Saloons in 1880 Town
Continuing the series of blogs on 1880 Town (see last month's blog), most Western towns of any size had more than one saloon. 1880 Town was no exception. Some towns, such as Deadwood, South Dakota, had more saloons than all other businesses combined. Writers, including me, often use these sites in their Western novels.
The first such establishment named a saloon began in Brown's Hole, Wyoming, in 1822. These early saloons were often hastily thrown together and didn't look like what we think of today as a stereotypical saloon of the West. Even years later, most of them were crude and often dirty, unlike the fancy, pristine places we usually see on TV or in the movies.
However, saloons to attract a wealthier clientele did exist, especially in the later years. One of the saloons in 1880 Town is a good example of this. I will leave you with photos from the Longhorn Saloon in 1880 Town, Midland, South Dakota.
I love this! This looks so much like one of the saloons my husband and I visited when we took our 39 day trip through the northwest. It was hot and dusty, and we split a sasparilla when we went in. (Just located the bottle I kept as a souvenir and it says Sioux City) It is amazing how small the hotel rooms were, even in the best of hotels I saw out there. I agree, nothing like we see on tv or movies. Love your posts!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment, shared experience, and encouragement. I appreciate your input.
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