Long Branch Saloon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long Branch Saloon |
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Interior of the Long Branch Saloon
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| General information | |
| Status | original destroyed by fire in 1885. |
| 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 very famous saloon in Dodge City, Kansas. It was open from about 1874 to 1885. Many different people owned it over the years. Some of the most well-known owners were Chalk Beeson and the skilled gunfighter Luke Short. This saloon offered fun things like games and live music. Chalk Beeson even had his own five-person orchestra that played there. The Long Branch Saloon was known for many exciting events and disagreements, which were common in the cattle towns of the American Old West. One of the most famous events was the 1879 Long Branch Saloon Gunfight, where Frank Loving shot and killed Levi Richardson.
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How the Long Branch Saloon Started
The idea for the Long Branch Saloon came from a bet! Cowboys and soldiers were playing a game. The soldiers agreed to provide materials to build a saloon if the cowboys won. And the cowboys did win!
Later, in 1878, a rich farmer and rancher named Chalkley Beeson bought the saloon with William Harris. Harris decided to name it after his hometown, Long Branch, New Jersey. At first, it was a simple bar with a plain front, just like many other saloons back then. The saloon did very well for a while. But when trains started replacing cattle drives, fewer people came to Dodge City. The saloon burned down in 1885 and was never rebuilt.
Fun Times at the Saloon
The Long Branch Saloon quickly became the most popular and fancy saloon in Dodge City. Chalk Beeson was a very good musician. He led a five-person orchestra that played music every night.
The Long Branch served many different drinks. You could get milk, tea, lemonade, and sarsaparilla. They also served all kinds of alcohol, including champagne and beer. To keep drinks cold, they used ice from the river in winter. In summer, ice was brought by train from the mountains of Colorado. People could play games for small amounts of money, like five cents for chuck-a-luck, or for much larger amounts, like a thousand dollars for poker.
Famous Visitors
Many well-known people from the Old West visited the Long Branch Saloon. Some of these famous visitors included Clay Allison, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Frank Loving, Dave Mather, Town Marshal Charlie Bassett, and the brothers Ed, James, and Bat Masterson.
Disagreements and Events
The saloon was the location of a shooting on April 5, 1879. It happened between Frank Loving and Levi Richardson. Loving believed Richardson had been disrespectful to his wife. They started arguing, and the argument led to a shooting across a table. Loving was only slightly hurt on his hand. Richardson was shot three times and died.
Town Marshal Bassett arrested Loving. However, on April 7, a coroner's investigation decided that Loving had acted in self-defense. So, he was set free without any charges.
In 1883, a professional gambler and gunfighter named Luke Short bought part of the saloon. This purchase was one of the reasons for a big disagreement called the Dodge City War. Luckily, this conflict ended without much fighting.
