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Silver Dollar Saloon

By Jon Pinnow
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Time-travel back to Colorado’s Wild West past: step onto the creaky floorboards of Leadville’s Silver Dollar Saloon. Originally called the Board of Trade when it opened in Leadville in 1879, regulars were miners and gamblers. Oscar Wilde stopped by, so did Molly Brown. The legendary Doc Holliday was a fixture. He drank and played the piano that’s still there, bet on many hands of poker, and — allegedly — shot someone over a five-dollar gambling debt. During Prohibition, it became the M&O Soft Drink Parlor. But prohibition was more of a suggestion. Locals could go through a hidden door to knock back drinks that were not quite so soft. Today, with photos of a ghost at the bar and a noose from Leadville’s last hanging, the Silver Dollar is said to be a haunted slice of Colorado history, where spirits (liquid and otherwise) are still strong.

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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. See more postcards.

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