History of the Bars of Coeur d'Alene: July 2009

About this Blog

While sitting around having coffee with a friend of mine, Jim Headley, the subject of the Fort Ground Tavern's remodel came up. We talked about this establishment and how our lives had been touched by its history. One thing led to another and before long Jim was talking about the various bars that had been in Coeur d'Alene, and I began to write them down.

The rich memories that are dug up when we talk about these establishments always bring smiles and far off stares. We cannot for loose this bit of our past, so I have established this blog to try to document this information before it is lost for ever.

The posts are in no particular order. I will post new watering holes when I get pictures or historical information about the location. Photos have been taken off other web sites and reposted here. I have established a 20 mile radius of the Cd'A area and will post any drinking establishment that resides within that circle. If you feel any images here are published without permission or violate any copyright, please contact me and they will be promptly removed.

As you read through, or look at the photos, feel free to comment. If you have a digital photo and would like to share it, email it to canyonwren@roadrunner.com and I will post it and give you credit. Contact me if you have a bar photo, but don’t have a scanner and I will help you digitize it. Take a moment and write down a memory and together we can collect the History of the Bars of Coeur d'Alene. If the bar or tavern you frequented is not listed in the blog, visit my map of the Bars of Cd’A and see if it is posted there.

7/21/2009

Road Runner - Capone's

Iron Horse - Tee Pee Room

Historic sign over bar:

Herestopandspendasocialhourinharmlessmirthandfun,letfriendshipriegn,butjustandkindandevilspeakofnone.

Fort Ground Tavern

"Built in 1908 the building housed a drugstore and confectionery. Wyatt and Ruth Gray opened Gray's Grocery in the early 1940s. They added the west half to the building in 1959 for the grocery business and moved the tavern, run by Red Gray, to the east half. The grocery store closed and a kitchen was added in 1980. The Fort Grounds Tavern remained in the Gray Family until 2006."

Roads Less Traveled
Through the Coeur d'Alenes

280 pages, 8 1/2" x 11"
Paperback $12.95 \
ISBN 0-9723356-7-6 EAN 978-0-9723356-7-6

Gibbs Tavern

Raymond Pert gathered information about the history of Gibbs Tavern from the granddaughter of Hazel Russel/Baker and posted it on his blog Kellogg bloggin'. Raymond wrote "Her name was Hazel Russel/Barker. Her son, James Gilbert, ran the tavern. Three Toots was theirs from about 1948-1953.

Hazel also bought a tavern in Cd'A, whose name I can't recall, but she renamed it Gibbs Tavern. Many North Idaho residents remember this tavern well. Here are three pictures of Toots Tavern. Hazel is standing on the tavern porch in the first one.

The fourth picture is an interior shot of Gibbs Tavern. It's a picture of Hazel and her husband at the time, Russ."