South Side in Billings in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Yukon Bar

Billings Old Town Historic District

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020

1. Yukon Bar Marker

Inscription. Once considered the “wrong side of the tracks,” Minnesota Avenue was known for its many bars, brothels, cigar stores, and Chinese restaurants. (Chinese districts often bordered red light districts, serving inexpensive food to the working women and other patrons.) Around 1893, German saloon keeper and landlord Nicholas Klos built this small brick building, which is among the oldest commercial structures in Billings. He converted it into two storefronts by 1896. Characteristically, one side housed a saloon, the other a cigar store. He removed the interior wall around 1900, when Frank Young opened a Chinese restaurant. The building later became a billiards hall. In the 1920s, Keene Auto Company remodeled and expanded the premises for a service station and auto repair shop. Prohibition ended in 1933, and the business returned to its roots when the Yukon Bar opened two years later. The Yukon, open into the 1980s, became a Billings institution—a place where tourists went to gawk and sheepherders to drink. An extensive restoration project, completed in 2008, replaced missing and altered architectural elements. The storefront now

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looks much as it did in 1901.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 45° 46.83′ N, 108° 30.223′ W. Marker is in Billings, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It is in the South Side. It is on Minnesota Avenue near North Broadway, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2720 Minnesota Avenue, Billings MT 59101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Yellowstone Country.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Crystal Saloon (a few steps from this marker); Armour Cold Storage (a few steps from this marker); Billings Old Town Historic District (within shouting

Yukon Bar and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020

2. Yukon Bar and Marker

distance of this marker); L and L Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Selvidge/Babcock Building - circa 1925 (about 400 feet away); The Stockman Bar - circa 1945 (about 400 feet away); The 2700 Block, Montana Avenue - circa 1909 (about 400 feet away); Oliver Building (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Billings.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 519 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 29, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.