SALOONS IN THE OLD WEST

SALOONS IN THE OLD WEST

Saloons are one of the first things that we think of when we think of the old west. Today we’re looking at saloons in the old west. 

Nearly every Town in the 19th century had at least 1 saloon. 

We often think of saloons as bars but they were much more than that. First, let’s take a look at what “saloon” really means. 

The word saloon comes from the French word: “salon”. Salons were large rooms where men gathered to party and talk about current events or solve the world’s problems. 

That’s similar to what happened in the old west saloons. Men gathered to drink and gamble. But saloons offered many other services such as barbers, rooms for rent, gambling, food, and even theatre. 

Saloons usually only consisted of men. A proper 19th-century lady would never be seen in a saloon.

Most towns had more than just 1 or 2 saloons. Not all saloons were big. Some were just big enough to put a bar and a few tables. It was common to see more than 10 saloons in a mining town. Some saloons were owned by women, commonly known as “madams” at the time. 

Some saloons are still standing today. If you wanna live the experience of going to a saloon you can visit these at any time. Here are some examples: the silver dollar saloon in colorado, the white elephant saloon in fort worth, texas. The buckhorn saloon in New Mexico. And The occidental saloon and hotel in buffalo, Wyoming. There are a lot more but we will cover them in another blog soon. 

We hope this blog helped you learn more about Saloons of the old west.