Old Missoula

One of the most popular spots in Missoula’s nightlife in the ’50s was the Sunshine Bar, mainly because of the music. Jamie Kelly’s Missoulian article focused on one musical group in particular, the Snake River Outlaws, whose leading lady came to be called the ‘Nightingale of Woody Street’ by some of her fans. Ruby Wilburn and her son were still around to be interviewed for Jamie Kelly’s article and provided a picture of the packed venue. It included a lively mix of Missoulians from that era. A city still home to several lumber mills, a sugar beet factory, loggers, railroaders, cowboys and ranchers and University students and faculty, provided an eclectic mix of customers who seemed to congregate when the music started playing. They even sat outside listening to a KXLL radio live broadcast on Saturday nights. See the link below to Jamie Kelly’s Missoulian article:

http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-s-old-faves-make-return-engagement/article_1194bb6c-ec62-5fa3-8ec8-3475374f62dd.html