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Rod-n-Gun Saloon, Stanley, Idaho
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I do not have any primary sources on the Rod N Gun bar, in a small valley at the base of the Sawtooth range, in Stanley, Idaho. Its Facebook page says "Since 1931, Stanley's ORIGINAL Honky-Tonk Saloon" -- but of course it wouldn't have been a saloon in that year (although possibly a speakeasy). Other sources say 1936, and it is said to have burned down twice, with the current building dating back to the 1950s. But in any case there is no arguing that the place has a long and colorful history, and while one must rely on hearsay and questionable oral history regarding the first few decades, the stories become much more clear from 1971, when Mary Alice Kirch purchased the bar and cafe, and whose family managed it all the way to January 2024.
According to Wikipedia, the town of Stanley "was not considered a town until 1919 when its streets and lots were surveyed and recorded." Fur trappers and prospectors traveled through this valley as early as the 1820s, but finding it rich in neither gold nor beaver, the population has oscillated between a scattered handful and just over 100 people ever since. The Rod and Gun (it seems to have been nameds that for the entire time) appears to have been established somewhere between 12 and 17 years later, on what is now "Ace of Diamonds" Street, where each winter locals
race down the road in
outhouses, while chugging beers from the bar.
Some of its history was elaborated in
Facebook by Johnny Ray Kirch, also known as "Idaho's Singing Bartender," who took over managing the place purchased by his mother, and first run by his brother, musician Casanova Jack:
'Casanova Jack ran the Rod and Gun Club from 1971 until his untimely passing in 1990, then being run by my wife Eve and I ever since. The oldest Bar in the Valley, being built by Mr. David Bell in 1931. He lost it in a cribbage game a few years later, then went down the street and built another bar, before moving to Clayton, Idaho and building the first bar there. Jack's and my Mother Mary Alice Kirch purchased the Rod and Gun Club and Cafe from Glen and Nel Brewer May 19th, 1971. She ran the cafe, and if I may say, "The Best cook in the Valley at the time". and Jack ran the bar, and entertained here 7 nights a week. I had the privilege and honor of entertaining with Jack for many of those years. We also wrote many songs about the area and the famous river guides in the 70's, which are featured on his Album that was recorded at Faron Young Studios in Nashville, TN. The Rod and Gun Club and cafe has been in our family since May, 1971 to today. The name was modified by my beautiful wife Eve Kirch and myself from "Casanova Jacks Rod and Gun" Club, to the Rod-N-Gun Whitewater Saloon, as it has been a favorite by ALL River guides since 1971, including the World Famous Eldon Handy, Ron Gillette, and their crews. Casanova Jack was a Nashville Entertainer, having played there for many years from the mid 50s through the 60's. During that time he toured with entertainers from Lefty Frizzell, Faron Young, Marty Robbins, and many others. Bz Waite and her family have been very good friends and a valued part of Stanley for Many Many Years. The stage of the Stars has been graced by Many World Renowned Entertainers including Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jim Nabors, Burt Reynolds, Reckless Kelly, Micky and the Motorcars, Cody Canada and the Departed, Free Peoples, to name only a few. Being the oldest and longest business in the Stanley Area owned and run by a single family, I am very proud to be a small part of it and our Beautiful City.'
Realtor
Erich Hamm further elaborated (
also in Facebook) in January 2024, when the bar had just recently changed hands from the Kirch family:
'Congrats to Tripp Costas for purchasing the Rod-N-Gun Saloon in Stanley and to Johnny Ray Kirch and Eve Kirch for selling.
During the winter of 1995, when I was 20 years old, I waited tables for Johnny Ray and Eve on the cafe side of the Rod-N-Gun. We became lifelong friends. That summer I turned 21 at the Rod-N-Gun. It was June 5th, and it was snowing.
The Rod-N-Gun is a Stanley institution. The original owner built it in 1931 and then gambled it away in a cribbage game. It has burned down twice (once due to an exploding propane tank). The current building was built in the mid-fifties. Johnny Ray's mom bought it in 1971. Johnny Ray's brother, Casanova Jack, ran it until his death in 1990, when Johnny and Eve took over. Casanova Jack was a Nashville recording artist who toured with many entertainers, including Marty Robbins. Tripp has been in and out of Stanley for the last decade. He hails from Nashville and has a hospitality background. He's a bush pilot, a mountain man, and an all-around great guy. Tripp, Johnny Ray, Eve, and I have been working on this deal for the past four years, and it has finally come to fruition.
The Rod-N-Gun holds a special place in many people's hearts. I'm excited to witness its next chapter with Tripp at the helm.
Please forgive me if any of these dates and details are less than accurate. As with much of Stanley history, it came to me via word of mouth. As we used to say to our guests on the river: "You're going to hear a lot of stories out here, and some of them are true..."'
The large saloon was quite sedate on the lazy Monday afternoon when I visited with a few family members. We played pool and shuffleboard, took in the various photographs and knick-knacks, and of course had a drink. While the bar itself was quiet, you didn't need to read any of the stories of "not uncommon brawls," and women spinning off the dance floor and across tables to sense that this has been a very different bar ("a wild ass time") on many a Stanley night. With luck, maybe someday I'll be able to make it back here when it is hopping -- perhaps even when the outhouses are sliding down the street.
44 Ace of Diamonds St, Stanley, ID 83278 - 774-2922
Est. 1931 or 1936 current location; 1950s current structure
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