cowboys that are believed to actually have been hung inside
of what is now The Longhorn Saloon. As the story goes it
was all a big misunderstanding, the cowboys went in that
night and might have had a little too much to drink.
One, two, or maybe all three somehow got on the wrong
horses and were shortly thereafter arrested as horse thieves,
not good.
Today it would sound something like “But officer I really
thought this was my car”. Folks say that there wasn’t a tree
handy so the three drunk cowboys were hung then and
there from a beam in the bar and still (hang) out around
the ladies room, good a spot as any I’d say. Or, if you are
up to it, book yourself a room at Ms. Molly’s and stay in
one of the many rooms where you may be looked in on by
one of the old “working girls”. Ms. Molly’s is a cool old bed
and breakfast nestled right in the thick of things on West
Exchange, it’s still quite active if you know what I’m saying.
The building itself has housed different businesses but is
probably better known as being a brothel, a colorful endeavor indeed.
There are stories that accompany all of the buildings in The
Stockyards, the bars, the hotels, the restaurants, and shops.
I’ve never seen anything in all of my years down there shutting down bars in one way or another, however one day a
little old lady came in where I was bartending and we had
an interesting conversation. She asked me if I had seen
or heard anything strange, to which I told her I had not.
The buildings are old though and make all kinds of weird
noises so hearing stuff isn’t uncommon. She went on to tell
me that there was a woman by the name of Ms. Kitty that
liked to hang out in the back of the bar and drink whiskey.
I didn’t put a lot of stock into what she said but she was
incredibly entertaining and was a dead ringer for the little
old lady from Poltergeist (Zelda Rubenstein) so I figured
she may have been as clairvoyant as anybody had a chance
in being. That night, I left a shot of whiskey on the bar after
I closed down upon the old ladies prompting to see if Ms.
Kitty might like a drink. The strangest thing happened, the
next day my manager asked me why there was a full shot
on the bar. I hope the Poltergeist lady laughed as she was
leaving, I did.
All of these stories are fun but the history should be passed
along. Folklore is everywhere we are and our paths are the
same as those that had a short time on this earth as we will.
It’s important to keep the past alive through good story telling, and everyplace has a story based on the ones that have
been there. After all it’s the people that make the stories.
If you find yourself in The Stockyards and the weather is
warm, walk down to The Cowtown Winery and pick up
a ticket for the ghost tour. You are sure to have fun, you’ll
pick up some of our past and you may pick a buzz up as
well, I told you this was a wine walk. Thanks again to The
Cowtown Winery and our guide Christa Russell whom I
bothered on several occasions to rehash the tours details.
Cheers.
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