The oldest bar in every state

The Pioneer Saloon in Paisley, Oregon is pretty solid, considering it's in the middle of nowhere in the Oregon outback. It's actually a popular stop (not that there's a lot of options) for folks who drive down to Burning Man from Seattle and Portland, so it will be seeing quite a few more visitors over the next few weeks.

Re: Callahagn's in Mobile, AL starting as a "members only" club.

To quote Gene Hackman in "Mississippi Burning" - "Member of what?"

Safari's reader mode is a godsend for this article. I just want to see a simple list of "state - bar - date" but this is like those recipe blog posts where you need to sort through a bunch of filler until you finally get the recipe after numerous paragraphs of fluff.

Just ate at The Tavern in Abingdon, Virginia last night. I'm biased since I grew up here and am back visiting, but truly a beautiful little town with some stunning nature and hiking nearby.

The Tavern itself has a great food and wine service for such a small town!

I've been to the Palace in Prescott, AZ. Neat place. I was told by locals that during the 1900 fire, the patrons picked up the actual bar and carried it out of the saloon to save it.

In the North Dakota section, the picture is of a Bonanzaville street (a sort of living museum of Fargo's history), not the functioning Town Hall Bar. The Town Hall Bar is trivial to see from Google Street View. Yes, there is a "Meat Raffle" every year.

Eischen's is a favorite among locals around Oklahoma City. Not for the bar but for the whole fried chickens you can get there. It's definitely worth a visit!

It's really nice seeing those pubs the are really connected to a tumultuous history.

The oldest pub I've been not too far from is "The Old Ferry Boat Inn". The structure isn't that old, dating to the 17th Century. It is claimed to date to 560 AD, but if you believe that, I have a bridge (very old) I'd like to sell you.

The Old '76 House in New York has direct ties to the US Revolution. John André was held and tried for espionage in the building, and would be the first British aristocrat hanged by the Colonists.

Most people don't remember André, but are more familiar with his co-conspirator. That was Benedict Arnold, who, among other treasonous acts, had arranged with André to turn over the fort at West Point to the British.

The story goes that George Washington was in the building now known as the Old '76 House when he was informed of Arnold's traitorous plans. Upon learning this, he walked to the wall where a picture of Arnold hung and turned it upside down. It remains there, still upside down, to this day.

https://www.lohud.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/1...

Why would a bar in Alaska close during prohibition when they weren't part of the USA yet?

King George in Bristol PA is quite a good place

"As George Washington's army approached Bucks County in 1781, the image of George II was replaced with a likeness of General Washington"

Finally a use for copy/pasting AI!

1668 — Old ’76 House — Tappan, New York

1673 — White Horse Tavern — Newport, Rhode Island

1681 — King George II Inn — Bristol, Pennsylvania

1742 — Black Horse Tavern & Pub — Mendham, New Jersey

1747 — Reynolds Tavern and 1747 Pub — Annapolis, Maryland

1753 — The Pirate’s House — Savannah, Georgia

1776 — The Griswold Inn — Essex, Connecticut

1779 — Old Talbott Tavern — Bardstown, Kentucky

1779 — The Tavern — Abingdon, Virginia

1780 — Warren Tavern — Charlestown, Massachusetts

1789 — The Inn at Hancock — Hancock, New Hampshire

1790 — Ye Olde Tavern — Manchester, Vermont

1806 — Old Absinthe House — New Orleans, Louisiana

1827 — Ye Olde Trail Tavern — Yellow Springs, Ohio

1831 — New Hudson Inn — New Hudson, Michigan

1835 — Knickerbocker Saloon — Lafayette, Indiana

1842 — O’Malley’s — Weston, Missouri

1847 — The Village Tavern — Long Grove, Illinois

1850 — Landmark 1850 — Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1852 — Golden Gate Saloon — Grass Valley, California

1852 — Breitbach’s Country Dining — Balltown, Iowa

1853 — The Genoa Bar and Saloon — Genoa, Nevada

1857 — Hays House Restaurant and Tavern — Council Grove, Kansas

1859 — The Buffalo Rose — Golden, Colorado

1860s — Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House — Las Vegas, New Mexico

1862 — Miners and Stockmen’s Steakhouse — Hartville, Wyoming

1863 — Bale of Hay Saloon — Virginia City, Montana

1864 — Kelly’s Logan House — Wilmington, Delaware

1866 — Scholz Garten — Austin, Texas

1876 — Glur’s Tavern — Columbus, Nebraska

1877 — The Palace Restaurant and Saloon — Prescott, Arizona

1877 — Buffalo Bodega — Deadwood, South Dakota

1879 — Shooting Star Saloon — Huntsville, Utah

1883 — Pioneer Saloon — Paisley, Oregon

1887 — Neumann’s — North St. Paul, Minnesota

1887 — Bluebird Inn — Bickleton, Washington

1891 — Imperial Bar — Juneau, Alaska

1896 — Eischen’s Bar — Okarche, Oklahoma

1896 — Springwater Supper Club & Lounge — Nashville, Tennessee

1899 — North End Tavern and Brewery — Parkersburg, West Virginia

1903 — The Palace Saloon — Fernandina Beach, Florida

1905 — The Ohio Club — Hot Springs, Arkansas

1906 — Ford’s Bar — Idaho Falls, Idaho

1932 — Antlers Bar — Blowing Rock, North Carolina

1933 — Henry’s on the Market — Charleston, South Carolina

1935 — Town Hall Bar — West Fargo, North Dakota

1936 — Forest Gardens — Portland, Maine

1946 — Callaghan’s Irish Social Club — Mobile, Alabama

1948 — Blue Front Cafe — Bentonia, Mississippi

1957 — La Mariana Sailing Club — Honolulu, Hawaii

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/oldest-bar-every-state

Knickerbocker Saloon (and Lafayette and Purdue, or as my sibling calls it - Purdon't) slaps.

Midwestern college towns are great.

Warrens Tavern was surprisingly solid for what I expected to be a tourist trap

setting aside my disappointment over DC's absence (I know the heading says "state" strictly but still ... ) Wyoming's is really a purpose-fitting one

What I found interesting is how difficult “oldest” becomes to define once you look closely. Some places have very old buildings, others changed names or owners, and some even closed for a while before reopening.

It’s a nice example of how a simple historical ranking can turn into a question about what actually makes an institution the same institution over time.

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