San Antonio Saloons, 1870's-1910 (Houston, Mission: city hall, hotel, house)

[gy2020]

I've made a study on saloons too. On Main Plaza, starting on the nwc, Jack Harris, Vaudeville Theatre (first in US) from 1872 until burned down in 1886. Replaced by Elite Hotel and Elite Saloon. East side of Main Plaza, Revolving Light Saloon, run by Sam Berliner. One other, get later. South side, Court House in 1880s. West side, San Fernando Cathedral, followed by Silver King Saloon. In the Silver King, Anna Held ( one of Flo Ziegfield's wives) won $25,000 on the roulette wheel while she was in town performing at the Grand Opera House, circa 1880's. On the north side of main Plaza White Elephant opened by Billy Simms and Joe Foster after Jack Harris killed in 1882. Go bback and look at history of vaudeville theatre. I want give link because i don't wan t any more trouble with Trainwreck. Of course most famous saloon was the Buckhorn Saloon on Houston and Soledad, where four cowboys rode their horses into the saloon. Part of the Beitel family boys. More saloons coming...
T

[gy2020]

Billy Reuter's Barroom was across the street from the Grand Opera House on Alamo Plaza. It featured ceiling fans which were upside down by our standards. They were attached to the floor rather than the ceiling. He also had a kinda of walkie talkie system installed from Opera House to his bar so that he would be ready when the concert or play was over. His est. was back in the 1880's.

Over in the district, Billy Keilman had his saloon, the Beauty Saloon, from 1905 until around 1920. He also ran the saloon in the Elite Hotel as mentioned in previous post. And before his death in 1925 he operated the Horn Saloon across the street from Brooks Post. (Brooks AFB). Interesting sidenote: His mother was very frugal but believed in land. His parents lived on far southside. She bought 1,000 acres for $1.00 and acre. Her land stretched from Military Hwy at I-37 to edge of Mission Burial Park. Brooks bought the land from her for the base for about $20 per acre. So when Billy placed the Horn Saloon across from the base entrance, it was on family property.

[Cookiemeister]

Sorry I am not very knowledgeable on this topic since I was born in the 50's and not the 1800's!

[gy2020]

Don't worry Cookiemeister it is just one of three history hobbies of mine: movie theatres, red light district and saloons.

[Dube665]

I heard that the area where market square is located use to be a red light district, true? I also heard that the term "2 bit Wh*re" was first used there.

[gy2020]

2 bit came from blue book, C girls were 25 cents, b girls were 50 cents and a girls were $1. The district boundaries were from Santa Rosa Hosp. to a block past Durango and included Monterey, Matamoras. Pleas go back to West Side of the Creek thread for links.

[GWhopper]

gy2020,
If I could give you more rep points I would. But the site sez I gotta spread the luv around.

Still, as another amature historian, I would love to know your sources. I am hitting the West Side of the Creek links sure now....

As a side note, if any of your sources could tell me how Worthy Wolfe made his fortune or what was the recipe for his famous skillet fried chicken, it would be much appreciated!!!

[gy2020]

GWhopper:
I can't tell you about his recipe, but my dear friend Alice use to be a tenant of theirs. I'm sure she could fill you in. As far as my resources on history it has taken 30 years of hard work at SA Library, UTSA library, Alamo Lib., Institute of Texan Cultures, Conservation Society Lib., City Hall, County Court House, speaking to many people and just enjoying every minute of it. I'm not through yet. Oh yes, taking lots of pictures in San Antonio, Bexar County and over 12,000 photographs around the state of
Texas from 1970 to 2008. I've also got about 1,000 pics of St. Louis.

PS. check out my new thread on the Houston Forum, I remember Montrose and Westheimer in the 1970's. I lived in Houston from 1968-1976.

[txdrummer]

My father and I were talking the other day about family history, etc. He showed me a clock (regulator) that I've seen a million times and told me that it came from his great-grandfathers saloon which was downtown around 1885-1889 timeframe. The clock is certainly awesome and will be in my home someday, however my dad couldn't remember the name of the saloon. I know that our last name has been on census records dating way back. I'd love to know if you come across any saloons owned by someone with the last name, Schramm. I've been trying to research several stories from my grandmother/father, etc. on newspaperarchives.com. That's a great site btw.
Thanks in advance.
D. Schramm

[gy2020]

thanks for the tip on newspaperarchives.com The name doesn't ring a bell but go back to my red light district "westside of the creek" thread and check over the the bluebook on my site. You might find your family name there, but it would have been circa 1911.