search for a real SALOON

[Old TexMex]

Somewhat in line with the post, if you find an honest to goodness bar that has been operating since the late 1800s or early 1900's, keep in mind in many cases the bar itself was shipped overseas from England or the East Coast of the US.

Take pause and think about this a moment. There were no cars, limited rail way. Folks were shipping these bars unassembled over oceans (for England) and then they went on a pack wagon trip to their final destination. I have always been amazed by this and other classic logistics issues...

Old time bars had old time general stores. Can you imagine back then walking into a general store, middle of nowhere, and trying out a Colt SAA???? That would have been such advanced technology. Back to our original scheduled program.

Reminding me! The bar at one of the old places in Quero, Texas was brought over from Austria Hungaria I believe, as was the one that is (was maybe) at the Shiner brewery in Shiner, Texas.
Both came through the now non existant port of Indianola (hurricane of 1895).
(A member here from Shiner might be able to add to this bit, I hope.)

 

[cndrdk]

I looked in my photo album and could not find a photo, although I know I have one somewhere. It was a bar in Logan, New Mexico. Name of the bar was "WHISKEY" and underneath was "the road to ruin". Was listed in phone book (and everyone referred to it) as Road to Ruin bar. Although I have not seen many bars, but this one had the most beautiful old wooden bar. Logan, New Mexico is a small town that was closest to us and about 35 miles from the ranch I grew up on. This is where we went to school

 

[Peak53]

Then there's the ever popular Face on the Barroom Floor at the Teller House Bar in Central City, CO.

Teller House - Wikipedia

I actually worked the Teller House in Central City, CO on the restaurant side as a busboy the summer of my 17th year. Didn't make any college money as planned, but sure had a great time. Seems they had imported some Brigham Young College gals as waitresses that were sort of off the reservation. Other stories on request.

As honorable mention Kochevars (est. 1886) in Crested Butte, CO. Not a cowboy bar, but a miners' bar. I found my missing 5 year old son on a barstool inside being plied with root beer by a couple of kindly gray haired miners after I spotted his big wheel backed up to the curb next to a pair of Harley's about 1981.

 

[Old TexMex]

I actually worked the Teller House in Central City, CO on the restaurant side as a busboy the summer of my 17th year. Didn't make any college money as planned, but sure had a great time. Seems they had imported some Brigham Young College gals as waitresses that were sort of off the reservation. Other stories on request.

As honorable mention Kochevars (est. 1886) in Crested Butte, CO. Not a cowboy bar, but a miners' bar. I found my missing 5 year old son on a barstool inside being plied with root beer by a couple of kindly gray haired miners after I spotted his big wheel backed up to the curb next to a pair of Harley's about 1981.

My nomination for "best grin generating post" to date for '19.

 

[WR Moore]

It wasn't western, but I got taken to a real saloon by a professor back in college. It was in an old, near dead, western PA coal town imaginatively named "Mine Number 5". Location was pretty much middle of nowhere.

Longest bar I've ever seen, allegedly could take an entire mine shift. Located in the basement of a large multi story frame building. The ground floor had-at one time-a general store and restaurant, the next two floors were rooms for miners and the top floor was the local bordello. The bar was the only part still open and I was told the only reason I could even get in was that I was with the prof.

The place was built and run back in the days when company towns were commonplace. I later wondered if the mine paid in company script or dollars, but obviously, the general idea was to reclaim as much of the wages as possible.

I've occasionally wondered if it still exists. If I knew it did, I'd have to take a road trip and try and find it.

 

[Drm50]

We don't have any good saloons left around here. They use to be judged on a "fun scale" by the amount of eye brows, toe nails and teeth they swept up on Sunday morning. We got to much law and you can't have no
more fun these days. Every little mining town had a few. They rivaled the
number of churches.

 

[robvious]

the wife and I are heading to Colorado Springs for a wedding at the end of March... will be taking notes... keep em coming... this is a great thread... especially the big wheel & root beer one... luv it...

 

[twodog max]

Antlers Saloon in Yampa Colorado. Last time I was there it had a hitching rail in front and some cowboys rode up and used it and came in for a beer. It has been a long time since I was there.

 

[Abbynormal]

Saloon #10 in Deadwood, SD. where Wild Bill Hickock died (the one with the chair).

The bar in the Gadsden Hotel in Douglas AZ.

The Teller House Bar with the "Face on the Barroom floor" in Central City, Colorado

The Copper Queen Hotel bar and St. Elmo's in Bisbee AZ.

But, I think the best is the Chrystal Palace in Tombstone,
Cept'n it don't have any Roulette, Keno, Poker, Blackjack or other
gambling memorabilia anymore!!
But it still serves COLD beer and whiskey! Don't ask how I know!

 

[Bat Guano]

I noticed a billboard on the way to Sheridan today that claimed the Mint dated to 1907.

I kind of like the Irma in Cody myself.

 

[EdinDenver]

LOL...they are few and far between anymore...and it's sad. Last I can remember is I bought a property in Leadville, CO - three lots with a house where at least a portion of it went back into the 1800's. It was red tagged and I was working on tearing it down. Got to do it by tying a tow rope to the either the truck or the Jeep and pulling down each side - then loading the pieces and parts on a car hauler trailer and taking it to the dump.

While I was working on it, I had a couple of freinds that wanted to check out the town. First stop was The Silver Dollar. We walked in on Saturday and the (attractive) female bartender was telling us all about the "Sexy Bra Contest" they had they night before...as well as the fist fights that broke out just about every Friday and Saturday night.

We went to the next bar in town, walked in and EVERY BODY in that bar glared at us as we walked in. We backed out of the place.

I ended up hiring "Fuzzy" to finish tearing down the place after calling around to different contractors - one who when I called the person who answered told me the guy killed himself, another who told me the guy was in jail for a few months.

I can remember finished up the tear out of that house (before I had to sell the property because of my own financial problems) that kids would come buy on their bikes talking about the new Subway Sandwich shop that was coming into town and the fact that there was a second traffic light going in next to the Safeway in town.

These days there are micro breweries and more stoplights...and much less character.