Cowboy Bar in Pinedale
|
Cowboy Bar
|
Renovation
Workers with K Cross Construction in Pinedale first discovered the brand wall underneath the log siding.
|
Front of the Cowboy Bar
|
By front door
|
Metal squares
The brands are painted like bricks onto 2'x4' metal panels are nailed to the walls on two sides of the building.
|
Front sign
"Cowboy Bar" is painted on the north wall, along with a cowboy on a bucking bronc.
|
Front Sign
Picture taken on Wednesday, June 14. Photo by Clint Gilchrist.
|
Top left brands
Brands on the left side of the sign above the awning.
|
Top right brands
Brands to the right of the sign above the front awning.
|
AA brand
Some of the squares have pencil writing on them with names of people, dates, and towns. The dates shown appear to range from 1947 to 1952, but it is not certain those dates are when the writing was done.
|
1948
Dates found ranged from 1947 to 1952. It is uncertain if those were the dates when the writing was done on the wall.
|
Jeanne Snyder
Green River, Wyoming
|
Writing
Not sure if this is 1934, Box 934 in Holden, Utah for ? Johnson.
|
Money brand
It is a mystery right now who this brand belonged to and what to call it "money brand?", "dollar brand?", "dollar sign brand?"
|
Side before
On Wednesday, it was uncertain if brands would be found under the siding on the east wall as well. Once the boards were removed, more brands were found.
|
Side
The brands continue under the log siding on the east wall of the building and extend up about 15 feet high.
|
More brands
More brands were found along the side of the building. Clint Gilchrist, President of the Sublette County Historical Society, takes close-up photos of each brand on Wednesday.
|
East wall
At one time, the entry to the bar was at a diagonal on the northeast corner. Courtney Davis squared up the corner after he bought the bar in 1970, allowing him to move the entrance and make the bar run the full length of the east wall inside. The east side used to have three large windows.
|
Brands on east wall
More brands are revealed on the east wall as the boards are taking down.
|
Maybell and Pine
Courtney Davis said when he bought the bar in 1970, there was a tree growing where the fire hydrant is now.
|
Julie Bagner
Julie Bagner, Green River Wyoming?
|
Mary Lou Robertson - Pinedale
|
Consulting
Cowboy Bar owner, Courtney Davis (brown shirt, center), explains the history of the bar. Left to Right: Kate Grimes (Town of Pinedale/Mainstreet Program), Contractor Kendall Cross-K Cross Construction, Historical Architect Kurt Dubbe from Jackson, Serese Kudar-Sublette Chamber of Commerce/Mainstreet program, Clint Gilchrist-President of the Sublette County Historical Society.
|
Front door
|
East wall work
Kendall Cross, Jake McKinney, Dean Willis and Keaton Cross with K Cross Construction work on the east wall on Thursday, June 15.
|
Dick Lee
Dick Lee, of Rock Springs, stopped by on Thursday to look at the brands and told Serese Kudar he recognizes some of the names on the graffiti.
|
Last corner
K Cross Construction workers take off the final logs covering the old brand wall on the east side on Thursday.
|
Removing boards
At some time, we don't know when yet, the original outside building facade was extended higher beyond the old brand wall.
|
Taking pictures
The discovery has been the talk of the town for since it was found on Wednesday. Lots of people have stopped by to see the brands, read the scrawled names, and take pictures. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what to do about the brands. Some say leave it up, some say take them down. Some want them preserved in a museum. Someone said cut them up and sell them on Ebay. The owners welcome any and all ideas - stop in and share your story!
|
Front view
The original building had a flat roof, nore windows and corner door entrance.
|
Walter Punteney grave
The Cowboy Bar building was original built by Walt Punteney in 1931, although it had a different name and did not serve alcohol in its early years because of Prohibition. In his youth, Punteney was part of the "Wild Bunch" outlaw gang run by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Punteney was arrested for a bank robbery in South Dakota. He was 61 when he built the "Rendezvous Pool Hall" in Pinedale. He is buried in the Pinedale Cemetery.
|
Walt Punteney
His name can also be found spelled "Putney" or "Puteney" in old articles, records and references.
|
