Until they were closed down with the introduction of Prohibition in 1919, saloons were the social center of life in frontier towns. Drinking and gambling (usually faro) were the chief forms of recreation, and the place was a clearing house of local news.
 |
| Men playing faro, Arizona saloon, 1895 |
In settlements populated almost entirely by men, they were more than a place to hang out, "where everybody knows your name." They were a social institution that was never fully restored with the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s. I got to thinking about all this looking at photos of old saloons, and thought I'd share some here to kind of revive their memory.
First up is the Toll Gate Saloon in Black Hawk, Colorado, 1897. Notice the arched windows, swinging front doors, stove in foreground, and wooden floor. Over the center mirror are three mounted animal heads. The shelves behind the bartender are lined with liquor bottles, and there's a brass spittoon at the foot rail, where a variety of stains indicate the bad aim of previous customers. What the hanging towel is for, I'm not sure.
 |
| Toll Gate Saloon, Blackhawk, Colorado, 1897 |
Next up is a bar from the 1880s in the Columbian Hotel, Trinidad, Colorado. Notice all the carved wood, the decorated ceiling with painted scenes around the edge. There are stuffed pheasants behind the man at the center of the photo.
 |
| Bar in Columbian Hotel, Trinidad, Colorado, 1880s |
A gas lamp hangs overhead, and there's a spittoon or two under the brass foot rail, where you can see more tell-tale stains. There's an oriental rug on the floor and more towels hanging from the bar. With so many things for the eye to see, can you imagine what all this looked like at night lit by gaslight?
