The saloon or watering hole has come to epitomize the Old West. Every town had one, and this is where everything happened: where the corrupt local boss held court, where the mysterious stranger from out of town confronted the local bully, usually the boss’s henchman or son, and where the hero rescued a working girl with the heart of gold from the clutches of the villain. The saloon was a place where people went to play poker and ended up getting shot for cheating. Where local townsfolk excitedly ran in to announce a gunfight in the middle of the street. Plus, let’s not forget, every saloon had swinging doors because no one was ever bothered by flies or mosquitoes coming in from outside. At least this is how the movies tell us the Old West saloon was like.
But what were old west saloons really like?
Here are some photographs of authentic Old West saloons taken in the 1800s. Some of what we can see here matches the movie trope and some things are completely different. Let’s park the horse outside and go for a drink.
Saloons varied depending on their clientele and how prosperous the town was. This old west saloon looks cozy. It has wallpaper and carpeting on the floor. It looks like the kind of place where regulars would hand out. You can’t imagine a gunfight breaking out over a poker game in a place like this.
One thing that you will not find in this saloon or any of the other establishments featured in this article, are women. Saloons in the old west were just for men.
In this photo a bunch of guys pose in front of their local watering hole. One of the men is a grizzled old timer and it’s hard to tell but he may have a child sitting next to him, possibly a grandson. There is a cat lounging on one of the chairs. Again, it doesn’t look like the sort of place where a villainous boss would hold court.
Notice also that the wooden sign above the saloon proudly announces the brand of beer that they serve. Advertising existed even in the old west.
Here is another saloon that doesn’t fit the old west stereotype. The bartender looks professional. The counters are polished. There are wine glasses stacked nicely in the back.
Does this mean that old west saloons were all classy establishments where you could have a few drinks with friends and not get into any trouble? Well, no. Not every place was as nice as the ones shown above.
Some saloons were a lot closer to the movie stereotype. Though swinging doors seem to have been primarily an invention of Hollywood.
In this photo you can see a not every saloon was as clean or well kept. There are a couple of spittoons on the floor and the stains on the carpeting are probably from tobacco spit that missed.
Apparently spittoons were a necessary accessory in old west saloons. There are at least four spittoons in this photo and they have been well used except that the patrons must have a bad aim. There are clusters of spit and chewing tobacco on the floor next to the spittoon which makes you wonder what was the point of having them at all and it doesn’t seem like cleaning was a top priority at this establishment. Even so, these guys seem pretty chill and you can’t imagine a gunfight suddenly breaking out here.
It seems that cowboys and pioneers were able to poke fun at themselves and how they were portrayed. In this staged photo a poker game leads to pretend violence as someone pulls a gun. But it’s all for fun.
The photograph above comes closest to our preconceived notion that saloons were a dangerous place. We see a lot of men drinking in a crowded dingy place. But even here there are no swinging doors, no saloon girls, and no tables where people could sit down to a dangerous game of poker. Most of the men are lined up against the bar.
Sadly, the saloons we see in movies never really existed in the old west. Some establishments were classier than others, but for the most part they were not the center of town life or the dens of iniquity that they are made out to be. In fact, most towns in the old west had strict laws against carrying firearms, and people were required to check in their weapons. So even the iconic duel at high noon is mostly a myth.
