Facts from Colorado City’s Notorious Past, circa 1909
Dave Hughes
So just where were the famous Saloons on the South Side of Colorado Avenue in Colorado City, while all such establishments were banned in nearby Colorado Springs! The exact location depends on what year you are looking at, and whether you can catch the Saloons that changed names and proprietors as often as the roll of the dice upstairs above the saloons where all the illegal gambling was.
Colorado City Directories in 1909 branded 21 places of business in a block and a half as “Saloons.”That was the peak year.
Notice how many places had addresses of 1/2. Colorado City was the only town that had – and still have – businesses in spaces 5-8 feet wide, extending back to the alley. Some of them today are the famous ‘Horse Alleys’ of Colorado City, especially in the 2400 block of West Colorado. Others were just addresses of stairs going to the 2d Floor rental or gambling rooms.
I have not included the barber or grocer or ‘Rooms’ in the 2500 block where you-know-what went on. (most brothels were in the 2700 block and onward on West Cucharras.
Yet the listed population of Colorado City in 1909 was only 221 Residents!!!
Hotel Hoffman, 2501 ½ Colorado Ave (stairway onto to gambling and rooms upstairs)
Sallee & McCall, saloon, 2509 Colorado Ave.
Julius & Thompson, saloon, 2511 Colorado Ave.
Hiawatha Bar, 2511 West Colorado
Perrine, A., saloon, 2513 Colorado Ave.
Lambert and Montz, saloon, 2515 Colorado Avenue
Shafer, E. G., 2517 Colorado Ave
Arcade Club, J. I. Lacy, saloon., 2519 Colorado Ave
Lacey, James I., saloon, 2519 Colorado Ave.
Rowan, John, cigars, 2519 1/2 Colorado ave.
Our Way, restaurant, 2521 Colorado Ave.
Hooper and Zobel, saloon, 521 1/2 Colorado Ave.
Rohwer, Henry, saloon, 2521 1/2 Colorado Ave
Foersteman, A, saloon 2523 1/2 Colorado Ave
Risser, Lewis F., saloon, 2525 Colorado Ave.
Abbey & Nickell, saloon, 2525 1/2 Colorado Ave
Rumsey & Worley, saloon, 2527 1/2 Colorado Ave.
Stumb & Day saloon, 2529 Colorado Ave.
Kelly, P. A., saloon, 2531 Colorado Ave.
Martin, Robert, saloon, 2533 Colorado Ave.
The 2600 Block South Side
DeMoss, H. L. Restaurant, 2601 Colorado Ave.
Lambert, Jesse E., saloon, 2605 Colorado Ave.
Geising & Perlala, saloon, 2607 Colorado Ave
Kentucky Family Liquor House, 2607 ½ Colorado Ave
Schmidt, Jacob, saloon, 2611 Colorado Ave.
Stein, L., saloon, 2619 Colorado Ave.