The water in many areas of the West was so bad it was said the local beer was healthier and safer than the local drinking water. The shelf life of...
The Rollaway Saloon
The folks living along the Arizona-Utah border are known far and wide as a resourceful bunch who resent authorities who interfere with their...
Running the Con in Denver
The Blonger brothers even outdid Soapy Smith. Lou Blonger and his brother Sam had a lot of experience in running Old West saloons, dancehalls and...
Saloon Etiquette
The men of the West These private men of the West were also accustomed to inquiring of another man’s first name only. With their varied and often...
Saloons
A saloon might also be known as a "watering trough, bughouse, shebang, cantina, grogshop, and gin mill.” The first saloon was established at Brown's...
Protecting the Clean Shirts
Jim Moon faced down a mob at a Chinese laundry. On October 31, 1880, drunken mobs went after Chinese in Denver. Most of Chinatown was destroyed—but...
How Did Saloons Preserve Beer?
How did saloons in the old west out in the middle of nowhere serve beer? It must be refrigerated and does not travel well. In warmer climes the...
Open for Business
Across the West, historic hotels, guest ranches, lodges, restaurants and saloons eagerly await patrons. On a recent trip from Arizona to Washington,...
Saloons
The saloon was the hub of the western town. Bar, restaurant, gambling house, town hall, hotel, brothel, and sometimes courtroom and church. Often...
True West’s Ultimate Historic Travel Guide: The Desert Southwest
Travelers to the American Southwest will quickly discover the beauty and diversity of its geography, cultures, heritage-rich small towns and large,...
Underage Drinking in the Old West
What constituted a man being old enough to belly up to the bar? Usually it was up to the judgment of the proprietor or bartender. It looks like...
True West’s Ultimate Historic Travel Guide: The Pacific Coast
Travelers to the Pacific Coast will quickly discover the beauty of its mountain ranges, coastal lands, vast deserts and expansive valleys. The...