Silverton's Notorious Blair Street

When train passengers arrive in Silverton they debark on Notorious Blair Street. The street was home to 32 saloons, gambling halls and houses of ill-repute in a three-block stretch. Often the first building in a mining camp was a saloon-if not, it was certainly the second! Among their colorful names were the Mikado, the North Pole, and the Laundry, (where they "cleaned you out)".

The street was named after Thomas Blair, one of the original San Juan prospectors who helped lay out the Silverton town plat. Like many of the town fathers, Tom Blair was a saloon owner. He owned the Assembly Rooms, where poker chips and cards were the vice of choice. Gambling men with names like Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp played faro within its walls. From its earliest days, the street was infamous for its loud music and dance halls In fact, the people on the south end of Blair Street were so mortified by its reputation that they petitioned the Silverton town council to have their end of the street renamed "Empire Street".

Although illegal, gambling and prostitution were tolerated in early day Silverton, as long as the "ladies" stayed behind an invisible line in the middle of Greene Street, separating them from the more "respectable" part of town. When the "ladies" were not on their best behavior, they were taken to jail-now Silverton's museum at 1557 Greene Street-where they paid a fine, helping to enrich the city's coffers. There is still a town ordinance on the books prohibiting curtains on saloon windows. The Law wanted to see what was going on inside those dens of iniquity!

By the 1940s most of the gambling was over and the "ladies" had moved on, citing competition from the local girls who "gave it away" in fits of patriotic fervor during WWII. The old saloons on Blair Street had a rebirth in the 1950s as movie sets where Westerns such as "Run for Cover", "Across the Wide Missouri", and "True Grit" were shot. And the train, a world-class attraction, was often the star, too. Now the train brings over 175,000 passengers a year to visit, unloading in the middle of Notorious Blair Street, a step back in time.

Be sure to save some time to visit Silverton's museum in the old County Jail next to the courthouse. Inside you will visit the "women's cell" where many a "madam" spent the night. Run by the San Juan County Historical Society, the museum is open from 9 to 5 daily from Memorial Day weekend to mid-October.

SPONSOR LISTINGS

Lola's Place Lodging
1147 Blair St. P.O. Box 588, Silverton
970.387.5705
www.lolasplace-silverton.com Make LoLa's your home away from home and enjoy spectacular views from every window. Full kitchen, bath and comfortable furnishings, satelite TV and WiFi. Pet and family friendly. Easy acess to all that Silverton has to offer. Stay with us and experience where the pavement ends and the Old West begins.....

Montanya Distillers
1332 Notorious Blair St. Silverton
970.764.8499
www.montanyadistillers.com
MOuntain Rum distilled & bottled inSilverton Colorado. Tasting room open! Market fresh rum cocktails. Outdoor Patio- Light fare. Bottles & merchandise Disttillery Tours Daily. Makers of Single-barrel Altitude-aged Artisan Rum.

Natalia's 1912 Family Restaurant
1159 Blair St. P.O. Box 537, Silverton
970.387.5300
www.natalias1912.com
Across from where the train stops on Notorious Blair Street "Discover why people return again & again". Affordable family dining. Serving something for everyone. Largest dining menu around. Silvertons best hot buffet and salad bar. Beer-Wine-Cocktails. Patio and indoor dining. Serving lunch and dinner. Bus tours and large groups welcome! Wheelchair-stroller accessible.

Professor Shutterbug's
1115 Blair St. P.O. Box 588, Silverton
970.387.5705
www.professorshutterbugs.com
Old Tyme Portrait Parlour. Old West or Victorian style. 31 years of award winning photography. Located in Silverton's first bordello. Group shots welcome. Large selection of costumes and props with historical outdoor settings. Left off the train, 1/2 block on Notorious Blair Street. Look for the tall log building.

The Bent Elbow Hotel and Restaurant
1114 Blair St. P.O. Box 826, Silverton
970.387.5775
www.thebent.com
The local's favorite lunch & dinner spot. Serving lunch & dinner 7 days a week. Sandwich and Dinner menus. Happy hour specials. Hotel open year round. We'll give you the best opportunity to feel a part of the Old West's history without giving up the comforts of 20th century life. All rooms have private baths, cable TV, telephones and WiFi.

The Shady Lady
1154 Blair Street, Silverton
970.387.5332
Located where the train stops-Family owned restaurant since 1972. Full lunch menu. Daily specials. Menu items starting at $3.95. Hot sandwiches. Real mashed potatoes & gravy. Hamburgers. Hot Dogs. Reubens. Homemade soup. Chili. And so much more! Tap beer and ful bar. Full Ice cream parlor on the porch featuring A&W Root Beer floats. "The last brothel to operate in Silverton".