Wild West has become a legend, but the real world of the American frontier played out just a short time ago. The app includes haunted saloons, bars, and the hotels they reside in, as well as ghost towns of the Old West. More information Well, there just ain’t no talkin’ about the Old West, without mentioning the dozens, no hundreds – er, thousands of saloons of the American West. Your email address will not be published. Apr 2, 2013 - The Old West made the saloon cowboy the icon that they are today. While they might have been scorned by the “proper” ladies, the saloon girl could count on respect from the males. Sexual assault was rampant in the Old West, with few laws to protect women—especially working girls. Saloons of The Old (and New) West A mobile app that specializes in saloons, bars, and watering holes west of the Mississippi River. Scopri Saloons of the Old West [Paperback] by Richard Erdoes di : spedizione gratuita per i clienti Prime e per ordini a partire da 29€ spediti da Amazon. Writer Nancy Williams is one of many who claim sexual assault was prevalent in the Old West. The Crystal Palace Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona Territory in 1885. Others are around the West. The Western saloon world was filled with different vices as much as violence. With their varied and often shady backgrounds, curiosity was considered impolite. She’s the popular historian, author of Tombstone’s Treasure and The Wicked West, a woman with a passion for boozers, cruisers, gamblers and saloons. Within five years Abilene was a growing community of about 3,000 residents and eleven saloons. The Old West setting is so authentic and entertaining that you might not even notice the ka-ching of the machines in the casino next door. Cafe doors are designed to allow easy passage between two rooms, or from the outside to the inside, by using bidirectional hinges. They were about more than drinking; from the 1860’s through 1920, they dominated social life for the laboring majority building a new industrial nation. Before then, folks in the Old West didn’t expect their beer to be cold, accustomed to the European tradition of beer served at room temperature. Their job was to entertain the guests, sing for them, dance with them, talk to them and perhaps flirt with them a bit – inducing them to others in the bar, buying drinks, and patronizing the games. There were numerous killings inside of these Old West saloons. It opened in 1822 and served drinks mostly to fur trappers. Saloons of the Old West The Klondyke Dance Hall & Saloon in 1909 Seattle, Washington. However, the image of Old West saloons remained iconic to American culture and has been preserved through numerous films and books. They were practical because they provided easy access, cut down the dust from the outside, allowed people to see who was coming in, and provided some ventilation. Don't leave without sticking a dollar to the ceiling. Desert John’s Saloon in Deerlodge, Montana. Over 1.5 million head of cattle was driven up the cattle trail which became known as the Chisholm Trail. Mammoth Saloon, Goldfield, Arizona by Kathy Weiser-Alexander, “Sometimes too much drink is barely enough.” — Mark Twain. Saloons were very important in Old West communities, and the drunkenness of the communities was a major concern for morals, and for families. Saloons of The Old & New West. Another custom was the expected offer to treat the man standing next to you to a drink. The Northern, Wyatt Earp’s saloon in Tonopah, Nevada, c.1902. Shorter than full height, they are situated in the middle of the frame. The most popular term for the libation served in saloons was Firewater, which originated when early traders were selling whiskey to the Indians. by Bridget Johnson. It's recent enough that we even have photographs of the families that traveled out and the lives they made, little glimpses into life in the real Wild West. 1906. Saloons of the West did not welcome other races. They were in places in the Southwest where Mexican cantinas had already popped up, but the saloons were the dirty pulsing heart of the frontier, especially as the number of pioneers steadily grew. Whiskey sold to the customer was marked up 30-60% over its wholesale price. Required fields are marked *. The very term “saloon” itself, conjures up a picture within our minds of an Old West icon, complete with a wooden false front, a wide boardwalk flanking the dusty street, a couple of hitchin’ posts, and the always present swinging doors brushing against the cowboy as he made his way to the long polished bar in search of a whiskey to wet his parched throat. The first western saloons really didn’t fit our classic idea of what a saloon looks like, but rather, were hastily thrown together tents or lean-to’s where a lonesome traveler might strike up a conversation, where a cowman might make a deal, or a miner or a soldier might while away their off-hours. Mr. Kerr had been one of the original stake holders back in 1879 when the mining boom first started. If a stranger arrived and didn’t make the offer, he would often be asked why he hadn’t done so. A Western saloon is a kind of bar particular to the Old West. Mining boomtowns were overwhelmingly male, few women were present; in an place like a drinking establishment, it would be unexpected to find a woman not involved in the entertaining of men in some way. Built in c.1860. The popularity of the saloon spread in the wild west so that by 1880, 150 such establishments could be found in Leavenworth, Kansas alone. Mannie Hyman’s saloon in Leadville, Colorado is where Doc Holliday’s last gunfight takes place. Eventually, there was every type of saloon that one could imagine. When America began its movement into the vast West, the saloon was right behind, or more likely, ever-present.  And though the gaming tables and spittoons may be long gone, the tavern or bar remains an establishment that is apparently free from the effects of the economy and will, no doubt, always remain a place where business people continue to make deals and people frequent to chase away their cares. An occasional black man might begrudgingly be accepted, or at least ignored if he happened to be a noted gambler or outlaw. What they were not — were minorities. Our cookies are delicious. These type doors, actually called cafe doors, and sometimes referred to as “batwing” doors, were in fact, found in many saloons; but, not nearly as often as they are depicted in popular movies. Men gathered for a drink in the Road House Saloon, Bluff City, Alaska, ca. Men of the West usually did not drink alone nor did they drink at home, and needing each other’s company, there were a lot of regulars at the many saloons. Any man who mistreated these women would quickly become a social outcast, and if he insulted one he would very likely be killed. I have always been fascinated with "The Old West." In almost every saloon, one could depend on seeing the long paneled bar, usually made of oak or mahogany, and polished to a splendid shine. There was beer too, but unlike today, nobody expected their glass to be ice-cold; the beer was served at room temperature. Saloons of the West Video, produced by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. However, as the settlement became more populated, the saloon would inevitably prosper, taking on the traditional trimmings of the Old West. Interior of Table Bluff Hotel and Saloon in Table Bluff, Humboldt County, California, 1889. By 1893, the situation seemed so out of control that the Anti-Saloon League was established, determined to end the age of uncompromising debauchery. There’s nothing more iconic than watching an old Western film to see a character storm into a saloon, the sun filtering through dusty windows and boots stomping on wooden floors. The first saloon … Other nicknames for these women, who were as much a part of the Old West as were the outlaws, cowboys, and miners, were “scarlet ladies,” fallen angels,” “frail sisters,” “fair belles,” and “painted cats,” among dozens of others. Due to the culture at the time,  respectable women were also excluded. Another of the early American frontier’s saloons was at Bent’s Fort in Colorado, which opened in the latter part of the 1820s. One question many people ask is whether saloons were really adorned with swinging style doors. Contrary to what many might think, the saloon girl was very rarely a prostitute – this tended to occur only in the very shabbiest class of saloons. Historic Saloon, Women & Gambling Photo Print Galleries, Another fun video from our friends at Arizona Ghost Riders: Old West Saloons, Your email address will not be published. Commonly drinks bought for the girls would only be cold tea or colored sugar water served in a shot glass; however, the customer was charged the full price of whiskey, which could range from ten to seventy-five cents a shot. However, if a man came in and confessed that he was broke and needed a drink, few men would refuse him. The house rotgut was often 100 proof, though it was sometimes cut by the barkeep with turpentine, ammonia, gunpowder, or cayenne. These private men of the West were also accustomed to inquiring of another man’s first name only. Apr 13, 2016 - Explore The Old West's board "Old West Saloon", followed by 226 people on Pinterest. The Most Historical Tombstone AZ Old West Saloon Began as the Golden Eagle Brewery Opening July 1880 on Allen & Fifth by Bernhardt Wehrfritz and the Tribolet brothers. Leadville puts Tombstone, Arizona, in the shade, with its 120 saloons, … Earlier, when white men first entered the West, the saloons were, well, functional. It was known under dozens of different names including Firewater, Dynamite, Redeye, or Bug Juice. Another of the early American frontier’s saloons was at Bent’s Fort in Colorado, which opened in the latter part of the 1820s. On the other hand, if he ordered a drink, knowing that he couldn’t pay for it, he might find himself beaten up or worse. Well, whiskey was certainly a favorite but was made of crude alcohol, with the addition of small amounts of chewing tobacco and some burnt sugar–who knows what the taste was like. Before long many of the Old West mining camps such as Deadwood, Leadville, and Tombstone became as well known for gunfights over card games as they did for their wealth of gold and silver ore. Professional gamblers such as Doc Holliday and Wild Bill Hickok learned early to hone their six-shooter skills at the same pace as their gambling abilities. Indians were excluded by law. Though places like Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico already held a few Mexican cantinas, they were far and few between until the many saloons of the West began to sprout up wherever the pioneers established a settlement or where trails crossed. For instance, one would never ask a rancher the size of his herd, which would be tantamount to asking a man to see their income tax return today. In 1876, Bob Younger said, “We are rough men and used to rough ways.” Couple that with the public access, flow of potent whiskey, and the general lawlessness of the times, and the saloon was an inevitable powder keg. Saloons were once everywhere in America, from urban alleys to rural crossroads. Saloons of the Old West [Erdoes, Richard] on Amazon.com. The first saloon was established at Brown's Hole, Wyoming, in 1822, to serve fur trappers. Muddy street scene, Skagway, Alaska, October 1897, during the Klondike Gold Rush. Tombstone has one authentic bar still in action - The Crystal Palace. Author: Elizabeth Hanes. In film, there’s just no better door than the swinging door for the hero to burst into, and for the bad guys to be tossed out through. And cowboys? Interior of the Toll Gate Saloon in 1897 Black Hawk, Colorado. Some didn’t even bother to have a front door that would close. And as for the “respectable women”, the saloon girls were rarely interested in the opinions of the drab, hard-working women who set themselves up to judge them. If a man ordered a “fancy” cocktail or “sipped” at his drink, he was often ridiculed unless he was “known” or already had a proven reputation as a “tough guy.” Unknowns, especially foreigners who often nursed their drinks, were sometimes forced to swallow a fifth of 100 proof at gunpoint “for his own good.”. Established in 1822, Brown’s Saloon catered to the many trappers during the heavy fur trading days. The biggest difference in the American West was the presence of girls in saloons. That was the soldier. In virtually every mining camp and prairie town, a poker table could be found in each saloon, surrounded by prospectors, lawmen, cowboys, railroad workers, soldiers, and outlaws for a chance to tempt fortune and fate. Though the beer had a head, it wasn’t sudsy as it is today. Only a few years later, the Anti-Saloon League became one of the key drivers that paved the way for the age of prohibition. The Pozo Saloon, which is still in business, is on the right. Built in 1858. Most saloons included some kind of gambling including such games as Chuck-A-Luck, Three-Card-Monte, Faro, and usually an on-going game of poker. There were several reasons for this. The Shamrock Saloon in 1905 Hazen, Nevada. Though saloons were the first establishments that would pop up in a new town on the American frontier, as time passed they became notorious. However, there was one type of “white man” that was also generally not welcome. Several noted gunmen of the west owned saloons, tended bar, or dealt cards at one time or another. In a matter of a few years, the community there blossomed and people could opt between at least 30 different local saloons. Old West BeerThanks to Tim at 8bit Chick’n for the collaboration. The first record of a saloon being established in America was Brown’s Saloon at Brown Hole, Wyoming in 1822. Oftentimes, fights concluded outside on the dust-filled streets. In the early California Gold Rush of 1849, dance halls began to appear and spread throughout the boomtowns. Not all saloons employed saloon girls, such as in Dodge City’s north side of Front Street, which was the “respectable” side, where guns, saloon girls, and gambling were barred, Instead, music and billiards were featured as the chief amusements to accompany drinking. "Back then, women didn't report rape, because they … 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Old West. Second Class Saloon, Nome, Alska, July 1, 1901, The Buckhorn Saloon in Pinos Altos, New Mexico. Saloons served customers such as fur trappers, cowboys, soldiers, lumberjacks, businessmen, lawmen, outlaws, miners, and gamblers. There were gambling saloons, restaurant saloons, billiard saloons, dancehall saloons, bowling saloons, and, of course, the ever-present, plain ole’ fashioned, “just drinking” saloons. The Discovery Saloon in Nome, Alaska. But the majority of western saloon regulars drank straight liquor — rye or bourbon. They were regulars in places such as Kansas’s Dodge City. No wonder it took on such names as Tanglefoot, Forty-Rod, Tarantula Juice, Taos Lightning, Red Eye, and Coffin Varnish. After all, this isn’t the Long Branch. Jan 15, 2021 - What an atmosphere! Because the saloon was usually one of the first and bigger buildings within many new settlements, it was common that it was also utilized as a public meeting place. All images are available for photo prints & commercial downloads HERE! And lest we not forget the saloon or dance-hall girl, whose job was to brighten the evenings of lonely men starved for female companionship. The role saloons played in Western communities contributed to the prohibition era, which was a huge part of American history because it helped women gain legitimacy in America and eventually helped lead to their right to vote in 1920. Stop in for a Drink & Grub at Park City, Utah’s Historic High West Distillery & Saloon The Pioneer Saloon: Best Eats in Ketchum Idaho A Night at the Moosehead Saloon in Westlake, Oh *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 13 likes. Another saloon in Downieville, California was not only the most popular saloon in town but also the office of the local Justice of the Peace. Daughter Of The Golden West When this picture was taken in 1919, the last standing structure in Teller, Colorado was the former saloon and dance hall. The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas. Earning as much as $10 per week, most saloon girls also made a commission from the drinks that they sold. Women in Western saloons were the exception, not the rule. A saloon, telegraph office, and wooden water tower along the dirt road of an old American western town, Photo: Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. The Bar Room in 1885 Charleston, Arizona. "The old west" is a bit vague as a category, but I'll speak generally about frontier towns, particularly mining towns, and give some data from Western United States in the 19th century. Also popular was Cactus Wine, made from a mix of tequila and peyote tea, and Mule Skinner, made with whiskey and blackberry liquor. An old Western Saloon has those swinging doors, the decor & interior that shows the authentic, history! In Hays City, Kansas, the first church services were held in Tommy Drum’s Saloon. To convince the Indians of the high alcohol content, the peddlers would pour some of the liquor on the fire, as the Indians watched the fire begin to blaze. When Clara Brown arrived in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1880, she duly noted its saloons like the Oriental were popular and beautiful, but no respectable women dared enter them. It wasn’t until the 1880’s that Adolphus Busch introduced artificial refrigeration and pasteurization to the U.S. brewing process, launching Budweiser as a national brand. Phil Coe, proprietario del saloon Bull's Head di Abilene, Kansas, oltraggiò la popolazione della città facendo dipingere sulla sua insegna la figura di un toro con un pene eretto. Explore 10 true stories of the Wild West, some of them stranger than fiction. (Last Privacy Policy Update July 2020), Byways & Historic Trails – Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. Abilene became known as the “wildest and woolliest” town in the west. The customer generally paid 75¢ to $1.00 for a ticket to dance, with the proceeds being split between the dance hall girl and the saloon owner. Miners favored places like California’s Santa Barbara, especially after gold was found in the area by the end of the 1840s. The Jersey Lilly, Judge Roy Bean’s saloon in Langtry, Texas, c. 1900. The Arcade Saloon in 1898 Eldora, Colorado. Mix blackberry liquor and whiskey, there you have another drink–the Mule Skinner. Along the ledge, the saloon patron would find towels hanging so that they might wipe the beer suds from their mustaches. 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The image of the American frontier and old west saloons, stretching from the latter decades of the 19th century to the early years of the 20th century, is unimaginable without the saloon. A saloon might also be known as a "watering trough, bughouse, shebang, cantina, grogshop, and gin mill". When gold was discovered near Santa Barbara, California in 1848, the settlement had but one cantina. Pictures on the wall, those Western paintings - you can almost hear the old piano tunes playing! Most importantly, it shielded the goings-on in the saloon from the “proper ladies” who might be passing by. We use cookies. If and when it was, it could be very unhealthy for the inquirer, who might end up dead in the street in front of the saloon. Though the “respectable” ladies considered the saloon girls “fallen”, most of the girls wouldn’t be caught dead associating with an actual prostitute. Photo by Tom Blackwell CC BY SA 2.0. Even today, don’t we still see the vestige remains of the Old West Saloon as the professional woman may peer down upon the bar waitress, who may peer down upon today’s prostitute? On the other hand, some crude saloons didn’t have doors at all, as they were open 24 hours a day. Judge Roy Bean and his combination saloon and courtroom were a prime example of this practice. Unless they were a saloon girl or a “shady lady,” women did not enter saloons, a tradition that lasted until World War I. Both men’s and women’s pasts were respected and were not inquired about. 10 Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota. One more popular choice: Cactus Wine, which included tequila as well as peyote tea. There’s only one reason she’d be in a dramshop with a guy like me: I’m dreaming. But after the Civil War, beer started showing up in Western saloons and became very popular, as well. Decorations at these many saloons varied from place to place but most often reflected the ideals of the customers. Holy Moses Saloon, Creede, Colorado, 1890. Built c.1874. Given the makeup of the many men of the West — adventurers, people who “didn’t fit in” in the East, outlaws, and Civil War deserters, they had no respect for the men who “policed the West.” Nor could these independent-minded men respect anyone who was made to “stand at attention” and obey all orders. However, just a few short years later, the town boasted more than 30 saloons. Many were widows or needy women of good morals, forced to earn a living in an era that offered few means for women to do so. A nickel for beer: Life in the Old West's saloons In most western towns, there were more saloons than churches - and they were open 24 hours per day, seven days a week. If a Chinese man entered a saloon, he risked his life. The first “real saloon” was Wyoming’s Brown’s Saloon, close to the border running between Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, at Brown’s Hole. Here, the most regular customers and noise-makers were soldiers. The patrons were a varied lot – from miners to outlaws, to gamblers and honest workmen. The drinks? Well, there just ain’t no talkin’ about the Old West, without mentioning the dozens, no hundreds – er, thousands of saloons of the American West. In 1883, Livingston, Montana, though it had only 3,000 residents had 33 saloons. Encircling the base of the bar would be a gleaming brass foot rail with a row of spittoons spaced along the floor next to the bar. The very term “saloon” itself, conjures up a slide within our heads of an Old West icon, complete with a wooden false front, a wide boardwalk edging the dust-covered street, got a couple of hitchin’ posts, and the always present shaking openings touching against the cowboy as he made his path to the long smoothed table in search of a whiskey to dry his parched throat. Once the cattle began to come to Abilene, things began to change. © Kathy Weiser-Alexander/Legends of America, updated January 2021. After the dance, the girl would steer the gentleman to the bar, where she would make an additional commission from the sale of a drink. After the May 1882 fire it was rebuilt as the Crystal Palace. Some were set up in covered wagons. But, most notable among the many saloons of the West, was the ever-present violence that was instigated or occurred within these establishments. Lots of saloons. In fact, they were hard-pressed to understand why those women didn’t have sense enough to avoid working themselves to death by having babies, tending animals, and helping their husbands try to bring in a crop or tend the cattle. In the old west however, cowboys never had a reputation for being very sophisticated connoisseurs. The woman on horseback on the left may be Josie Earp. Saloons were ever popular in a place filled with soldiers, which included one of the West’s first saloons at Bent’s Fort, Colorado in the late 1820s; or with cowboys, such as Dodge City, Kansas; and wherever miners scrabbled along rocks or canyons in search of their fortunes. Even those with swinging doors often had another set on the outside, so the business could be locked up when closed and to shield the interior from bad weather. Saloons of The Old (and New) West A mobile app that specializes in saloons, bars, and watering holes west of the Mississippi River. See more ideas about old west saloon, old west, saloon. Saloons were ever popular in a place filled with soldiers, which included one of the West’s first saloons at Bent’s Fort, Colorado in the late 1820s; or with cowboys, such as Dodge City, Kansas; and wherever miners scrabbled along rocks or canyons in search of their fortunes.When gold was discovered near Santa Barbara, California in 1848, the settlement had but one cantina. It opened in 1822 and served drinks mostly to fur trappers. The first “real saloon” was Wyoming’s Brown’s Saloon, close to the border running between Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, at Brown’s Hole. Most saloons; however, had actual doors. On one such occasion at a Tucson, Arizona saloon, a man who refused the offer was taken from bar to bar at gunpoint until “he learned some manners.”. Patrons had to knock back the beer in a hurry before it got too warm or flat. Taking swift action upon the green cloth became part of the gamblers’ code – shoot first and ask questions later. Fly. The Bob Saloon in Miles City, Montana, 1880. While these saloons usually offered games of chance, their chief attraction was dancing. Most girls were refugees from farms or mills, lured by posters and handbills advertising high wages, easy work, and fine clothing. In retaliation, the ladies were primarily behind the prohibition movement. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Faro was by far the most popular and prolific game played in Old West saloons, followed by Brag, Three-card-monte, and dice games such as High-low, Chuck-a-luck, and Grand Hazard. Even worse, was refusing a drink, which was considered a terrible insult, regardless of the vile liquor that might be served. Saloons attracted people and people spent money which attracted more businesses and so it went. Saloons of the Old West: Amazon.it: Erdoes, Richard: Libri in altre lingue Selezione delle preferenze relative ai cookie Utilizziamo cookie e altre tecnologie simili per migliorare la tua esperienza di acquisto, per fornire i nostri servizi, per capire come i nostri clienti li utilizzano in modo da poterli migliorare e per visualizzare annunci pubblicitari. Built in 1901. Interior of the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas. Pozo, California in the 1870s. In most places, the proprieties of treating the saloon girls as ladies were strictly observed, as much because Western men tended to revere all women, and because the women or the saloon-keeper demanded it. Saloons also served up volumes of beer, but in those days the beer was never ice-cold, usually served at 55 to 65 degrees. Historic Homes & More 22 Still-Standing Saloons of the Old West Home to revelry, rivalry, and a bevy of brews, saloons were the nexus of social and political life in the Wild West. The first place that was actually called a “saloon” was at Brown’s Hole near the Wyoming–Colorado–Utah border. Still In Business Today> The regulars at saloons often acquired calluses on their elbows by prolonged and heavy leaning on the bar. Gambling at the Orient Saloon in Bisbee, Arizona, c.1900. Beer in the Old West Classic westerns and series like Deadwood and Hell on Wheels would have us believe that the only liquid served at saloons was whiskey, or, rather, a rough approximation of it. A Visit To These 13 Saloons In Arizona Will Make You Feel Like You’ve Traveled Back In Time. Many other acts of violence were instigated in saloons, which wound up with shoot-outs in the street, or public hangings after vigilante groups had formed within a saloon.