#3852 - Doreen's Saloon, Cottonwood, ID - 8/30/2019

Doreen's Saloon, Cottonwood, Idaho

There's not much internet presence for Doreen's Saloon in Cottonwood, Idaho, but the snippets I can find tell me that it is currently closed and for sale. so I presume that's true. From a snippet in the Cottonwood Chronicle ("Voice of the Camas Prairie") I gathered that Doreen's was established in 2012 (at the time of this writing the Wikipedia page on Cottonwood still features Lowell's Saloon, which preceded Doreen's in the space). Indeed from a Facebook group I learned about a whole series of bars in this location, including Jenny's Tavern, T-Bar, Hap's Bar, the Country Still and Busdastubleup. Maybe it'll be something else by the time I come through again.

According to Wikipedia, the central Idaho city of Cottonwood began in 1862 as a series of way station shelters for prospectors and mining suppliers on their way south to Florence and Warrens. Its population seems to have risen steadily in the first half of the 20th century, then hovered just below about 1,000 people ever since. Doreens was established by Doreen Ash, which would have seemed appropriate, had I known it when I walked in to encounter a thick wall of cigarette smoke.

On at least the day I walked in, Doreen's was populated with NRA snapback caps, Trump stickers, and old coots. A couple of the latter were expounding at great length on the ways of the world: "There's global warming, but it's a natural cycle ..." "Everything dies if it ain't adapted"

I was there for exactly one drink on exactly one day, so I couldn't tell you that much about the place. Was business picking up on this Friday afternoon? Was the evening crowd much different? Does it sometimes get rowdy? Who's been 86'd? What the hell is a Bustastubleup?

I guess I'll probably never know, but I'm glad I stopped in.

U.S. 95 Business, 416 Main St, Cottonwood, ID 83522 - (208) 962-7331
Est. 2012? - Building constructed: year
Previous bars in this location: Jenny's Tavern, T-Bar, Hap's Bar, Country Still, Busdastubleup, Lowell's Saloon