Butte, MT's Connection to Cowichan Bay, B.C.

The Pioneer House Restaurant sits at the south end of a somewhat ramshackle collection of stores and businesses called Whippletree Junction. It is located on the Island Highway between where we live in Cowichan Bay and the city of Duncan. The restaurant, family owned and operated since 1977, has been a favorite place to eat for Paulette and me for over 20 years now. I just recently found out, however, about the connection between it and the town of Butte, MT, it's the beautiful centerpiece of the restaurant - the old saloon bar!

The saloon bar originally stood in the St. Francis Saloon in Butte, MT from 1890-1971


The old saloon bar originally stood in the St. Francis Saloon, in Butte, MT from 1890-1971. The story goes that it was witness to many quarrelsome card games, dancing cancan girls and perhaps even a gunfight or two! The bar is constructed of solid oak and mahogany with hand-carved accents, and still bears the original marks and wood stain. So, how did it get from Butte, MT. to Cowichan Bay, B.C.?

The always busy Pioneer House Restaurant - Prime Rib Special


In the mid 1970s, Whippletree Junction’s founder Randy Streit stumbled upon the bar, still standing proudly in the St. Francis Saloon - deserted, closed and out of business. He found the owner and made a deal to buy the bar. Then, he carefully dismantled the bar, piece by piece, and brought it home to Canada with him.

This Wickertree building came from Duncan's old Chinatown


To house the bar, he sold a piece of property at the Whippletree Junction site on condition that the buyer "build a structure specifically designed to accommodate the bar". The log-style building the owner constructed, the Pioneer House Restaurant, turned out to be a perfect compliment to the St. Francis' old saloon bar! Another nice feature of the restaurant, at the opposite end to the bar, is the floor to ceiling fireplace made entirely out of river rock. This fireplace provides a lot of warmth, as well as ambiance, on cold, wet winter nights.

A ramshackle old 'Fudge and Gift' store at Whippletree


So, if you ever find yourself in the area and are looking for a great place to have breakfast, lunch or dinner - do yourself a favor and try the Pioneer House. If it's dinner your after, and you happen to like Prime Rib, that's the specialty of the house and one of my favorites. The desserts are all home made and the pies are especially good - I'm getting hungry just writing about the place!



Whippletree Junction is the creation of Randy Streit (1937-2001). The name was derived from the horse and buggy era when a "whippletree" was an important harness part to hitch up a horse and wagon. In 1968, he started taking buildings which were destined to be demolished and moving them to their present location. The Wickertree was the first building and it came from Duncan's old Chinatown. Wagon Wheel Antiques was a fish cannery in Sooke. Black Coffee and other Delights was a post office and bank in Cobble Hill.

The 'Black Coffee' building used to be a post office and bank in Cobble Hill


In fact, all of the buildings at Whippletree were constructed of salvaged storefronts and historic buildings giving this collection of stores its own unique look. It has now become one of the many 'tourist attractions' along the Island Highway between Victoria and Nanaimo.

I know that Paulette and I will definitely be making another visit for dinner to the Pioneer House before we head south in early January. I'm already looking forward to their Prime Rib Special and, of course, those wonderful homemade desserts!