One of the most enduring icons of the 1800's is the old west saloon. Did you know the very first establishment to ever call itself a saloon was here in Wyoming?

Brown's Saloon opened in 1822, serving thirsty fur trappers at the Brown's Hole trading fort along the Green River, near the present-day border of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.

Like other watering holes of its era, they likely made their own whiskey using a variety of ingredients including tobacco, ammonia, turpentine, and gunpowder. The homemade whiskey was commonly referred to as "firewater", a term that fur trappers had adopted from trading with local Native American tribes.

HIstorians aren't sure how long Brown's Saloon was in business. They do know that the area later became a hangout for Butch Cassidy and his legendary "Wild Bunch". The oldest Wyoming saloon still in operation is Miners and Stockmen's in the town of Hartville, which was established in 1862.

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