Oldest Saloon in Misssouri?

Let the Discussion Begin

by Keith Hudson

Let the discussion begin with the rules. Just the year when the saloon opened and not continuously opened. Prohibition closed some for a while, but some saloons did not pay attention to the laws. Is it open now? Yes!

The Atlas Saloon opened in Excelsior Springs in 1894. The Joseph Schlitz Company built this saloon as a way to distribute Schlitz beer. When you walked in the door back then, you got a Schlitz beer. Today, it houses a small brew house to supply the beer. The flagship beer is Atlas Brew, an old Schlitz recipe from the 1800s. Walking in the door today looks much the same, with the saloon, original bar, liquor cabinets, and mirrors.

First Ward opened in St Joseph in 1878. It still has the original wooden bar top. First Ward probably has had the toughest life. Multiple fires over the years have changed the place. Jesse James and The Coulter Gang probably enjoyed some drinking nights at North Ward. It has endured the test of time!

West End Saloon opened in Jefferson City in 1870. It has changed hands and names. Nicholas Frank opened the saloon as the last watering hole going west out of town. A new bridge was built across the Missouri River, and the name changed to The Bridge Exchange. Today, it is Paddy Malone’s Irish pub.

The Anvil opened in Ste Genevieve in 1855. Ste Genevieve is the oldest town in Missouri, established in 1740 and named after the patron saint of Paris. First opened as a hardware store in 1850, it became a Gentlemen’s saloon five years later. The wooden bar is from a riverboat crash. They drug the bar up from the river. The 1855 vibe still exists at The Anvil.

O’Malley’s in Weston opened in 1842. John Georgian started the Weston Brewing Co. in 1842. The cool caves allowed great storage conditions for beer. At the time, Weston was the second-largest port on the Missouri River. The pub is currently 60 feet below ground in the old wine cellar. Michael Coakley and Corey Weinfurt could not let this historically significant brewery close. They decided to maintain the pub that operated out of the brewery’s cellars.

Archeologists have found a pub in Mesopotamia dated around 5000 BC. They served food and drink. The pub had indoor and outdoor seating. We can agree that this place is the oldest saloon on the planet. Oldest in Missouri……well, let the arguments begin!!