Many a tall tale has been told and many a dry cowboy has quenched his thirst at the bar now located in Carol’s Slash J in Piedmont. The Cherrywood bar with hand carved filigree decorations and huge beveled mirror originally came from Sweden in 1862. It arrived in Portland, OR, to be loaded on a wagon train by which it was delivered to Lead. An operator, named King bought it and moved it to Sturgis, where he opened the Sturgis Saloon, located where the present Coast to Coast store now operates. The Territory was looking itself over and making improvements and King faced a state that had decided to go dry. King died and his widow sold the bar in 1911 to Dick Schummer for $25 and $16 taxes.

Times changed and Schummer opened the saloon again with one of his customers ordering a case of beer a day to be delivered to her place down the street. Schummer’s son delivered the beer in a wheelbarrow. The woman’s name was Poker Alice. Yep, Poker Alice hoisted her glass with the guys at the bar when things were slow at her place.
About this time the army personnel would stop in at the old Saloon. When they got a bit too rowdy, the military from Fort Meade was called in to put things in order.

Schummer sold the saloon to Frank Roeden, who kept it for a couple of years. Roaden then sold to Henry and Herman Saultree for $6000. This was the bar and the business. It did not include the real estate. Henry decided to sell his share and Red Price found himself in the saloon business. Schummer then bought brother Herman’s share in 1941. The new partnership lasted about a year and then Schummer bought Red out. Schummer ran it for the next two years and he took John Sisk in as a partner.
The partners decided to sell and John Stephens and Earl Grams were the new owners of the Sturgis Saloon. They sold it to Hopstead, who was from the eastern part of the state. The old Saloon didn’t prove a good investment for him and he closed it down for about a year.

Hopstead must have been a pretty good businessman as he spent his winters in Florida. Returning in the spring, he reopened and operated it for about a year, when he sold it to a man named dePosa. A fortune was not to be made and the ownership reverted to Don and Eileen Anders.

Swede Anderson was ready to go into business about this time so he bought the bar and fixtures for $1500. He moved the Saloon across to where the old Doran Grocery Store was located. He refused an offer for $5000 from some California people that wanted to buy the old bar. Swede operated the business for seven years. His health began to give him problems so he sold the bar and fixtures to Dorothy Olson for $5000 and the right to operate card games. Less than a month later, Dorothy was killed in a car accident and her sons took over its operation, for a short time. They decided to hold a sale.

The old bar went up for auction in 1974. Bid followed bid until $2700 became the top bid and Tom Costello, the new owner. The bar had to be moved again, and Costello hired Frank Keller for the job.

Keller broke the bar down into 13 pieces. It was almost a year before it was assembled and by this time it took a little effort to remember just what piece went where. The side mirrors were intact and Costello replaced the beveled mirror in the center. Costello remodeled George Senn’s automotive shop making it into a restaurant and lounge. The old bar had a new home. Costello and his sons operated the bar until April 1981.

Costello ran into Carol Hansen and said he was thinking about selling the lounge. Carol, who had worked 20 years in the bar, decided it was the time to have her own place. She and her husband Percy assumed ownership and along with daughters Cindy and Lynette, serve fine food.

The beauty of the cherrywood was not diminished. The beveled mirror that threw back her reflection silently reflects the faces of men that come and go, as time marches on.