Brunswick bars UT OR NV

Shooting Star Saloon - Huntsville Utah
Since 1879, the bar now called the Shooting Star Saloon (formerly
Holkin's Bar and Clarence's) has operated in Huntsville. Each of its
seven owners has left a mark or two on the tavern with the distinctive,
historic vibe. The bar earned its current name many years ago when
a local character named Whiskey Joe was asked to leave. It was
named Holkin's Bar at the time. The sign that said Holkin's Bar had a
star on it. Whiskey Joe got his gun and started shooting the star. So
they changed the name to
the Shooting Star.
The ancient jukebox that still plays 45-rpm vinyl records is another
Shooting Star classic. Sutter inherited that and about 2,000 records
when she bought the bar a little over two years ago (~2011). Tex
Ritter's "Blood on the Saddle," Roger Miller's "King of the Road" and a
ribald drinking song that only locals know about remain the most
popular.
There's
a
National Cash Register
on the back of the bar
that dates back to the
pre-1900s and, much to
the amazement of even the National folks, it still operates
perfectly, a good thing in a bar that only takes cash. There's only
one problem with it: The top amount it can ring up is $2.99.
The bar is known for, a large stuffed dogs head on the wall. At
one time, The Dog was in the Guiness Book as World's Largest
St. Bernard. He weighed 298 pounds in life. For years, the dog
wandered around West Yellowstone, Mont., and became the town's mascot. His owner loved him so much he
had his head mounted after he died in ~1958. The
taxidermist couldn't find a dog head mold big enough for
The Dog's head, so he stretched it instead over one for
a grizzly bear. Some call The Dog, "Buck," but no one
knows the dog's name for sure. He's been a fixture in the
tiny Shooting Star Saloon for more years than anyone
there can remember. The head juts out over "The Buck
Booth," which smart patrons know to ask for. If you didn't
know it was a dog, you'd probably think it was just
another stuffed animal head (this place is dark, and
adjacent are the heads of an elk and a black bear). Owl bar - Sundance Utah
The restored 1890’s bar was moved from
Thermopolis, Wyoming to Sundance. The original
Rosewood Bar was once frequented by Butch
Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Gang.
Sam DeAngelas Saloon - Park City Utah
The Clubhouse - Crooked River Ranch Club & Maintenance
Association, OR
The Crooked River Ranch Golf Course is home to one of the most
spectacular golf holes in Oregon.
From The Crooked River Chronicle, December 15, 1972: Historical
fixtures and furnishings from the famed Hoyt Hotel, in Portland, will
become part of the decor for the clubhouse currently under construction
at Crooked River Ranch. For nearly a decade, until just recently, the
Hoyt was a major drawing card for tourists to Oregon because of its
lavish "gay nineties" and other antique decor. The furnishings were
primarily the collection of more than a quarter century by Oregon lumber
man Harvey Dick. Bill MacPherson, development boss of the ranch,
attended the auction for four days. Among the things he bought were
gaslights, the bar and the ornate back bar. MacPherson plans that the
bar will be installed on the main floor of the new clubhouse for
operation as a "soda bar" for young people. The main bar, 24feet long, is from the famed Barbary Coast area of San Francisco.
It survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. The back bar is from the
mining town of Wallace, Idaho. The historical back bar includes a
"perfect" mirror about 12 feet long. The two huge pieces, bar and
back bar, weigh nearly four tons.
The Hoyt Hotel was built in 1912 at the southwest corner of Hoyt
and 6th Street, directly facing Portland's Union Station, situated
to attract train passengers and crew. Harvey Dick purchased the
hotel in 1941. In 1962, he renovated the hotel and added the
Barbary Coast Lounge and Roaring 20's Room, a nightclub that attracted celebrities such as Johnny Carson,
Duke Ellington, and Anne Francis. Dick closed the hotel in 1972 due to declining business. After the restaurant
and bar closed and the hotel was shut down Multnomah County took over the building for back taxes. They didn't
keep tabs on it and over one winter the pipes on the roof froze. When they thawed water cascaded down through
the building destroying it. There was nothing the county could do but tear it down. The building was demolished
in 1977. The back bar from the Hoyt was apparently saved and is now restored and graces wall behind the bar
in the Golden Valley Brew Pub in McMinnville.
Left Billy's Bar - Beaverton, OR, Closed - Restored bar from Portlands
historic Hoyt Hotel - Polished dark brownish-red wood with curving
ornamentation surround three broad mirrors.
Right Cadigans Corner Bar –
closed – bar and mirror from Hoyt
hotel (so the posting said)
Golden Valley Brewery - McMinnville, OR
The brewery is housed in a 1920’s warehouse that was built with
huge local Douglas Fir post and beam timbers and concrete walls.
Some of the timbers are two feet thick and three feet wide and over
twenty feet long. The
building was basically
a concrete shell when
bought it in 1993 and
converted
into
a
restaurant
and
brewery. The old bar
came from the grand Hoyt Hotel in downtown Portland which burned
down in the early 1960’s (?). The bar was salvaged and stored in a
warehouse in Portland until a contractor found it for us. It is made of
Honduran Mahogany and is 24 feet long and the back bar stands 14
feet high. We completely refinished it by hand after moving it here
in a U Haul from Portland on a rainy Sunday night. I am wondering how many bars were in the Hoyt Hotel? Can you believe everything you read on the internet?
From a post … the bar from the Hoyt Hotel was
moved to the Spaghetti Warehouse near Union
Station in Denver … hmmmm
In 2010 the restaurant had a facelift. They brought in
antiques from a company warehouse in Portland. The renovation did not extend to the Old Spaghetti
Factory's menu, and the massive bar wasn't
touched, either. "It's a great old bar, with lots of
history
The location itself is the historic Cable Building, built
in 1889 this structure marked Denver’s emergence as a major American city with its own cable car system. In
the middle of the restaurant you’ll find Cable Car #54, one of Denver’s original cable cars that families can also
sit in for a unique and fun dining experience. Another hidden treasure is The Jack Dempsey bar, an authentic
handmade antique that traveled around Cape Horn to be placed in a
bar owned by Jack Dempsey in Alaska, relocated to Portland Oregon
and then shipped in one piece to its current location as an Old
Spaghetti Factory highlight.
The Board of Trade Saloon, Nome Alaska is the oldest drinking
establishment in the city of Nome, established in 1898. Some of the
early owners were Jack Dempsey and Tex Rickard (a boxing
promoter for Dempsey). After moving to Alaska in 1895 during the
Gold Rush, Tex earned and lost several fortunes. As owner of The
Northern Saloon in Nome, he befriended famous lawman and
gunman Wyatt Earp. In the fall of 1897, Wyatt Earp and Josie had joined in the Alaska Gold Rush and headed
for Nome in 1899; Earp and partner Charles E. Hoxie built the Dexter Saloon, the city’s first two story wooden
building and its largest and most luxurious saloon. Wyatt and Josie returned to California in 1901 and in 1902,
they arrived in Tonopah, Nevada, where gold had been discovered and he opened the Northern Saloon.
Baldwin Saloon – The Dalles OR
It all began in 1876 with the Baldwin Brothers, James and John, as the original
proprietors of the Baldwin Saloon. With the railroad right out front and the
Columbia River nearby, business at the Baldwin Saloon kept the two brothers
busy, as it was said to be the headquarters for the many men who worked the
river and the railroad. Following the era of the Baldwin brothers, an interesting
fellow by the name of Dr. Charlie Allen operated a saloon in this same building.
Allen was an arrogant man who used the title “doctor”, although his previous
occupation consisted of
simply selling and adjusting
eyeglasses. Allen insured
his time spent at the Baldwin Saloon would go down in history
when he had caduceus (medical insignias) included in the
cast façade that trims the original front of the building. This
cast iron façade was made specifically for this building by
Golden State Iron Works in San Francisco.
Since those times, the Baldwin Saloon building has served
many other purposes including a restaurant, a steamboat
navigational office, a warehouse, a coffin storage site for a
nearby mortuary and a state employment office. In 1962,
Garth and Evelyn Bonney purchased this building for their
business, Bonney Saddle Shop. When the Bonneys retired,
they sold their building to Mark and Tracy Linebarger, new owners with an old business in mind. They restored
the saloon to its original use as a restaurant and bar, reopening on December 15, 1991
Today’s Baldwin Saloon has a simple, yet elegant look that radiates warmth and comfort. Rich mahogany and
golden oak booths and tables are complemented by various brass
fixtures throughout the restaurant. Beautiful turn-of-the-century oil
paintings are all around, and the original brick walls and old fir floor
have been uncovered and given new life. Inside the Baldwin Saloon
are several old fixtures of interest. The most talked about is an 18foot long mahogany backbar made in the early l900s. It features
large columns topped with scrolls and the original mirror is trimmed
with stained glass panels.
A large pendulum clock with local historic significance now hangs in
the Baldwin Saloon. In 1879, this clock hung in the Umatilla House,
another historical
building
which
carries much of
The Dalles’ early history. This unique clock was made in the
early 1800’s and is inscribed “This clock belongs to Judd S.
Fish”, who was one of the owners of the Umatilla House.
At the end of the bar is a big brass cash register that today’s
bartenders use with the same enthusiasm as they did in the
1920s. Nestled up on a ledge above the dining tables is a 1894
Schubert mahogany piano. Weekend evening guests are
entertained by melodies of the past sent sweeping through the
building, creating a genuine feeling for the turn of the century.
Silver Salmon Grille – Astoria OR
The amazing 130 year old antique bar in the lounge is constructed of
Scottish Cherry wood. It was shipped around Cape Horn in the 1880's. It
was first used in Anna Bays Social Club, a house of ill repute here in
Astoria in the latter part of the 19th Century. It was abandoned in the
1920's at the Port of Astoria. In the late 1940's it was found and
refurbished over a three year period and installed in the early 1950's in its
present location, along with the hard to find glass door cooler it rests on.
The building we occupy (The Fisher Building) was designed and built by
John E. Wicks in 1924. It was the home of Thiel Brothers Restaurant for
fifty years, and
was one of the
premier eateries
in the region. In
1974 it was
renamed
The
Brass Rail (after
the brass foot
rail on the base
of the bar) and
was such until a
fire in 1997. It
was renovated
and reopened as
Pacific Pizza and Pasta in 1999 and 2000. Trails End Saloon - Oregon City OR
It housed the city's first grocery store Freytags Grocery in the mid-1800s.
And an old tunnel that was used to transport freight brought up and down
the Willamette River by sternwheelers
was built underneath the saloon. In
1905, this building was the site of a
major fire. It was rebuilt into what you
see today - the last square nailed,
wooden frame, lap-sided structure on
Main Street. The saloon sits in the
middle of the Historic End of the Oregon
Trail location. "The current building still
offers nostalgic charm such as a dimlylit dark wood bar, ceiling fans run by a
conveyor system, and original wagon
wheels," said Linda Temple in a news release. "To this day, it is also a
popular spot for those looking for paranormal activity." Erikson’s Bar - Portland, Oregon
In the last decade of the 19th century, Erickson’s bar of
Portland, Oregon, occupied nearly an entire city block with
entrances on all four sides. Inside, a monumental mahogany
bar ran the length of the block-long barroom from one side to
the other then back again, measuring some 684 feet when
you included connecting bars. It had a reputation as the
grandest and rowdiest workingman’s bar in the nation. The
bar was the vision of August “Gus” Erickson, an émigré from
Helsinki who opened it in the early 1880s. His customers
included, according to various accounts, “loggers in
mackinaws
and corked
boots,”
railroad construction workers, gold miners sitting out the
Alaskan winter, merchant sailors, halibut fishermen, “Chinese,
Malays and Mexicans,” and “drug fiends, thieves, wantons, and
beachcombers.” Erickson’s guests had limitless avenues by
which they could get into trouble and lose a season’s income in
a single night. There was gambling, of course—faro, roulette,
craps and poker—and a non-stop variety show filled a stage,
the accompaniment provided by an extravagant $5,000 pipe
organ.. Erickson employed some 60 bartenders who worked in
two shifts of at least 30. Ericson’s heyday extended into the early decades of the 20th century. It burned in 1912.
The bar was rebuilt even more grandly than before, but was soon after dealt another blow; in 1916 Oregon
passed its own Prohibition. Erickson’s gamely struggled on as a “dry saloon,” The main room diminished over
time as crowds thinned and it was divided up and let out to more viable businesses. The pipe organ was
dismantled and sold and the lengthy bar was whittled down until it was only a tenth of its original size.
At times, the Erickson complex took up almost the whole block between Burnside and Couch streets and Second
and Third avenues. In the 1920s and 1930s, Erickson's checks could be spent at an onsite restaurant, cigar and
fruit stand, a bar, a bathroom, a barber shop, a bootblack stand and beds or rooms at the Pomona Hotel, the
Erickson Hotel and the Dewey House. The Fritz Hotel was also once part of the Erickson's complex. In 1975 an
arson fire at the Pomona Hotel, housed in the Erickson's Saloon building, killed a dozen people. Erickson's
Saloon, sometimes called the Erickson's Café and Erickson's
Working Man's Club stayed open in various guises till the end
of 1980.
The historic Erickson Saloon and Fritz Hotel Buildings have
been transformed from vacant commercial space into 62
mixed-income apartment homes.
The old picture was with the article – not sure if it really was
from this bar.
Fritz Hotel Left
Historical
Oregon Bar
pictures
Santa Fe Club, Goldfield NV
One look at the Santa Fe and you know you’ve found
the real deal. With its Western false front, wooden
sidewalk, and uneven floorboards, the Santa Fe creaks
with authenticity. The saloon was built in 1905 on the
edge of Goldfield’s mining district and has an
impressive Brunswick back bar. Bartender Elaine
Arnold said not a lot has changed at the Santa Fe Club
saloon since 1905. "We've rearranged the dirt a few
times since then," Arnold said of the only saloon and
motel in town.
This County seat was named Grandpah by its
enthusiastic founders in 1902. Two years later Goldfield was producing $10,000 a day, and two years after that
it was a bigger city than Tonopah. By 1910 the Goldfield mines were in decline, but at its peak of prosperity
Goldfield was an eccentric combination of wild western boomtown, and decorous, respectable city. Goldfield was
the largest city in Nevada and the Goldfield Hotel was the most opulent stopping place between Kansas City and
the Pacific Coast. In September, 1913, a flash flood wrenched houses from their foundations and laid waste
whole neighborhoods. In 1918 Goldfield was the stone husk of a city left in the desert to die, and it died badly.
In 1923 a fire blazed up to make ashes of 53 square blocks. The most wonderful relic of the city's past is the
great Goldfield Hotel, at the corner of Columbia and Crook streets. It dominates the city today just as it did in its
prime; it was built in 1908. Spared by flood and fire, the hotel could not survive the decline of the mines, and it
closed in 1936. But it was reopened in 1942 to provide housing for
Army Air Corps personnel sent to the Tonopah Air Base. It closed
again for the last time in 1949 and has never reopened. The Santa
Fe Saloon is one of Goldfield's longest-lived and most famous relics.
Once it served the miners more than drinks, as the small cribs out
back attest.
Still
a
popular
oasis today,
the Santa Fe
is almost as
busy on a peak summer weekend as it was during the
mining bonanzas, and the cribs have been replaced by
a 4-unit motel.
Pioneer Saloon – Goodsprings NV
Built in 1913, the Pioneer Saloon, one of the nation's oldest
stamped-metal tin buildings, is up for sale. The $1.35 million asking
price includes two other buildings, all of the bar's antique fixtures
and, of course, its colorful ghost stories and history. "I am asking
a lot for the place because I want the new owners to be committed
to it living on," said Don Hedrick, whose family has owned the
saloon -- the last remaining commercial business in Goodsprings
-- for 40 years. Hedrick has managed the business on State Route
161, seven miles west of Jean, since his father, Don, died in 1996.
(The Saloon was turned over to its new owner, who was also a long time patron of the Pioneer Saloon, in
December 2006. Less than a year later on October 17th, 2007 the long time, loved, and respected, former owner
Don Hedrick Jr. passed away.)
The Pioneer Saloon was built by George Arthur Fayle,
who had served as a Clark County Commission chairman
and owned the Fayle Hotel in Goodsprings. The saloon
has changed little since indoor toilets were installed in the
1930s. The interior and exterior walls are of stamped tin
and manufactured by Sears and Roebuck. It is thought to
be one of the last, if not the last of its kind in the United
States. The legendary cherry wood bar installed in 1913
was manufactured by the Brunswick Company in Maine in
the 1860's. It was shipped in three sections around Cape
Horn to San Francisco. Two of the sections were lost and
the third became a fixture in a bar in Rhyolite, now a Nye
County ghost town, before it was shipped to the Pioneer.
The saloon gained international attention in 1942 when screen legend Clark Gable hung out there for days after
his wife, actress Carole Lombard, was killed in a plane crash at nearby Mount Potosi. No one is sure whether
Lombard's ghost still wanders into the saloon looking for Gable. But some patrons among today's eclectic crowd
of primarily townsfolk, bikers and tourists swear they share bar stools with spirits. The back room of the Pioneer
is a mini-museum, filled with memorabilia of Gable and
Lombard, historic framed newspaper front pages and old
bottles. In the bar area, the original pot-bellied stove stills
heats the building. Over the years, the Pioneer Saloon's
charm has made it a popular spot for filmmakers.
The town of Goodsprings was originally know as Good's
Spring after its founder Joseph Good. Joseph Good
settled in the area in the 1860's mainly because of the rich
under ground spring. Many of the Cottonwood trees found
in Goodsprings were originally planted by Mr. Good. Goodsprings, Nevada became a booming Mining town in
the early 1900s when the Yellow Pine Mine was established as well as the Fayle Hotel, the General Mercantile
and yes the World Famous Pioneer Saloon. Next to the Pioneer Saloon is the Goodsprings General Store. This
was at one time the Goodsprings Cafe and it is said that George Fayle built the Goodsprings Cafe first and lived
in it while he built the Pioneer Saloon. Later in 1915 across from the Pioneer Saloon Mr. Fayle built a General
Store and Icehouse. The store burned down in 1966 but the icehouse and a storage room still stand to this day.
In 1916 for $27,000 he built the Fayle Hotel. The Hotel had 20 rooms, electric lights, and hot and cold running
water. The hotel unfortunately burned down in 1966
The Silver Queen Saloon - Virginia City NV
Looking authentic, circa 1870s, the Silver Queen (the tallest bar in Virginia
City) contains a spacious saloon and offers a second floor of hotel guest
rooms, promoted as the
location of repeated
spirit manifestations. If
you don't happen to see
a ghost during your
stay, you will not miss
the
giant
woman
standing in the saloon.
Her dress is made from
thousands
of
silver
dollars -and she's always visible. The Silver Queen is 15-ft. tall and 8ft. wide, a ceiling-touching painting of a lady in an evening
gown decorated with 3,261 "Morgan" silver dollars minted in
Carson City (in what is now the Nevada State Museum). Her
belt is fashioned from 28 twenty-dollar gold pieces, and her
choker and bracelets are made from dimes. Visitors pose at
the base of the Silver Queen, and kids count the coins. 1864 Tavern Reno Nevada
New with antique furnishings
Overland Hotel & Saloon - Pioche, NV
Pioche are is said to be haunted, Perhaps the ghostly
happenings of Pioche stem from its wicked past.Pioche was
known as one of the most violent towns of the Wild West and
during its heyday, between the years of 1868 to 1875, some
10,000 miners pulled $100 million worth of silver from the
hills. “During this time, 72 people were murdered and buried
in the Boot Hill Cemetery before anyone died of natural
causes.” The big fire of 1871 started in a restaurant on Main
Street and then spread to the hardware store, where several
kegs full of blasting powder sat behind the steel doors which
caused an explosion and killed 8 people. By 1874, as with all
mining boom towns, findings of high-grade ore became slim
and miners packed up and left town. The Overland Hotel & Saloon was built years later in 1915 and then later
restored.
The historic Overland Hotel & Saloon is dedicated to keeping the look and feel of the beautiful western saloon
of years past. Whether you simply sidle up to our magnificent Brunswick bar for a drink, swap tall tales with the
locals, or spend the night) in one of our thirteen spacious rooms, a visit to The Overland is a must for all those
who want to savor a bit of the Old West.
The Overland Hotel, as it exists now, was built
in 1948. Prior to that it operated as a boarding
house and bar on the same footprint as it is
now. In 1947 there was a terrible fire in Pioche.
It started around the corner from The Overland,
on Meadow Valley St., from a restaurant fire.
About one-third of Pioche was lost in that fire
and three people were killed. The Overland
burned to the ground. The Hotel was rebuilt in
1948, exactly as you see it now. The exterior
walls are poured concrete (18” thick) up to the
2nd floor, and then brick construction on the 2nd
floor exterior walls. The entire exterior was
covered with stucco. From the basement all the
way to the ceiling of the 2nd floor are massive vertical beams that support the entire structure. You can see
some of those beams in the Dance Hall. There is an 8,000 sq. foot cement basement that back in the 1950’s
housed a ¾ size bowling alley and a roller-skating rink. They were closed and removed many years ago.
When the hotel was rebuilt in 1948 the entire side of the ground floor on the
dance hall side was Pioche’s grocery store. On the 2nd floor the whole front of
the building was built to house Pioche’s doctor’s offices, and the rest of the area
was hotel rooms. The saloon was where it is now. The Doctor’s offices closed
down in the 1950’s when the hospital closed. During the 1948 reconstruction
the massive solid cherry wood back bar, front bar and the room registration
area which was an old bank teller’s cage were brought from Kimberly, Nevada
to their new home in The Overland. Also, a coffee shop was built in the back
area of the bar where the “office” is today. In 1976, Mr. Bill Brown purchased the Overland. The grocery store
closed and he built a coffee shop where the gift shop is presently located, and made the “Dance Hall” as it is
now. In 1996, Ron & Candice Mortenson bought The Overland from Mr. Brown and they have restored and
renovated the hotel.
Js Old Time Bistro Dayton NV
Dayton about 10 miles east of Carson City, NV on US50. The
building dates back to the 1800's and has been many things over
the years including a general store and auto repair facility. Ask
the staff about the history of the antique bar which is the focal
point of the restaurant. There is a romantic fireplace as well.
The Art Deco bar at Js' Bistro was purchased online in 2006. It
was commissioned by Schiltz Brewing Co. just after the repeal
of Prohibition and built by Brunswick Callan & Co. in 1933. The
bar was designed for 'Lucky Lady' Saloon in the Pulman District
of Chicago, a working man's pub owned by Schiltz. It was built
of solid Hounduran Mahogany. The Art Deco bar was shipped from Chicago to Mound House, Nevada in 2006,
where it was stored in sections for a year and integrated into the interior design of Js' Bistro during renovation of
the building. It has been retrofitted with state of the art refrigeration, lighting and electric systems.
Currant Inn - Currant NV
Cafe, bar, motel, rv park. Recently closed; it is not
known if it will reopen. It had a great back bar,
originally from a Riepetown saloon. You'll often
hear that US 50 is the loneliest highway in America,
but that's complete BS. US 6 doesn't get a tenth of
the traffic that 50 does. Currant used to provide a
stepping stone near the half way point, but the
owners closed up in the late 90s and never came
back. Year after year nothing changes. Some of
the bottles on the bar still contain booze, remnants
of a last party perhaps? The calendar on the wall
says 1996 and the inspection stickers on the hotel office are even
older.
As "company towns" began to expand in
White Pine County in the early 1900s,
several other communities were developed
to provide additional housing and services
to area miners. But because they were not
subject to the strict laws of company towns,
Riepetown was located 5 miles northwest
of Ely. Originally, Riepetown was a mining town with two grocery stores, a barber shop and numerous saloons,
opium halls, gambling halls, and brothels. By 1909, Riepetown had developed a reputation for being "loose and
sinful" It was decimated by a massive fire in 1917, and though portions were rebuilt, the town gradually
depopulated. By the mid 1990s, only a few building foundations remained on private property. These were razed
by 1995.
Genoa Bar and Saloon – Genoa NV
The building was built in 1853 and was first open for business as
Livingston's Exchange, then renamed "Fettic's Exchange" in 1884
and operated by Frank Fettic. It was well known as a "gentleman's
saloon" back then. It has changed hands many times over the years
and in 1963, was bought by the Bob and Betty Carver family who
ran the establishment until 2000, when they retired and sold the bar
to Willy and Cindy Webb. The top of the bar is original from the front
to mid-way where you'll see a line across it. The medallions on the
ceiling above the lights are original as is the one red oil lamp which
is lit every New Year's Eve. The electric lamps are also original to the bar and were oil but converted to electricity
at the turn of the century.
The Diamond Dust Mirror on the back of the bar came
from Glasgow, Scotland, in the late 1840's. It was shipped
around the "horn" to San Francisco, then brought here by
covered wagon. Originally, there were two mirrors, but one
was sold to a movie company in the 1930's during the
great depression. If you shine a flashlight in the mirror, you
can see the diamond dust! The mirror has only been out
of the saloon three times in its history, the last time in 1910
when it was saved from the great Genoa Fire which
destroyed most of the town.
If you look on the floor on the left side of the pool table, you'll see a trap door which leads down to the cold
storage cellar. Ice was packed in burlap and straw and transported by mule down from two small lakes in the
mountains behind.
Many famous people have visited over the years. Among
them, Mark Twain when he first reported for the Territorial
Enterprise which opened in Genoa before moving to
Virginia City. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore
"Teddy" Roosevelt enjoyed “cool ones”. Carol Lombard
and Clark Gable came here to play high stakes poker
games with the local cattle barons. Among the other
famous and infamous, Lauren Bacall, Richard Boone,
Ronnie Howard, Red Skelton, Cliff Robertson and all of our
Nevada Governors have come
A number of movies have been filmed here including "The
Shootist" with John Wayne, "Charley Varrick" with Walter
Mathau and Joe Don Baker, "Honky Tonk Man" with Clint Eastwood, "Misery" with James Cann, Kathy Bates,
Rob Reiner and Richard Farnsworth, and most
recently, "Till the River Runs Dry" starring AnnMargaret. Musicians seem to gravitate here, Willie
Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Merle Haggard, Waylon
Jennings, Johnny Cash, Slim Pickens, John Denver,
etc
Halleck Bar - Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko NV
The Halleck Bar is an antique wood bar and back-bar that
has been on display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum
since 1970. It was first installed in a “social establishment”
in Halleck, Nevada in 1916. When the bar closed in 1970,
the building and all of its contents were abandoned. Two
Halleck ranchers, Art and Norm Glaser, who had
patronized the bar ... a couple of times ... along with
Charles “Chach” Evans, restored the bar and donated it to
the Northeastern Nevada Museum. They gave the Bar to
the Museum with one condition attached. Each year there
has to be a celebration; this has come to be known as the
Halleck Bar Party.
Beefeater gin, which was the favorite spirit of the original patrons and bar donors, is to be served over the bar to
commemorate good times gone by and the rich
cultural heritage of Northeastern Nevada and its
people. This is an opportunity for members of the
Northeastern Nevada Historical Society and
friends of the Northeastern Nevada Museum to
come together to celebrate, support the Museum
and keep Elko County’s pioneer heritage alive.
The bar of the Manhattan Red Front Saloon, 1905
The Gold Hill Hotel and Saloon - Virginia City NV
Gold Hill Hotel and Saloon has the distinction as being the oldest
existing hotel in Nevada, as it has been serving people since 1861
when it was built after the huge gold and silver discovery was made
in the adjacent mountains.
The current building is a nice combination of the original stone and
brick structure and the various renovations made throughout the
years. As one enters, one passes a quaint outside patio eating
area, before entering the original stone and brick first floor. A
doorway from this
sitting area leads into a fine 1962 brick and hand-laid stone
addition, a cozy bar, with interesting decorum. In 1986, the
owners added a new kitchen and a new dining room off the other
side of the great room. The dining room has lovely windows that
overlook the mountains. There is a winding staircase that
connects the great room to the second floor guest rooms and
hotel office and gift shop. The original five guest rooms are
located over the original great room and new bar. Each has a
verandah/balcony. These original 5 rooms are kept true to their
original design. The original two story building described above
was first known as The Riese House, until 1862 when Horace
Vessy leased the property and built a 3 story wooden building
adjacent to the original building. Offering fine dining and
entertainment as well as rooms, the now Vessy Hotel flourished for
twenty years. In 1887 it changed hands again, and became Capitol
Hotel and Lodging. By 1890, the wooden building put up by Vessy
was completely gone, but the original hotel building was going strong.
During the following years, the building was used as a hotel, a
boarding house, a private residence. In the 1950s it once again
became The Gold Hill Hotel. By 1958, the now sagging hotel was
bought by Fred Doro, who renovated the entire structure, renewing its
rooms and giving it yet another life. Under his watch, the 1962 bar
was also added. In 1986, the hotel was bought by Carol and Bill Fain who not only renovated the place again,
but added the new dining room, kitchen, and 8 new rooms upstairs. They also added the wooden structure that
now wraps around the hotel. Virginia City
1866 Jack's Bar – Carson City NV
The historic building housing Jack's Bar
survived the April 19, 1998 fire in downtown
Carson City. The sign on the vintage structure
at the northwest corner of Carson and Fifth
streets says "A Saloon Since 1859." But the sign
is misleading. While it is true the site of Jack's
Bar has been home to various drinking
establishments since 1859, the current building
only dates back to 1899 when it was first known
as the Bank Saloon. The tavern has been
known by many other names including the Bank
Resort, Hernando's Hideaway, the Y-NOT Bar,
Angelo's, and, beginning in 1966, Jack's Bar.
Less than a year after the founding of Carson
City, a dance hall opened there on July 4, 1859. The two-story frame structure changed hands over the next few
years. By 1862, it was known as the Frisbie Hotel and, in 1873, it was called the Fifth Avenue House. The building
remained the property of the Frisbie family until 1892, when it was torn down, prompting a local newspaper to
observe that the Frisbie building was "one of the oldest landmarks of the city." The lot remained vacant for over
seven years until the Frisbie heirs sold the land to business partners Meyer and Sanger on June 30, 1898. John
Meyer and Elizabeth Sanger had been leasing the Sacramento Saloon on the southwest corner of Fifth and
Carson--where the Ormsby House is today--and now planned to build their own saloon. Composed principally
of sandstone quarried and chiseled at the State Prison, the Bank Saloon opened on August 19, 1899. "Today
Johnny Meyer will open his new saloon and he deserves all success in the new building," reported the Carson
Appeal. "The place is without exception the handsomest building in this city and is an ornament that will remain
for years to come, as it is built of stone and in a substantial manner." Despite at least three fires on the block,
the building has remained standing for over 100 years. The Bank Resort sold bootlegged alcohol during
Prohibition when Pete Pierini and Virgil Buchianeri, Sr. ran the operation, and served as one of the principal bars
adjacent to Carson City's red-light district before the brothels were closed by federal order in 1942. Doug Addison
bought the business in 1977, as part of his “first retirement.” He held onto it until 2002 when he finally closed it
so he could go into a “second retirement” in Virginia City. He died just two years ago. Despite its listing on the
National Register of Historic Places since 1980, the fate of Jacks bar is uncertain. Several experts testified that
the bar could be rehabilitated and brought back to structural soundness, and the current owners have responded
with a half-hearted “Okay. Someday.” They put a few measures in place, like bracing cables to reduce the
likelihood that the south wall will collapse on itself, and boarded up the building.
There was no bar inside and nothing had been done to it as far as restoration up to 2012
Saloon, Carson City, Nevada c.1900
Old Washoe Club - Virginia City NV
McCain sets his beer on the caramel-colored bar, the same one writer Mark
Twain and Civil War heroes Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan slammed
their glasses onto after knocking back shots of whiskey. He kicks his leg
onto one of the bar stools, sucks the end of his cigarette, then blows smoke
into the musty air. As he rubs the gray stubble on his face, he stares into a
mirror attached to the wall behind the bar. Rows of liquor bottles run the
length of the wall underneath the mirror, which was shipped from Europe in
the 1860s. "It was a death sentence if you broke that mirror," said McCain,
who bought the Old Washoe
Club in 1974. "It had to be
shipped from Europe to San
Francisco, then brought over
the mountains. No matter how
much people drank and no
matter how much things got out
of hand, the mirror never got
touched."
The bar's sagging wood floors
were cut from Lake Tahoe forests
in the mid-1800s. Chandeliers from the same era hang from the ceiling, but
the oil baskets have been replaced with electric-powered bulbs. Above the
bar is a vintage crystal wedding basket, and it, too, survived the unruliness of
the bar's patrons, even though a few inches to the left, bullet holes mar the
ceiling's copper tiling. In the back of the building, through a glass door, is the
room where McCain keeps the booze. The
low temperature of the room hasn't changed
much from the town's mining heyday, when
it was used as a morgue. In the winter, it was
impossible to transport dead bodies, so they
were stacked in this room.
Between the old morgue and the bar is
another room with brick walls and a pool table. The room's entrance has a spiral
staircase that leads to the original location of The Millionaires Club, a
prestigious 19th-century society that had three dozen members, including
Grant, Sheridan and Twain, an honorary member because no writer's assets in
the late 1800s totaled $1 million. The original caramel-colored bar from The Millionaires Club on the second floor
was moved to the floor of the Old Washoe Club.
It's the room with brick walls and a pool table that's landed the Old
Washoe Club on the History Channel. When the fire of 1875 roared
through town, all the saloons except the Old Washoe Club burned to the
ground. Many bars quickly rebuilt, including the Delta and Bucket of Blood
saloons, but the Old Washoe Club never had to rebuild because the fire
only entered the building - it didn't consume it. Evidence of the fire's path
remains on the wall behind the pool table where the blackened bricks
from the fire are in plain view. Since the fire spared the Old Washoe Club,
it's been given the title of "Oldest Saloon in Virginia City," which certainly
means something in a town that had scores of drinking establishments in the late 1800s.
The original Old Washoe Club (‘Millionaires club’) was formed and had its club rooms in the Douglas Building
which was built in 1862, by Joe M. Douglas. On June 29, 1873, an explosion rocked Virginia City and the Douglas
Building was one of the buildings that were damaged
as a result. The Old Washoe Club was organized by
39 men on February 20, 1875. According to the Daily
Territorial Enterprise dated October 27, 1875 the
great fire that ravished much of Virginia City - the
Douglas Building was devastated by the fire.
A year later, the club emerged from the devastation on September 3, 1876, the Old Washoe Club
(‘Millionaires club’) was relocated and completed and
members could now enjoy the best of the best on
what this club offered. The Old Washoe Club
continued to be an organization until World War I.
The Old Washoe Club building was built in 1862,
during the heart of the silver rush. Originally built as an office building, it later housed a saloon on the first floor,
as it still does to this day. It was one of the few Civil War era buildings to survive the great fire of 1875, and this
fact led to its history being forever altered when the
“Millionaire’s Club” relocated after the fire from its original home
across the street to the Washoe Club’s second floor.
The Washoe Club is a three story brick structure located in the
Historic District of Virginia City. The first story is currently
occupied by commercial properties while the upper stories are
unoccupied at this time. The building is an un-reinforced
masonry building and, as such, has several deficiencies
relative to its ability to resist seismic events. The Washoe Club
is also one of the most haunted locations in “The West”.
Featured on the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” as well
as SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters”, the building has earned its place
among the elite haunted locations. Three ghosts haunt The Old
Washoe Club; A lovely, blonde apparition, known as the lady in blue, the
specter of a scared little girl, and a grizzled prospector who occasionally
cadges drinks from unsuspecting patrons. These stories and more are part of
the Old Washoe Club.
Virginia City sprang up as a boomtown with the 1859 discovery of the
Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit discovery in the United States,
and numerous mines were opened. At the city's peak of population in the mid1860s, it had an estimated 25,000 residents. The mines' output declined after
1878, and the city
declined. As of 2010
Census
the
population of Virginia
City was about 855.
Bucket of Blood Saloon - Virginia City, Nevada
This structure was constructed in 1876 after the great fire of 1875 which took
up to a thousand structures of the town. Though the building you are
currently viewing has gone through several renovations, iterations and
operations since 1876, it like many of the other Historical buildings
throughout Virginia City
survive as living history.
It boasts original Tiffany
chandeliers.
The masonry walls
predate the great fire of
1875. Shadows of doorways recall a time when enclosed
stairs led down to the Boston Saloon. Until recently no one
realized that the Boston Saloon lay under an asphalt cap to
the rear of the building. The discovery of the Boston Saloon
location in 1997, together with a subsequent test excavation,
demonstrates that the site is rich with artifacts and has
national importance.
Today, the Virginia City National Landmark is one of
the nation’s largest historic districts, soaring to more
recent prominence in the 1960s as the subject of
NBC’s Bonanza series. It includes over five hundred
buildings dating to the time of the great bonanzas,
from 1859 to 1880.
Palace Saloon, Virginia City, Nevada
The building was once the Territorial Enterprise office
1873-75, before the great fire and the building was
burned. In 1876 it was the J Morris and Nathan Dry
goods. It was A Brisacher Wholesale Liquors in 1878,
Victor Jones Liquors in 1880-81 and a Wine house in
1884, In 1886-87 it was a Saloon and from 1887present the Palace restaurant and Saloon.
Delta Saloon - Virginia City NV
The Delta Saloon was put up in 1875 and is located along historic C
Street, where the old businesses from the mining boomtown are. The
Delta Saloon and Casino is home to the "suicide table" where heavy
gaming losses led to gamblers taking their lives in the height of the mining
and milling period. One Black Jake reportedly lost $70,000 in one night
before turning a gun on himself. Two subsequent suicides were said to
have
taken
place by other
owners
but
their names and stories have been lost to history. The
table now sits in the back of the saloon.
The Famous Crystal Bar Virginia City
Nevada
What was once the famous Crystal Bar on
historic ‘C Street’ is now a Chamber Of
Commerce or a Visitor’s Center. What a
shame, because in its day, The Crystal Bar
was something special. It was established in
1867, and the May 27, 1946 edition of Life
magazine featured it as one of the five most
famous bars in America. The Crystal Bar opened in 1867 in the Old
Washoe Club and operated in the building
until sometime in the 1920’s. A “two bit”
saloon, it was known as one of the finest in Virginia City. The
elegant bar, backboard and crystal chandeliers are now down
the street at the Visitor’s Center where the Marks Family moved
them in the 1920’s. (the Banners Brothers Building 1875)
Originally a clothing store operated by Victor & Marcus Banner
in 1868. Rebuilt after the 1875 fire and continued under the
Banners until the late 1880’s. E.J. Dwyer & Co. continued
operations until the 1920’s. Bill Marks opened the Crystal Bar
circa 1934 establishing a first tourist attraction in Virginia City.