Long Branch Saloon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long Branch Saloon |
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Interior of the Historic Long Branch Saloon
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| General information | |
| Status | Replica |
| Architectural style | False-front |
| Location | Dodge City, Kansas, United States |
| Opened | c. 1874 |
| Destroyed | 1885 |
| Owner | Chalk Beeson, William H. Harris, Luke Short, and others. |
The Long Branch Saloon was a well-known place in Dodge City, Kansas, during the exciting time of the Wild West. It was open from about 1874 to 1885. Many people owned it over the years, including Chalk Beeson and a famous person named Luke Short. The saloon offered games and live music, often played by Beeson's own orchestra. It was a busy spot where many events happened, including arguments and even gunfights, which were sometimes part of life in old "cattle towns." One of the most famous events was the Long Branch Saloon Gunfight in 1879.
Contents
The Long Branch Saloon: A Wild West Story
How the Saloon Began
The idea for the Long Branch Saloon came from a bet between cowboys and soldiers playing a game. The cowboys won, and the soldiers had to provide the materials to build the saloon.
In 1878, Chalkley Beeson, who was a rich farmer and rancher, bought the saloon with William Harris. Harris named it after his hometown, Long Branch, New Jersey. It looked like a simple building with a flat front, which was common for saloons back then. The saloon did very well until trains started replacing the old "cattle drives" (when cowboys moved large groups of cattle). The building later burned down in 1885 and was never rebuilt.
Fun and Games at the Saloon
Chalkley Beeson was a talented musician. He led a five-person orchestra that played music at the saloon every night. The Long Branch served many kinds of drinks, like milk, tea, lemonade, and sarsaparilla. They also served alcoholic drinks such as champagne and beer. Anheuser-Busch was the first beer served there.
Keeping drinks cold was a challenge! In winter, ice was brought from the river. In summer, ice had to be shipped by train all the way from the mountains of Colorado. People could play many different games for money, from simple five-cent games like "chuck-a-luck" to high-stakes poker games worth thousands of dollars.
Famous Visitors and Events
Many well-known people from the Old West visited the Long Branch Saloon. These included Clay Allison, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Frank Loving, Mysterious Dave, Charlie Bassett (who was the town marshal), and the brothers Ed, James, and Bat Masterson.
One famous event happened on April 5, 1879. It was a gunfight between Frank Loving and Levi Richardson. Loving believed Richardson had been disrespectful to his wife. They argued, and the argument quickly turned into a gunfight across a table. Loving was only slightly hurt, but Richardson was shot three times and died. The town marshal, Charlie Bassett, arrested Loving. However, a few days later, a special investigation decided that Loving had acted in self-defense. He was then set free without any charges.
Later, in 1883, a professional gambler named Luke Short bought part of the saloon. This event was one of the reasons for a conflict known as the Dodge City War. Luckily, this "war" ended without anyone getting hurt.
