The American West’s urban undergrounds are laced with mystique and lore. Well-known historic undergrounds exist in cities such as Portland, Pendleton, Seattle, Boise, and Butte. Tales exist of secret underground passages to houses of prostitution, Chinese opium dens, and Prohibition-era alcohol smuggling operations. While in some cases these stories are based in fact, it appears that many underground spaces were less nefarious than imagination might suggest.

The Crystal Barber Shop was located beneath the Montana Block, now known as the Montana Building, circa 1912. This barber shop was accessed from stairs descending into the sidewalk vault of the Montana Block on the East Broadway side of the building and was located partially under the sidewalk in the vault then extending into the basement. Part of the tile floor visible in the historic photo still exists today in the basement of the south addition to the building, completed between 1956-1958 despite the fact that fire gutted the Montana Block not long before the addition was constructed.

Prepared by Nikki Manning, Anthropology graduate student at University of Montana. Information derived from James McDonald of A&E Architects and the Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory completed by the Missoula Office of Planning and Grants. Historic photos from the University of Montana Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections.

Credits and Sources:

Nikki Manning, University of Montana.