4.3 THE CALIFORNIA SALOON

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Bowers, Peter M., Catherine M. Williams, William H. Adams, Mary Ann Sweeney, Amy F. Steffian, and Robert M. Weaver (1998) 4.3 The California Saloon. In Historical Development of the Chena River Waterfront, Fairbanks, Alaska: An Archaeological Perspective, edited and compiled by Peter M. Bowers and Brian L. Gannon, CD-ROM. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Fairbanks.

One of the major targets of both the 1992 testing and 1993 mitigation programs was the California Saloon, a gold rush era establishment which occupied the block west of the NC Co. complex (now Key Bank parking lot). The California (a.k.a. White) building replaced the early cabin on this lot (Section 4.2).

The California Saloon thrived between 1905 and about 1915. The saloon closed with the advent of Prohibition, which was in force in Alaska between 1918 and 1933. From 1922 until 1933 the building was occupied by Abe Stein and Sons Dry Goods and Fairbanks Clothing Store. Following the end of Prohibition, it was again an entertainment business, becoming the Chena Bar (a.k.a. Chena Bar and Grill) until the building burned in 1946. The lot remained vacant until a gas station was constructed and operated between 1967 and 1973. Presently, the spot is used as a parking lot for Gerald Victor Furs. Today, Lot 1 is bordered to the west by Gambardella's Pasta Bella restaurant, to the south by Gerald Victor Furs, and to the north and east by concrete side walks. First Avenue lies to the north, and Barnette Street to the east (Figure 4.2).

Our test excavations were designed to determine horizontal and vertical limits of the site, and assess the site for National Register significance. The goal of the mitigation program was to recover a sufficient sample of the site to allow interpretations about the structural remains of the California Saloon, and to obtain a significant sample of artifacts from different areas relating to that structure.

Our excavation strategy was also influenced by the location of the proposed road construction right-of-way. The proposed Barnette Street bridge will involve building a large storm drain and outlet to the river across the northeast corner of Lot 1 and through Area A, which would effectively destroy most of the physical remains of the former California building. We were not able to sample areas that fell outside the project right-of-way. For this reason, excavations focused on the northern and eastern edges of Lot 1 (Figure 4.2).

The California Saloon site complex incorporates operational Areas C and A. Excluded from our consideration of the California Saloon site are Features 2 and 8 of Area C. Although they lie within Area C2, these two features relate to the early cabin and historic surface that predate the California Saloon (Section 4.2).

Area A has an important relationship to the California Saloon as a site. Although Area A does not physically lie within the structural bounds of the saloon, we believe it served as a dump area for the California Saloon, at least up until the mid-1920s. Therefore it is considered an integral component of the site complex. The early (pre-1923) component of Area A includes about 97% of all the artifacts from Area A (Figure 4.14). These artifacts include saloon related-items such as bottles, dice, a miner's gold poke, and poker chips, and also saloon interior building materials and fixtures that probably represent remodeling of the California Saloon with the onset of Prohibition. Historically the river bank was a popular place to dump debris, both because of its convenience and, indirectly, for the purpose of erosion control. The position of Area A directly across the street from the California building, and between the Pioneer and NC Co. docks, makes it the natural place for dumping that building's trash (Figure 4.15).

Figure 4.14. View of the 1992 excavations in Area A, showing gold rush levels with a deadman timber and artifacts. View to the west, First Avenue to left of photo. NLUR Photo (BAR-92-36-27).

Figure 4.15. Schematic drawing showing the relationship of the California Saloon (Area C) to the river bank refuse deposits found in Area A. View to the west, along First Avenue.

Our coverage of the California building itself included the front (north) and east wall of the main building, and the east wall of a 1906 annex. A deep cellar was encountered in three parts of the site. Area C is subdivided into 4 subunits: the northern wall and mixed deposits of the California building (Area C1); the northern end of the east wall of the California Saloon and the early cabin (Area C2); the main section of the east wall of the California Saloon (Area C3); and the eastern portion of the southern extension and deep cellar (Area C4). Depths of excavation varied across the site, ranging from as little as 1.5 m to as much as 3 m.

A total of 81,845 artifacts were recovered from the California Saloon site (Areas C and A), of which examples are illustrated in Figures 4.16, 4.17, 4.18, 4.19, 4.20, and 4.21. A map of the California Saloon site is presented in Figure 4.22. Figures 4.23 and 4.24 provide views of excavations in progress. Figure 4.13, presented in our discussion of the early cabin, provides another view of the California Saloon wall. A plan view of one section of the California building wall is shown in Figure 4.25, and the main cellar floor is presented in Figure 4.26. Representative stratigraphic profiles are shown in Figures 4.27, 4.28, and 4.29.

Following a summary of the historical context and the architecture of the California Saloon, observations and discussion of Areas C and A are presented. Descriptions of features, stratigraphy, dating, and artifacts are given in Appendices 1 and 5.

Figure 4.16. Sample of artifacts recovered from Area C.³³

Figure 4.17. Sample of artifacts recovered from Area C.³⁴

Figure 4.18. Sample of bottles recovered from Area C.³⁵

Figure 4.19. Sample of artifacts recovered from Area A.³⁶

Figure 4.20. Sample of artifacts recovered from Area A.³⁷

Figure 4.21. Sample of bottles recovered from Area A.³⁸

Figure 4.22. Map showing layout of excavation grid and features in Area C, superimposed over outline of former California Saloon building.

Figure 4.23. Profile showing 1993 excavations and east wall of California Saloon. NLUR Photos (BAR-93-26-30 and -31).

Figure 4.24. View of 1993 excavations showing sump (Feature 24) and bottle cache in cellar of California Saloon annex. NLUR Photo (BAR-93-25-16).

Figure 4.25. Area C3: Plan view of the southeastern corner of the main California Saloon building, showing structural details.

Figure 4.26. Area C3: Plan view of EUs 52 and 58, with saloon cellar floor (Feature 14) and subcellar pit (Feature 19) before floorboard removal.

Figure 4.27. Area C3: Profile along E643, east wall of EUs 57 and 60, showing the southeast corner of the main California Saloon builders' trench (Feature 3), with historic surface (Feature 27), and steam line (Feature 31).

Figure 4.28. Area C4: Profile along N968, south wall of EUs 72 and 71, California Saloon extension cellar fill (Feature 22).

Figure 4.29. Area C3/C4: Profile along E642.2, east wall EUs 63 and 66, showing the California Saloon annex cellar entrance on east side of cellar wall.

Historical Context

The California Saloon building is adjacent to the original Barnette tract (Block 16, Lot 1). Historically, this was some of the most preferred riverfront property in Fairbanks. The earliest occupants of Block 16, up to the time of the building of the saloon have been reviewed in Section 4.2; the ownership history of Block 16 from 1903-46 is summarized in Table 4.1.

According to Fairbanks town site records, A.G. Manley and A. R. Rice, who had acquired Lots 1 and 2 from the partners of freighter and miner John Bennett, sold their interests to Alfred White on December 12, 1904.³⁹ The corner building housing the California Saloon was known in its early years as the White Building. Construction on this building began sometime during the period August to October 1904 (Figure 4.30). The construction date is based on an August 4, 1904 photograph⁴⁰ that clearly shows the early cabin, and based on records left by Edward Stroecker, who worked on the California building foundation in October of that year:

"They sighted Fairbanks on October 4. After living in a tent on the banks of the Chena for several days, Stroecker and his companions built a cabin. Jobs were scarce. Stroecker dug the foundation of the California Saloon (later the Chena Bar). 'That time of year it was hard digging,' Stroecker said, 'But I was up against it and took any job available.'"⁴¹ Another version of Stroecker's story was derived from an interview with his son Bill in 1942:

Edward Stroecker arrived in Chena October 2, 1904. For several days, Stroecker... stayed in a tent on the beaches of the Chena but soon a small cabin was purchased. Jobs were scarce and the first work Stroecker secured was that of digging the foundation for the building which then housed the California Saloon. Not having advanced its standing much in forty years, the building is now known to all as the Chena Bar.⁴²

Figure 4.30. The Fairbanks Waterfront on June 13, 1905. This is the earliest known photo to include the California Saloon (extreme right). Note the NC Co. Dock in full operation. Charles Bunnell Collection [E5], Alaska and Polar Regions Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Table 4.1. Fairbanks Townsite deed list for Block 16, Lot 1, 1903-46.

As of July 13, 1905, Al White is identified as the proprietor of the California Saloon.⁴³ A September 1905 advertisement noted that the saloon had "sample" rooms, billiard parlors and bowling alleys. On August 3, 1905, the Weekly News reported that "the firm Claypool, Kellum and Cowles will continue the practice of law, with offices as heretofore in the White Building."⁴⁴ On October 30, 1905, when the building was less than one year old, White sold the property to Fred Martin.⁴⁵ The Bill of Sale for the California Saloon describes the following:

All property that is used in, on or about, or in connection with that certain saloon business known as the California Saloon, situated on the corner of first avenue and Barnette, consisting of beer, wine, liquors, tobaccos, cordials, cigars, cigarettes, whiskey, and all and every other effects in, on or about what is known as the White Building; also all of the fixtures including bowling alleys, billiard tables, pool tables and all and every of my personal estate so situated in said saloon.⁴⁶

About 1906, a long single story addition was added to the south of the main California building (Figure 4.31). This annex housed the bowling alley for which the saloon was well known, and was probably connected to the main first floor structure, giving the appearance of "one vast room."⁴⁷ It is not known for certain how long this annex lasted, but we believe it was torn down by at least 1923, if not earlier. The annex was definitely gone by 1927, as it is not shown on the Sanborn insurance map for that year.

Figure 4.31. View of California Saloon and Front Street from the north bank of Chena Slough in 1907. Note that both NC Co. Dock and Pioneer Dock are in operation. Charles Bunnell Collection [2.16], Alaska and Polar Regions Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

During the proprietorship of Martin and his partner Bill Koon, the California Saloon flourished and many advertisements appeared in the Miners' Union Bulletin and the Alaska Daily Citizen (Figure 4.32). Most of the advertisements centered around oval pictures of Fred Martin and Bill Koon with their names underneath. In a pun on their surnames, a marten and a raccoon were drawn underneath the oval portraits. Eventually the proprietors' last names were dropped and just the animal symbols remained. In some advertisements the word "California" does not appear, just the symbols of the marten and the raccoon. The California Saloon's advertisements ranged from poems,⁴⁸ to invitations, pictures of the interior and announcements of bowling tournaments.

Figure 4.32 Advertisements for California Saloon, 1907-09.⁴⁹

The California Saloon played an important role in Fairbanks' social and political activities. Beginning in 1906, the California Saloon's owners invited everyone without family or with no place to go at Christmas for a Christmas dinner.⁵⁰ Fred and Bill were hosts at the 1911 Christmas dinner as described in the Alaska Daily Citizen January 1, 1912.⁵¹

The "Tanana Club" rented space on the second floor of the California Saloon for several years until 1908, when they moved to the Fairbanks building.⁵² The California Saloon, especially the Tanana Club, were considered by some of the town's upper crust to be an unsavory problem for the town (although some of them may have frequented the Tanana Club themselves). Near the end of the miners' strike of 1907-08 a telegram was dispatched to the circuit judge asking that the licenses of the Miners' Home and California saloons be revoked because they were "resorts of criminal agitators and hotbeds of crime."⁵³ In response to this action, and its endorsement by the Fairbanks News, the Miners' Union Bulletin published a heated editorial which sheds some light on the type of activities at the Tanana Club (and perhaps the California Saloon as well):

The News describes the California as a 'hot-bed of anarchy,' and suggests that it be closed for that reason..... If the upper portion of the California block was half as decent as the lower portion, we should not be in receipt of the different stories relating to the orgies that are constantly taking place in that notorious hellhole, the Tanana club. We have not yet forgotten the various acts of immorality that were committed within its walls by certain members of the club, nor are we ignorant of the fact that the participants of this crime are still at large, shielded from justice by their guilty accomplices.... We were entertained a few nights ago, by an account in the local papers of 'Ladies' night at the Tanana Club' and were informed that this was the only night upon which the ladies were allowed to visit the sacred precincts. We would advise the ladies who were entertained that evening to inquire from their husbands and sweethearts as to the meaning of the 'informal reception' held in the Tanana club a few nights ago, in which the club was thrown open to a party of French women of the lowest description, and acts were committed that are a disgrace to any community, no matter how depraved.⁵⁴

In 1908, Fred Martin refurbished the upstairs rooms and formed a new club where men could come and play billiards and read the newspapers at their leisure:

The old Tanana Club rooms have been papered and painted until they look finer than ever did while the Tanana Club occupied them. The toilet rooms are also an improvement over the old club toilets, and where Tanana Club had but one card room the California Club has two. In the main room are billiard and pool tables, writing desks, lounging chairs and every convenience for comfort. Fred has also improved the California bowling alleys, and they are now the finest in the north. New floors have been laid, the joints planed down, and a perfect alley is the result.⁵⁵

In addition to pool tables, billiards, and bowling, moving pictures were also included in the list of entertainment in 1909.⁵⁶ Bowling contests with other towns were held, for example a match with Cordova took place on January 25, 1909.⁵⁷

In April of 1912, Bill Koon sold his interest in the California building to Fred Martin. Indeed, after this point in time the advertisements of the California Saloon mention only Fred Martin as proprietor.⁵⁸ Sometime between April 29, 1912 and March 17, 1913, Fred Martin hired Andrew McKenzie as the manager of the California Saloon.⁵⁹ The 1915 city directory does not list Bill Koon, and Fred A. Martin is shown as a miner. The California Building is listed, but not the California Saloon. However, Andrew D. McKenzie is listed as having a saloon and residence at this location in 1915. Using the saloon listing, the California Saloon has disappeared by name, for it appears just as "Andrew McKenzie."⁶⁰ The 1915 City Directory lists the NC Co. Dormitory as one of the building's tenants presumably occupying the upper floor.

Fred Martin sold the property on February 13, 1915 to Peter Vidovich, a local man who listed his occupation in the city directory as "capitalist."⁶¹ In this transaction there is no mention of the saloon, and in the deed book there is no mention of a bill of sale of the business. Together with the reference of Fred Martin as a "businessman" in December of 1914, it appears that the California Saloon may have gone out of business between March 1913 and December 1914. This transaction was described in the Alaska Daily Citizen February 15, 1915:

Fred Martin Sells Valuable Property. Peter Vidovich has bought from Fred A. Martin the latter's interest in the California Block, the property has been leased to Andy McKenzie who is planning to remodel it and start some kind of business there soon. Some time ago Mr. Vidovich instituted suit against the property for $13,000 due on three different mortgages that had come into his hands. It is understood that in addition to satisfying these claims, the new owners paid a substantial amount for the property.⁶²

Peter Vidovich owned the property for only two years, and on May 12, 1917, sold the property to Robert L. Vining for $2,800.⁶³ On July 17, 1917 Vining sold half of the property to George Johnson (a restaurant owner) and J.C. Crook (a baker) for $800.00.⁶⁴ Prohibition was about to take effect in Alaska, which necessitated finding a new use for the saloon building. Vining thus sold the remainder of the property on November 17, 1923 to Abe Stein.⁶⁵

Abe Stein set about remodeling the building (Figure 4.33), which at that time housed the Red, White, and Blue Cigar Store:⁶⁶ "The site has been vacant for a number of years, and its remodeling and opening will be a welcome addition to the town's business district."⁶⁷

According to an article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in 1922:

By a deal recently consummated between R.L. Vining and Abe Stein, the latter becomes the owner of the California corner, one of the best pieces of business property in the city. Mr. Stein states that the present building will be replaced by a large modern structure, which will be erected next spring. He left for the Outside this morning, and will return in time to start the construction of the building when the snow leaves.⁶⁸

Figure 4.33. View of Downtown Fairbanks in the 1920s. Note remodeled California building to the right of the NC Co. Store, and empty lot to south. The wooden Turner Street Bridge was replaced in 1917 by the steel Cushman Street Bridge shown here. Pacific Northwest Photo Collection, University of Washington.

Based on our investigations, a new "large modern structure" was not built. Instead, the White building was extensively remodeled, including major exterior modifications such as changing the fenestration on the second floor and building an addition on the south side (Figure 4.34). Abe Stein operated a dry goods store on the corner; the 1927 Sanborn Insurance Map clearly shows this business. A photograph from the 1930s (Figure 5.7) identifies the establishment as the Fairbanks Clothing Co., which apparently was leased from Abe Stein from 1930 to 1935. After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the Chena Bar and Grill was established in this building and included the Star Taxi Co.⁶⁹ Deed records for this period show that a warranty deed transferred the property from Abe Stein to Belle Woods in 1935, and that she subsequently leased it as a bar, the Chena Bar and Grill. The building burned on April 25-26, 1946, in a fire which also destroyed the Northern Hotel and Coffee Shop and damaged the Chena Liquor Store and Pioneer Hotel (Figure 4.35).⁷⁰

Figure 4.34. View to the west along First Avenue in the mid-to-late 1920s. Note Abe Stein and Sons sign atop the California building, just beyond the NC Co. complex. Ralph Bennett Collection.

Figure 4.35. The burning of the Chena Bar and Grill in 1946. View to the northwest from Barnette Street. Reuel Griffin Photo Collection, Alaska and Polar Regions Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

There are no indications that any new buildings were built on the lot until the mid-1950s. From 1946 until 1956, Lot 1 was used as a parking lot for nearby businesses or stood empty. From 1956-58 the lot was leased to Standard Oil of California; "Gene's Service" operated there from 1967-68 and "Jerry's Service" was in business between 1968 and 1973. A cinder block structure which was originally part of the station, now Gerald Victor's Furs, is located on Second Avenue at the south end of Lot 1 and the southeastern corner of Lot 2.

Architecture

By all accounts, the California building represents a fairly typical frame structure of the early days of Fairbanks. This reconstruction is based upon the historical photographs and subsurface remnants. However, these data reveal a glimpse of the attitudes toward early-day construction techniques and demonstrate some of the changing dynamics that took place along the town's riverfront street. Numerous photographs show a two-story false front building with the major tenant, the California Saloon advertised on a parapet marquee (Figure 4.36). While not highly elaborate in terms of ornamentation, some architectural aspects are noteworthy. Small brackets decorate and finish the upper limits of the building parapet, and the builders paid attention to the appearance of the storefront, with a corner entrance and unevenly-broken main fenestrations. Behind what appears to be a possible bowed truss roof, lies the one-story extension of the bowling alley.

Figure 4.36. Drawing of the California Saloon, circa 1908. Note southern extension/annex. Composite drawing from historic photographs by Marilyn Jesmain.

Both the main building and at least part of the extension began with cellars. Apparently intended for storage, the cellars had marginal head room as sills lie less than six feet below today's surface. The foundation, such as it is, reflects either the expedience of the day or low availability of construction materials. Initial construction began by excavating the cellar holes. At the perimeter, the hole dropped about 3 feet from the ground surface, where it stepped inward and then down again from the perimeter. The horizontal run and drop were each about 3 feet. After excavating a hole for the cellar, the builders ran a plank stringer, generally using a full-dimension 2x12 lying on the ground at the building's perimeter. Concrete blocks on nominal 5-foot centers lay atop the plank and provided a base for a long-lost post structure, supporting the first-floor platform (Figures 4.22, 4.23, 4.25, and 4.26).

On the outside of the plank, a vertical 2x4 stud wall and sheathing held back the adjacent soil. Some thought regarding long-term preservation went into the design of this retaining wall, because tarpaper and/or corrugated iron provided a moisture barrier. Cross-joists, also laid directly on the ground, served as supports for the floorboards of the first floor. Nothing of the internal structural support system remained in the archaeological excavation. Presumably the first floor developed off of a platform system using an internal center beam and more posts. Clues to this may still remain, but lie outside the designated area of investigation.

Excavations revealed two discrete cellars (Figure 4.22). The main cellar lay under the nominally square footprint of the two-story building with an ell extending partially under a southern addition. The south end of the ell showed archaeologically in EUs 52 and 58, Area C3 (Figure 4.26). The shift between the saloon cellar and the extension ell clearly shows in the shift from horizontal to vertical retaining wall boards on the upper perimeter in EUs 48 and 51.

The smaller second cellar lay nearer the south end of the annex. Construction techniques follow the pattern of the main cellar, with a 2x10 sill, 2x4 floor joists on 20 inch centers, and 1x10 floor boards. Entrance appears to have been gained through the east side, possibly from the sidewalk area in EUs 63 and 66 (Appendix 1). The specific purpose of the second cellar is uncertain, but it was probably for storage. It is clear from the overall record, however, that gravel and sand fill eliminated this cellar by 1920, prior to (or possibly associated with) Abe Stein's remodeling of the California Building. The Stein renovation extended the above ground portion of the building south to the end of the main cellar ell.

No archival records exist for the changes that occurred in the building design over the years. However, photographs show modifications over time, presumably in response to interior alterations and different owners. The original structure appears almost square, with the bowling alley annex protruding behind. The windows along the upper front were paired, while three sash windows ran down the east side (Figure 4.36). It looks like sometime near the end of the California Saloon tenancy, some sort of association may have occurred with the property immediately west (the Tharp, Rusk, and Smith building). This building shows a similar false front look, but the design incorporated four evenly-spaced windows across the upper facade. The California building changed its original window pattern to conform, and the two buildings were painted to appear as one (Figure 4.37).

This fenestration pattern runs into the period of Abe Stein's ownership (Figure 4.37). Although a newspaper account proclaimed an intent to demolish the old California building at this time to make way for a new building, this clearly did not happen. Changes, however, were made. The upper story east side windows were removed and the building lengthened along Barnette Street by about another one-third. Our excavations record the change in the position of both the original south wall and the "Abe Stein" period south wall. We do not know exactly when the "bowling alley" disappeared, but it certainly gave way to this remodeling.

Figure 4.37. Drawing of the California Saloon building, circa 1925, remodeled as Abe Stein and Sons Dry Goods Store. Composite drawing from historic photographs by Marilyn Jesmain.

The California Saloon's changing nature shows through again in its final transformation. After the demise of Prohibition it became the Chena Bar and Grill. For unknown reasons, a new arrangement in windows and appearance occurred (Figure 4.38). Windows reappeared as three sets of two along the upper east wall. By this time, the upstairs housed apartments. The upper front also received new treatment. Three windows are present instead of four, and ornamental brackets appear at the parapet. If it were not for the continuity shown at the entry level, one might be tempted to call this at least two, maybe three different buildings on the same lot. Sufficient clues remain, however, from both the photographs and the archaeology of the foundation and cellars to demonstrate otherwise.

Figure 4.38. Drawing of the California Saloon building, circa 1946, remodeled as the Chena Bar and Grill. Note "Chena Liquor Store" to south of main building. Composite drawing from historic photographs by Marilyn Jesmain.

We know little about the interior layout or furnishings of the California Saloon. A poor microfilm copy from a newspaper advertisement in 1908 shows three views of the interior (Figure 4.39).⁷¹ The top photo was apparently taken from the back of the first floor of the main section, looking north. This image portrays the diagonally-oriented main doorway. The bar is located to the left, or west side of the photo. A well-lit area along the north wall is undoubtedly the large picture window which shows up in several exterior photos of First Avenue. A row of four pool tables occupies the middle of the floor. The middle photo is evidently taken from the north or front of the California Saloon's main room, looking south. The bar is to the right, or west. An American flag hangs down from the middle of the north wall.

The bottom photo apparently shows the first floor of the southern addition to the California building. Photographed from the north, looking south, it portrays a large open area in the middle of the floor with two lines separating the area into three equal parts. This is the bowling alley described in period advertisements, with three lanes and associated gutters. Along the upper one third of the western (right) wall are at least three windows, tilting inward on bottom-mounted hinges. Three windows are shown along the upper rear (southern) wall, and a doorway is shown in the southeast corner of the extension.

Figure 4.39. Three views of the California Saloon interior, 1908.⁷²

Discussion

In order to better understand the California Saloon, the following sections present some insights into its context: the waterfront saloon life of Fairbanks in the first decade. The historical evidence of downtown atmosphere is summarized first, followed by the archaeological remains discovered that support and embellish the historic picture. More detailed discussions of the site's geology and archaeology are presented in Appendix 1.

Early Saloon Life In Fairbanks. In general, the saloon played a significant role in the early days of the "frontier" mining camp, and continued to be an important establishment as the community became more "urbanized." The saloon was mainly a place of entertainment, relaxation, and/or a place to "blow off steam." However, and perhaps more importantly, saloons provided a place for social interaction for some people even if special organizations such as the Masonic Temple were available. The saloons assumed functions of social order and provided places for gathering, places where the latest news and gossip could be traded, and at times provided forums for political meetings. Fairbanks was no exception, given the remote settings of the mines in the Fairbanks Mining District. The need for social interaction and face-to-face communication must have been especially important. Advertisements for the California Saloon indicate that an additional purpose of the saloon was in providing a venue for charitable events such as Christmas dinners. In the case of the California Saloon, these were free events for 250 needy people and newly-arrived miners for at least six consecutive years.⁷³

One eyewitness, Sidney Paige, a USGS geologist, describes the Fairbanks Waterfront in 1905:

[T]he main street fronting Chena Slough already puts to shame many a town of ten times its age on the 'Outside.' On the main street alone there are as many as ten saloons, all in active business, to say nothing of the hospital, dwellings, sawmills, drug stores, and commercial companies' posts.... Enter a saloon, and in five minutes, mid the melodious tones of 'Mamie, come kiss you honey boy,' screeched from the latest phonograph, and the jostling of the eager crowd about the gaming tables, endeavoring to lose in the shortest possible time their hard-won gold, you will hear more of the 'good pay' and rich 'fractions' than you could learn in a month at the bottom of a wet drift.⁷⁴

Another early observer commented that "if you wanted to find anyone, all you had to do was make the rounds of the saloons and dance halls and some time during the evening you would find your man."⁷⁵

To a town isolated by climate and geographic location, entertainment was an important role provided by saloons, and was an especially important draw for the California Saloon, which advertised itself as the "Finest and Largest Place of Amusement in Alaska."⁷⁶ The California Saloon offered not only various gambling games, but advertised moving pictures, a three-lane bowling alley, pool tables, dancing, a reading room, and even bicycle races as well.

Gambling, an important facet of life in the California Saloon, was described by Fairbanks attorney John Clark in 1906:

At first glance, one would conclude that there were more saloons and dance halls than all the others combined. They occupied the most conspicuous places and gave the impression of being more numerous than they actually were. While every saloon was not a dance hall, yet every dance hall was a saloon. Gambling was wide open and games were running night and day in practically all the saloons. To one who sought excitement and had the money to lose, the choice was various. The rattle of the ball and the call of the operator called many to the roulette wheel, while others had a system by which they believed they could overcome the dealer's percentage at faro. The crap table attracted those who desired noise with their recreation, while the less venturesome preferred blackjack. To those who desired a stiff game with big stakes, or who fancied themselves as poker players, the tables in the back of the saloon had an irresistible fascination. Money was plentiful and the 'sky was the limit' at most of the games, so men went broke with neatness and dispatch.... At night the saloons and dance halls were busy places, and as the camp was young and most of the people here were in their twenties of early thirties, they had to have some way of letting off steam and gambling was the most available and attractive.⁷⁷

Contrary to the picture of the lawlessness of saloon life in early Fairbanks that is often presented in the popular press, Clark also emphasized that

never during the two years that gambling was conducted after my arrival here [1906] did I ever hear anyone so much as intimate that any crooked work was being done..... There were no gun fights, as I do not suppose one man in five hundred carried a gun. Fist fights were few, for while men would get drunk occasionally, they were not a quarrelsome lot, being young men who had come here from a spirit of adventure. They were strong, fearless, and, for the most part, clean living young animals..... There were no locks on peoples' doors and the hotel bedroom doors were in cases entirely without locks, much less keys. There was no poverty, for the population was almost without exception of able-bodied men and women, and work was plentiful and well paid. There were no sneak thieves, no burglars, and no criminal element in the common acceptation of the term."⁷⁸

Some of the patrons of the downtown watering holes were described as

newcomers who had not yet been able to secure work. Others were men who worked in the cold and wet drifts all winter and were taking a layoff for a few weeks in the spring before the water commenced to run and the cleanups would start. There were others who worked in the stores and shops by day and when these closed there was no other place to go until bedtime.⁷⁹

Some, it was noted, "did not drink at all. Hundreds never gambled a cent, although no one apparently considered gambling a vice and the games were square. They gathered in the saloons and dance halls at night as there was no other place to go."⁸⁰

However, not all townspeople regarded the saloons in such a favorable light. To many, especially the "respectable" women and the church-going populace, the saloons represented a dark side of the community that should be avoided. "The real ladies of the town never walked up Front Street; they turned down and walked on second. Here and on Third and along Cushman, the main street that bisected the avenues, were the respectable shops."⁸¹ Indeed, the history of the saloons in Fairbanks closely parallels the national trends, especially the "blue laws," which for the California Saloon meant closing down most of the wide-open gambling activities by 1908,⁸² and of course Prohibition, which took effect in Alaska in 1918.⁸³

The Archaeological Record of Saloon Life. Archaeological data corroborates and augments much of what scant historical records and photographs can tell us. Indeed, the California Saloon site yielded an abundant record of the material culture of early Fairbanks. Many artifacts of the owners and patrons of the saloon were discovered: beer, wine, and liquor bottles; paraphernalia from draft beer dispensing systems such as bung wrenches, bungs, beer taps, beer tap hose, beer barrels; cocktail shakers; bottle spigots; drink glasses (shot glasses, stemmed glasses, etc.); entertainment items such as dice, playing cards, poker chips, phonograph record fragments, part of a bowling ball, slate from pool tables, and possible movie film; indulgences such as a variety of tobacco-related products; and an assortment of coins, saloon trade tokens, gold dust vials, and a miner's leather gold poke. Samples of the artifacts from the California Saloon are illustrated in Figures 4.16, 4.17, 4.18, 4.19, 4.20 and 4.21.

Other artifacts document the presence of women as part of saloon life. These materials include some female-specific artifacts which, given the assumed non-domestic and male-oriented setting of the saloon, could have been left by dance hall girls or prostitutes.⁸⁴ Materials reflecting women in the early saloon deposits include such things as garters, pins, makeup, perfume bottles, and a "Dr. Tullar's" 1901 patented douche.⁸⁵

Although not a primary focus of our research goals, the time periods after circa 1920 activities in the California building are not well represented in the historical documents we examined. Use of the building during Prohibition is known primarily from deed records and advertisements of the day. It is not known how the building space was organized, or what goods and services were offered during its life as Abe Stein and Sons Dry Goods Store or the Fairbanks Clothing Company. The archaeological record for this period is also poorly represented. This is not surprising, however, considering the building later had a third life as the Chena Bar that was subsequently destroyed by fire. The Chena Bar and Grill, whose creation in 1935 would have destroyed much of the evidence of the preceding Abe Stein store phase, is much better represented archaeologically than the preceding Prohibition period, although many of the Chena river bank deposits tend to be mixed with earlier saloon debris from the first two decades.

Based upon archival sources, we know that the early saloon period California building consisted of a main first floor saloon with the second floor used as a club and entertainment area, and an attached annex. From the fragmentary and scant photographic record, we know that the main first floor room housed the bar and pool tables, and that the annex contained a three-lane bowling alley. From exterior photos, we can discern the basic configuration of doors, windows, and walls. Beyond these observations, however, we know few details about the California building as a functioning commercial entertainment establishment.

Our investigations examined the northern and eastern sidewalks near historically-known doorways and their associated transitions to interior spaces, the foundation wall and associated builders' trench along the northern and eastern walls, the juncture between the original structure and a circa 1906 southern addition, and deeply-excavated cellars within both the main building and the addition (Appendix 1).

Along the northern wall, little remained to elaborate on the architectural view we already have of the early building. The diagonally-oriented door in the northeast corner would have been positioned above the corner of the site within Area C1 (Appendix 1). However, we found that the doorway had been obliterated by subsequent construction activity and augering for street signs. Segments of the front wall foundation remained; however, better examples of these were later documented along the eastern wall in Areas C3 and C4. The front part of the building, within our excavation area C1, did reveal a portion of the building's main cellar, a feature not otherwise shown in any historical documents or photos.

Artifacts relating to alcohol consumption found in the northern areas of the building, along the wall and within fill for the cellar, seem to originate from the third main period of the building's life as the Chena Bar and Grill. The alcohol-related artifacts are of more recent styles, such as beer cans post-dating 1935 and revenue tax stamps which did not exist prior to Prohibition, and include higher proportions of certain types of distilled spirits. A total of 14,042 artifacts were recovered from Area C1. However, this assemblage contained relatively few "Code 22" blue glass and associated beer bottles which we consider to be a diagnostic artifact of the first two decades (see discussion below). A large amount of architectural material is present, including much that was burned. This is consistent with the known history of the building's demise in 1946. Considerable alteration apparently took place in this area within a few years after the fire. The presence of a large concrete sidewalk slab with "Chena Bar" spelled out with inset marbles attests to bulldozing of the lot and pushing materials into the cellar hole (Figure 4.40). Dateable artifacts indicate the cellar was in use until the demise of the building. Area C1 of the California building falls into what we have designated "late saloon - mixed" for the purposes of statistical analysis (Appendix 10).

Figure 4.40. The concrete sidewalk slab recovered from Area C1 with "CHENA BAR" spelled out by marbles. ADOT & PF Photo by Brian Gannon.

The eastern wall of the California building, including details of foundation construction, was best preserved along several segments of the wall in Areas C2 and C3 (Appendix 1). In these areas, we found artifacts representing both early and late periods of the saloon's life, some in mixed contexts, and others in more "pure" settings. Area C2 contained 2,712 artifacts (Appendix 1). Area C3 was especially rich in artifacts, and contained the highest total count of artifacts (N=17,179) from anywhere within the California building "footprint." Compared to other areas of the building, a relatively higher proportion of food-related items suggests this area of the building may have housed the food preparation and consumption area, in addition to ubiquitous evidence of alcohol consumption. Clothing-related items are also well represented in this area, and may be some of the few artifacts related to the intermediate life of the building during its use as the Fairbanks Clothing Store and Abe Stein and Sons Dry Goods Store.

One of the best-preserved "early saloon" areas of the site was found within the deep cellar remains in Area C3. Especially well-represented are items relating to entertainment, for which the early California Saloon was well-known. These artifacts include several items already discussed as well as celluloid film fragments, which may indicate that the main cellar area of the California Saloon was where proprietors Martin and Koon showed movies to their customers. Various alcohol-related artifacts betray the primary function of the site: cocktail shakers, bottle spigots, beer bungs, bung wrench, and a beer tap hose. A perfume bottle was also found in Area C3.

A few coal fragments in Area C3 suggest that coal was used as a heat source. Prior to 1923, coal may have been brought in by steamer from one of several sources along the Yukon River.⁸⁶ After that date, it would have been readily available via train from the Healy coal fields. Finally, certain non-alcoholic beverage products, especially those associated with grape juice, may indicate Prohibition period use of the building (or just the cellar) for illegal alcohol consumption. Based on artifactual, stratigraphic, and historical evidence, this area of the site may be classified as both early saloon and "mixed" for the purposes of statistical analysis (Appendix 10).

The southernmost part of our investigation within Lot 1, Area C4, was perhaps the most spectacular in terms of yielding a relatively "pure" assemblage of gold rush era artifacts (N=12,376; Appendix 1). We investigated the deeply-buried cellar beneath the annex, which revealed thousands of early saloon artifacts. Many complete bottles of the pre-Prohibition period were recovered, in addition to the only tangible evidence of the bowling alley, a portion of a wooden bowling ball. This cellar would have been located directly below the bowling alley in the southern annex. Slate fragments may be the remains of pool tables, although we assume the tables occupied space mainly on the first floor of the main building. Based on analysis of artifacts, the cellar was most likely used for saloon-related storage (primarily bottles). An important construction feature we discovered was a barrel sump (Feature 24), set into gravels beneath the cellar floorboards (Figure 4.24 and 4.41). This was probably needed to dry out the cellar after the periodic floods from the Chena River.

Other architectural items common in this area were plumbing-related artifacts, especially valves and fittings. As in the case of Area C3, "women's" artifacts such as a perfume bottle, were recovered. Coal fragments, together with a feature in the wall that could represent a coal chute or cellar stairway (Figure 4.24), suggests the saloon burned coal in the early days. The dating of the annex, by stratigraphic associations, artifact dating, and the site's highest percentage of "Code 22" blue glass fragments (see discussion below), indicates clearly that the lowermost deposits, directly above and below the cellar floor, are pre-Prohibition in age.

Figure 4.41. Archaeologist Cheryl Weber excavating early Saloon period artifacts from the California Saloon annex cellar (Features 22 and 24). NLUR Photo (BAR-93-24-12).

The final area of the California site we investigated, Area A, represents a refuse dump located just across the street, where trash from the saloon and elsewhere was conveniently thrown over the river bank. The 35,536 artifacts recovered in this area, in terms of age, assemblage composition and volume, are biased in favor of the early saloon period (Appendix 1). Particularly well-represented are events from the early 1920s when the saloon was cleaned out and remodeled during the transition from its use as a saloon to a Prohibition-era dry goods and clothing store. Very few artifacts in this area are clearly attributable to the Prohibition period; this may reflect changing rubbish disposal practices brought about by the establishment of city garbage collection services. The early period levels, in addition to documenting saloon materials, also yielded larger artifacts such as a double-ended sled runner, a wagon wheel, and a presumed wagon-load of 220 horseshoes. A sample of artifacts recovered from Area A is illustrated in Figures 4.19, 4.20, and 4.21.

The Barthel Brewery and the "AB" Bottle Complex. Of the more common "early saloon" artifact types found at the California site, a style of beer bottle and associated glass fragments stand out as being especially diagnostic of age and function. Based on our analysis, much of the beer consumed in both the California Saloon and the Miners' Home Saloon (Section 4.6 and Appendix 1) was probably produced and bottled locally, most likely at the Barthel Brewery.⁸⁷

There were two known pre-Prohibition breweries in Fairbanks, the Barthel and the Arctic Brewery, which Barthel eventually bought out.⁸⁸ The Barthel Brewery was located on the corner of First and Clay streets in the east end of the city (Figure 1.2).⁸⁹ The building was at the time the tallest building in Fairbanks, reaching more than four stories high.⁹⁰ It was operational by the summer of 1905, and initially had a production capacity of 25 barrels per day.⁹¹ Under the guidance of Prussian-born Herman Barthel the brewery increased its capacity to 100 barrels per day, and a storage capacity of 150 tons.⁹² It contained an underground ice house which could hold 300 tons of Chena River ice, and an adjacent bottling plant which produced strawberry and root beer soft drinks.⁹³ The brewery could store 3,000 beer kegs and 15,000 beer bottles.⁹⁴ It billed itself as having the "largest and best equipped plant north of Puget Sound," and was located in "the Milwaukee of the North."⁹⁵ A 1915 advertisement photograph of "B.B.C." lager beer (which was locally known as Northern Light Lager) is shown in Figure 4.42⁹⁶: "Northern Light Lager, because of the excellent water and the know-how of the German brewmasters, was preferred by a great many people to the beer shipped in from Outside."⁹⁷ The Barthel Brewery was closed down by Prohibition in 1918.⁹⁸

Figure 4.42. Advertisement for B.B.C. Beer, Barthel Brewing Co., 1915.⁹⁹

One of the "hallmark" artifacts found in the Barnette Street excavations was a bottle type defined by clear blue glass and manufacture marks from the midwestern bottlers American Bottle Company ("AB Co."; trademark 340), or Adolphus Busch Glass Manufacturing Co. ("AB"; trademark 339; "ABGM Co."; trademark 362; Figure 4.43 and Appendix 2). These maker marks date to the first two decades of this century. "AB" bottles date to the period 1904-07,¹⁰⁰ although some sources¹⁰¹ believe these bottles date to as late as 1929. "AB Co." bottles date to between 1905 and 1916,¹⁰² although an end date of 1929 is possible.¹⁰³ "ABGM Co." bottles date to between 1886 and 1928.¹⁰⁴ Additional information on these marks is given in Appendix 2.

Figure 4.43. "AB" and "ABGM Co." bottle bases from the Barnette Collection.

These marks clearly represent a pre-Prohibition bottle type. This distinction is particularly important in the Area C excavations, as that area included remains of both the pre-Prohibition California Saloon and the post-Prohibition Chena Bar and Grill. These maker marks were among the most common found in the site, and most of the bottles with these marks are of a color that we elsewhere designate "Code 22" glass (Appendix 3). Bottles or bases with the marks described above but another color glass (green and brown) are excluded because of higher variability in maker marks represented by bottles of that color.¹⁰⁵ Blue bottles with one of the three marks account for about 28% of beer bottles in the Barnette collection and 38% of beer bottles from temporally "early" levels (see below).

A total of 165 bottles or bottle base fragments of this type were found in the site: 75 in Area A, 3 in Area B1, 34 in Area C, and 53 in Area G. Bottles and fragments of "Code 22" color numbered 4,871, weighing 30,634.05 gr. (67.5 pounds). Based on the average weight of one bottle (654 grams), the total weight of glass fragments from the site, if refitted, represents an additional 47 whole bottles.

In order to assess the distribution of "Code 22" glass, we analyzed counts and weights of glass bottles and fragments in the saloon deposits of the site: Areas C, A, and G. The levels examined correspond to the same "early" analytical units that have been used elsewhere in this report (e.g. Appendix 10; "Cabin", "Early Saloon-California", and "Early Saloon-Miners' Home"), and are summarized in Table 4.2. We also included "Early-Late Saloon mixed" deposits from Area C.

Table 4.2. Comparison of "early saloon" areas of the site¹⁰⁶ containing "Code 22" bottle glass.

Large amounts of "Code 22" glass were recovered from both the California and Miners' Home saloons. The greatest weight of this glass type was found in Area C4, and suggests bottles associated with the deep pre-Prohibition cellar from the California Saloon annex. The pre-1920 Miners' Home Saloon contained a greater count of "Code 22" glass than Area C4. The second-greatest amount of "Code 22" glass was found in the early levels of Area A associated with debris discarded from the California Saloon, and when the building was in the process of being remodeled as a Prohibition-era dry goods store. Lesser amounts of this glass were found within the California site in Areas C1, C2, and C3. The highest count/weight from Area C3 (Level 3c: 100/888.9) is associated with fill just above the deeply-buried main cellar floor.

Because of the large quantity of AB and AB Co. bottles and related "Code 22" glass fragments, we hypothesize that they were associated with the locally-brewed "B.B.C." beer from the Barthel Brewery. Some bottles may have been bought directly from the Midwestern bottle companies for use by the brewery, and others were probably re-used after the non-local beer had been consumed.¹⁰⁷

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