We wanted to call High West a “Saloon” to pay homage to the history of saloons in the old West and the important role they played in each and every town that had one…and almost all did. The saloon was the epicenter for community gatherings, victuals, and tasty libations.

The word Saloon comes from the French word “Salon” which means “large room.” As America expanded West and founded new towns, a saloon was often the first place in town to open up. At its simplest, it was a tent with a plank slapped across the top of two whiskey barrels. But it soon became the social epicenter of each new town.

The saloon was the main meeting place where town hall was held, important announcements were made, and of course people went to eat and drink. In their heyday from [1870 - 1910] saloons were “oases of glamour” and were the most luxurious (or only) places in town to get a good meal and a drink.

Saloons were often elaborately decorated, with oil paintings hanging from the walls and Bohemian stemware to drink from. Most had wooden sidewalks, hitching posts to tie up horses, and a livery stable behind the building. The bars were typically hand-carved oak, mahogany, or walnut, with a brass rail lining the bottom so patrons could put their feet up. Most saloons were heated by pot belly stoves and dimly lit, with candles or coal oil lamps providing illumination and atmosphere.