have shown that high coffee consumption is associated with decreased risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer,” he says. That’s a “very interesting finding,” Hu says, but again, it’s not clear how it might work.

So what say you? Coffee is health food: Myth or Fact?

Sound off in the comments below.