#5877 - Old Tavern Inn, Niles, MI - 9/6/2024

Old Tavern Inn, Niles, MI 

Founded in 1836, the Old Tavern Inn has been recognized by the State of Michigan as being the oldest business in Michigan still operating in its original building. It is not clear to me on what basis it rules out the New Hudson Inn (which claims to have been founded in 1831), nor is it clear to me exactly when it changed its name to "Old Tavern Inn" after operating for many decades as the Sumnerville Tavern. Nevertheless, its own claim to its purported history is unusually strong, as documented by a loose bound book in the establishment itself, full of photos and a brilliantly researched list of owners and transactions over the years.

The book, was assembled by Barbara Cook and her husband Grafton "Grif" Cook, and its a gold mine to people like me who are curious about the history of the place, which locals refer to as "OTI's." As per their book:

"The Sumnerville Tavern is one of the most historic and insteresting buildings in Cass County and was apparently the first building constructed in the newly formed village [Sumnerville, platted in 1836]. For over twenty years it was located on the stage coach route connecting Kalamazoo and Niles."

Ida and Fred Freeman, who ran the business from the mid 1920s to mid 40s, re-oriented and expanded the building, adding a pool table and gas pumps out front of the tavern. But with vehicles (including a hearse carrying a body) failing to negotiate the 90 degree turn and crashing into the pumps, the Freemans eventually built a new concrete basement and foundation, and turned the building itself 90 degrees. "The building which for 80 years faced west was turned to face south. What had been the side of the building, facing north, now faced, as it still does the Indian Lake road. A large porch over the new front was built as well as tow large windows on each side of the new entrance."

The tavern, family restaurant, and former grocery and gas station had changed names to the Old Tavern Inn by the mid 1970s, and it remains plainly a popular place -- quite packed with local families on the Friday afternoon I stopped by, as efficient and friendly servers whizzed to and fro. It is known particularly for its ham sandwich, which unfortunately I was not in a position to sample on this day.

But at least I am glad that they no longer greet first time visitors in quite they way they are said to have done when founder Peabody Cook still owned the joint. The Cooks quote Abner Moon, a newspaperman from nearby Dowagiac, with the following account:

"It was said of Cook's regime that it was a pastime with its sitters about the place to 'initiate' those who came to the house. The candidate would be surrounded and taken down upon the floor where he was held pinioned by wlling hands whilst whiskey was rubbed on his head and then a hot brick was applied while the candidate struggled and yelled 'Ouch!' when the hot brick was applied and the house rang with the laughter and glee of the merry roysters."

 

#5915 - Bay Horse Cafe, Cincinnati, OH - 9/12/2024

Bay Horse Cafe, Cincinnati, OH

While it has been closed and threatened many times over the years, the Bay Horse Cafe traces its history back to 1962 in its current location, back to 1879 under its current name (across multiple locations), and purportedly back to 1817 as a business. Cincinnati Magazine provides this overview:

Bay Horse stakeholders trace the bar’s roots back to 1817, a Water Street location that suffered frequent flooding. It moved a few times, landing on Fifth Street where, in 1878, it picked up its name after a horse broke free of its pen across the street and wandered into the cozy interior.... the drinkery moved to its current location at 625 Main Street in 1968 [sic] when the federal building forced relocation. By 2004, the business had fallen on hard times and, after a shooting occurred outside its front window, the city declined renewal of its liquor license. For a while, the building faced threat of demolition.

Then, in 2017, a local entrepreneur and real estate investor named Fred Berger bought the building and, alongside his partner, Lori Meeker, renovated the bar, returning it to its glory days. The reopened Bay Horse Cafe quickly became a beloved local fixture until the tragic death of Meeker [in May 2022] led to yet another closure. A “For Rent” sign eventually appeared in the front window.

A longtime local bartender, Kyle Smith had been looking for a place to call his own for more than a year when he heard the Bay Horse was for rent. He called the number, and Berger answered. The two instantly hit it off. "He said, ‘You can’t change anything,’” Smith recalls. “’The sign has to stay on the front. I don’t want you to change the name.’ I said, ‘Fred, you don’t have to worry about a thing.’”

(cincinnatimagazine)

The 1817 date is very far from certain, and we know from primary sources that the move to the current location was in 1962 rather than 1968, but in any case we know that the business is very old. I first discovered it when it was still closed due to the death of Meeker, so I was delighted to be able to go not too long after it re-opened in early April 2024. It was Meeker and her partner Berger who were most critical to its survival and current form, for it was they who rescued when it had been closed for 12 years and slated for demolition in 2016. Not only did they revive the business, but they rescued it from a troublesome clientele, and restored much of its former glory, exposing the old tin ceilings and tile floors, and restoring the great early mid-century neon sign.

"The Bay Horse became to be known as a neighborhood trouble spot. In 2005 it was closed after it was found that it was operating without a liquor license and also after a shooting occurred during the day right outside its door. After the its closing, Quikstaff operated an employment firm for a short time but it appears the building has been vacant for some time. It had been for sale but now the owner has applied for a demolition permit that has to be reviewed by the Historic Conservation Board."  (diggingcincinnati)

Much of the bar's history is documented on the walls of the bar itself, e.g. a Jan 15, 1936 article from the Cincinnati Post which notes:

"The Bay Horse was originally opened by William Brothers, who was proprietor until 1891. During the great panic of 1891 to 1896, the cafe was sold half a dozen times. Gus Schmleg worked for each of its owners. He acquired it, together with a partner, Ed Schott, who is now 76 and works for Mr. Schmleg, in 1896. The building housing the cafe was erected in 1829 by William Thoms. A sun dial bearing the name and date may be found on the building at the intersection of Main and Fifth streets."

Another article notes that customer Robert O'Hara, a clerk for Board of Elections in town, came in 1906 and had come in every working day since up to at least the publishing of the article in 1952.

Yet another notes that Bill Marck took over in 1938, and we know that he still ran it when it was forced to move again and merged into the Grand Cafe, then at its current location. It is likely that it was at this point that the bar finally allowed women customers, as we know that it had not previously, but the Grand Cafe had.

So cheers to owner Kyle Smith and the entire string of owners known and unknown who kept this wonderful old place alive. The Queen City today has a rich selection of bars again, from craft cocktail emporiums to great old dives, but I'll try and make my way to the Bay Horse at least once whenever I visit.

625 Main St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - (513) 975-0335
Est. 1962 (current location), 1879 previous location - Building constructed: 1829 
Previous bars in this location: Grand Cafe 
Web site: facebook 
Articles Ranked: cincinnatimagazine - cincinnati.com - diggingcincinnati - savingplaces.org - ronnysalerno - diggingcincinnati 2 - thegnarlygnome - cincinnatibites - citybeat - citybeat 2 - 5chw4r7z - local12 - yelp - 

#5376 - Rudy's Tavern, East Stroudsburg, PA - 9/4/23

Rudy's Tavern, East Stroudsburg, PA

It's said that not much has changed at Rudy's Tavern since Rudy Manheim opened the joint in 1933, after obtaining one of the first Pennsylvania liquor licenses following federal prohibition. You can believe that stepping into the place. If feels warm and old -- too much of community meeting place for me to think of it as a dive bar. The web site mentions "a history that stretches back to the early 1900s," but I wasn't able to find out anything about that.

Rudy passed away in 1981, leaving the bar to his bartender and manager Denny Deardorff, apparently to the surprise of the Marine veteran. "On Super Bowl Sunday 1981, Deardorff drove his friend to the hospital. Manheim died in the night at age 84. To Deardorff's surprise, Manheim had left him the bar." (poconorecord)

Deardorff, who had served in Vietnam, ran the place until he passed away in 2015. The bar remained in Denny's family, run by his daughter Kelly and her husband Joe "Giggy" Quaresimo.

It was quiet on the Monday afternoon that we dropped in, but it's not always that way. It's said that back in the day Rudy had to cut off Jackie Gleason himself when the star broke a light swinging a golf club. More recently, in September of 2014, the staff celebrated with a group of U.S. Marshals and and Pennsylvania State Police, drinking after capturing survivalist cop killer Eric Frein. The 15-20 men where part of a force that had grown to over 1,000 people, after Frein left his parents house where he lived and fired on the state police barracks in the Pocono Mountains, killing one office and seriously wounding another, before escaping into the surrounding wilderness.

Nowadays the bar often features live bands on weekend evenings, and can totally pack the place with events like veterans benefits, and when the Edward P. Maloney Memorial Pipe Band left the Pocono Irish American Club St. Patrick's Day parade for an impromptu concert in the bar.

We had a fairly brief stop before starting back on the remaining 300 miles across the state to home.

 

Rudy's Tavern, East Stroudsburg, PA
(Print from inside the bar itself, artist unknown)

90 Washington St, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 - (570) 424-1131
Est. 1933  
Web site: rudystavern.com - facebook - twitter - instagram 
Articles: xplorethepoconos.com - poconorecord - abcnews - yelp - tripadvisor - discovernepa 

#5367 - Pineville Tavern, Buckingham, PA - 9/1/23

If you love American history you have to love Bucks County, and if you love old bars this is prime territory. One of these is the Pineville Tavern, constructed circa 1742 here in a village that straddles the townships of Buckingham and Wrightstown, just north of Philadelphia. For more history I will cite the tavern's web site:

'Built in the 18th century, the Pineville has seen many transformations—from feed mill to general store to hotel and, finally, to the Tavern.

By 1765, the original residence was converted to an inn along the busy Philadelphia-New York City route, serving stagecoach drivers and hungry locals alike. It became a central meeting place within the community. A landmark. 

With an addition to the property in 1797, the Pineville Hotel was born. In the mid 1800s, when liquor licenses became mandatory, we were one of the original 13 recipients of the distinction within the storied Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Pineville Tavern, Buckingham Township, PA

Fast forward to the 1950s when we became a general store to boot. Then, in 1969, the Turner Brothers (Hugh, Jack and Joe) purchased the Pineville. At the time, the bar only seated nine and offered cold sandwiches. That bar was expanded, and the kitchen was renovated with the addition of a grill, fryer, and pizza oven. Shaffer, Schlitz and Schmidt's were the tavern’s main taps. 

The Abruzzese family purchased the Pineville Tavern in 1989 and have subsequently flourished the brand with strategic additions to the property, an elevated menu, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.'    (pinevilletavern.squarespace.com) 

Of course this part of the country was deep into the Revolutionary War, and the website further describes the tavern itself as briefly right in the thick of it:

'In December of 1776, Alexander Hamilton negotiated the release of Continental General William Alexander, formerly known as Lord Sterling, from his captivity among the fable and feared Hessian forces.

On December 15th, 1776, Sterling rejoined Commander-In-Chief, George Washington & Hamilton at their traveling headquarters on Pineville Road: less than 1 mile from the    Pineville Tavern. Sterling, who had yet to procure lodgings, was then accompanied by Hamilton to the Pineville Inn. Sterling urgently insisted that he speak to the Army's Chief Intelligence Officer in private once the pair arrived at the then-35 year-old hotel.

Once arrived, Sterling, who was formally educated in Frankfurt, Germany, and thus fluent in the Central German dialect, disclosed to Hamilton and the Intelligence Officer, that, toward the very end of his captivity, he had overheard that the balance of the Hessian forces were currently barracked not 10 miles down the Delaware River in Trenton, NJ.

Then, in what is now the Pineville Tavern, Alexander Hamilton began to articulate what became known informally as the "Pineville Plan." Just 10 days later, on Christmas Night 1776, Washington would execute that exquisite plan by crossing the Delaware River to lay siege upon the unsuspecting Hessian forces. This masterful military stroke would turn the tide of the Revolutionary War and help solidify, in perpetuity, the since- timeless conviction that the world ought never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens could forever change the world.'     (pinevilletavern.com)

(Note: I am compiling a list of the oldest and most historic bars in Pennsylvania here:

https://www.rotgut.org/home/oldest-bars-in-pennsylvania )

While the Abruzzese family have attempted to restore it to its 1797 appearance, retaining an original fireplace, downstairs door, chestnut wood bar and some original windows, they have also substantially expanded upon it. Today it seats 135 indoors, with 70 more seats in the former patio, now converted to a fully enclosed garden space with banana trees, vines, hanging ferns, and lush foliage.

The menu is highly diverse selection of comfort foods mixed with upscale choices, including a famous snapper turtle soup, pan roasted sea bass, and eggplant Napoleon. The inside bar features an interesting, ornate, antique back bar, which seems like it may have been originally designed for a barber shop or soda shop? This is surrounded by a bar room that has somehow retained it's divey old neighborhood joint vibe, with wooden panels holding up animal heads. "The Garden" room also contains a small bar.

If anyone has any additional historical insights, I would love to hear them.

1098 Durham Rd, Pineville, PA 18946 - (215) 598-3890
Est. 1765 or earlier - Building constructed: 1742
Previous bars in this location: None known 
Web site: pinevilletavern.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles Ranked: buckscountymag - buckscountytaste - phillyburbs - onlyinyourstate - buckscountyherald - buckscotoday - yelp - tripadvisor - paeats - 6abc - buckscountytaste

#5357 - Rod-n-Gun Saloon, Stanley, ID - 8/27/23

Rod-n-Gun Saloon, Stanley, Idaho

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 
Web sites: facebook - instagram 
Articles: thebeerchaser 

#5352 - Sesech Stage Stop, Sesech, ID - 8/23/23

Secesh State Stop, Secesh, Idaho

Secesh (“see-sesh”) Idaho was named for “secession,” at a time in the 1860s when southern miners dominated the area, sending part of their earnings north to Lewiston and around South America to New Orleans to help the cause. They gave names to places like “Confederate Gulch,” “Richmond,” and the “Secesh River,” while a few miles away Union supporters established “Washington” (now “Warren”).

The Secesh Stage Stop Bar and Grill seems to pop out of nowhere now, built here just across Warren Wagon Road from where Jack and Ethel Fernan built a home and stage stop in 1920. Three friends purchased the place from Kevin and Cheri Comstock in September of 2020, have upgraded it, and are currently working on an expansion. In addition to grub and a choice of canned beers with 4 nice local craft brews on tap, the Stage Stop offers services like small rental cabins and gasoline. They are open Summer, Winter ("27-mile ride from the Francis Wallace parking lot by snowmobile"), and Fall, but inaccessible in mud season ("approximately mid-April through the end of May").

Secesh Stage Stop, Secesh, Idaho

Like a number of bars I’ve seen before, the Stage Stop ceiling and walls are covered in $1 bills with the names of various visitors. UNLIKE anything I’ve seen before, it’s burl wood posts are filled with coins hammered into every crevice. (I think I've seen this once or twice online, but never before in person, even after visiting over 5,000 bars.)

24728 Warren Wagon Rd, McCall, ID 83638 - (208) 636-4498
Previous bars in this location: None known 
Web site: seceshstagestop.com - facebook - instagram 
Reviews: onlyinyourstate - simplymccall (video) - yelp - tripadvisor 

#5351 - The Baum Shelter, Warren, ID - 8/23/23

The Baum Shelter Too, Warren, Idaho

The community of Warren, Idaho was established in what was then still Washington Territory after gold was discovered in Warren Creek in 1862. Over the next decade the population boomed to over 2,000, including over 1,000 Chinese miners. The boom days are long past now and the year-round population was recently counted at 7, but that doesn’t mean the town some 45 miles north of McCall — the last 16 unpaved — does not have a fine bar and grill. 

In 1975 Larry and Gale Baum purchased the place and created the original “Baum Shelter.” (Larry just passed away in April 2024.) Since that time, various friends of the Baums have run the business, at one point renaming it the Winter Inn. When the business was acquired by current owner Carol Lungren, who had been friends with the Baums from before either of them owned property in Warren, it re-established the old name (now “Baum Shelter Too”). 

The rustic decor is full of old artifacts and pictures, with big scrapbooks full of old newspaper stories and notes on local history. One of the many I pulled out:

"March 17, 1884 - From observations it is apparent that a few gossips and mischief makers of this town are listened to by many as oracles of the gods, and hence the emnity that is engendered between families and neighbors. These gossips are not confined to one sex."

The Baum Shelter Too now serves a broad menu of traditional pub foods to locals, hikers, hunters, snowmobilers, and other visitors. It is also said to now serve the "World’s Greatest Finger Steaks." It's worth the drive, no matter what you're riding.

131 Bemis Gulch Rd, Warren, ID 83671 - (208) 636-4393
Est. 1975 
Previous bars in this location: Winter Inn
Web sites: facebook - instagram 
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - visitmccall.org