The good old days: A cigar and a shot right on the street

 

(National Cigar History Museum) Unimaginable in today’s overprotective society, this is a saloon, cigar store and slot machine emporium open right onto a city sidewalk. The paving in the lower right of this photo is city sidewalk. The paving lower left is a passage way between buildings.
Though saloons were everywhere in the 1890’s I doubt if this streetside ability to grab a quick one and lose a paycheck was common even in that more permissive society. Fred C. Bates was the proud owner, city unknown. This over merchandising of booze helped lead to prohibition. [1870] Continued