Browse Items (12 total)

  • Tags: Saloon Tour

Saloon Tour Introduction

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People began settling in the McKinney area around 1842 mainly to raise livestock and crops. By 1848 McKinney had incorporated as a town and was designated as the County Seat for Collin County. As the downtown square became a hub for purchasing goods…

Saloon Tour - Monarch Saloon

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While there aren't many pictures of the saloons that used to be around the McKinney Square, in this picture between the bookstore and Smith Bros. Drugs is the Monarch Saloon.

Saloon Tour - Cole's Saloon

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Bar fights are associated with saloons in the late 1800s. McKinney saloons had their fair share of fights but rarely did they shake the citizens. In 1890, according to the Democrat newspaper, two stand up citizens, George Howell and Frank McGill, got…

Saloon Tour - Elm Saloon

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The Elm Saloon was located on the east side of McDonald Street. To see the historical marker, visit 346 Virginia Street.

There are many stories about notorious gangs and outlaws making their way through McKinney. According to the Democrat…

Saloon Tour - Bomb Story

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In 1909, the McKinney Courier-Gazette recounted a story of a bomb and a surprise. The newspaper article prints the tale told by Yancy Powell about some mischievous lads, who weren’t vicious but always looking for opportunities to play pranks. Powell…

Saloon Tour - Escapee Drinks

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“Saturday afternoon about 4 or 4:30 o’clock every prisoner in the Collin County Jail made his escape,” opens the Democrat newspaper article. On October 13, 1898, while the sheriff was in Dallas, prisoners A.P. Ritchie and Jim Lawrence led the…

Saloon Tour - Token for Ware's

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Tokens were commonly used in advertising companies during this time period. This token is good for one drink at Jim Ware's Saloon.

Saloon Tour - Stiff's Saloon

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On the morning of February 13th, 1902, Walter Howell discovered that G.A. Stiff’s saloon had been robbed overnight according to the Democrat newspaper. Howell found a wire screen had been pulled loose and a stick used to prop open the window.…