Old Time East Texas Saloons by H. Gordon Pettey, Ph.D. - It is hard to imagine, but in the very early days of European Spanish settlement, East Texas was the frontier to the vast west all the way to New Mexico before the frontier Alamo mission was established at what would become San Antonio. And later, after San Antonio was established there was nothing in between. Nacogdoches was the only town that sat on this line. At first, it was a sleepy mission village. Outlaws, including smugglers, cowboys, priests and prostitutes walked its narrow lanes and huge cattle and mustang drives passed over its dusty old main trail, El Camino de los Tejas. It was so raucous that its leader was prompted to draw up a long list of offenses such as gambling. Prostitution, murder, etc., which included the severe punishment for each offense--some punishable by lashes others by death. By the time of The Mexican occupation, its main business was a lively casino and cantina in the center of the village, probably located in the old Casa Piedra (rock house.). Its main drink was rum mixed with lime juice called “grog.” This attracted every type of humanity good and bad, some of the bad from as far away as “No Man’s Land” in Louisiana whose outlaws would ride over to take all of the local gambler’s money (including women) and shoot-up the town. It was a wild and raucous place where as much Spanish as English was spoken and where every other word was punctuated with a curse. From this one saloon, grew many more as the Anglo settlers moved in. Eventually they were everywhere before probation shout all of them dawn. The preferred drinks of the Anglo pioneers were whisky and strong coffee to chase it with as they set about building a nation. This book starts in the early days and brings the reader through the prohibition era up to the present. It is an interesting read about this wide-open time in East Texas.

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Old Time East Texas Saloons - 60 pg. - Soft Cover -- $12.09