06/09/2026
How many saloons were there in Cimarron during its Old West heyday?
Legend has it that Cimarron boasted as many as 17 saloons between the 1870s and the turn of the 20th century. Most of these establishments faded away by 1900. However, through a review of historical newspapers, maps and surviving documents, only nine can be definitively identified today.
Here are a few notable examples:
· The St. James Saloon, operated by Henry Lambert, remains the most well-documented.
· Stepp’s Saloon, located just north along the same street, was run by Lambert’s brother-in-law, Bob Stepp—his first wife’s brother.
· Charette’s Saloon, situated catty-corner across from the St. James, had a reputation as a rough-and-tumble establishment. Its proprietor, E. Charette, is buried in Cimarron Cemetery.
· The Sw****ka Saloon was built in “New Town,” north of present-day Highway 64, during a planned expansion of the community.
· The Calhoun Hotel & Saloon, one of the earliest hotels in Cimarron alongside the St. James, was known for its violence—though many of those stories have unfortunately been lost to time.
Like many frontier towns, Cimarron saw saloons come and go with changing times. If you’re aware of any others from the frontier era, please share their names and locations—I’d be glad to help document them.
List of known Hotels & Saloons in Cimarron:
St. James Hotel & Saloon
Charette’s Saloon
Brick House Saloon
Stepp’s Saloon
Sw****ka Hotel & Saloon
Saloon (name unknown) in the old Barlow & Sanderson Stage Office (just south of the St. James)
Calhoun Hotel & Saloon
Livingston Hotel & Saloon
Oxford Hotel & Saloon
Photo of the Sw****ka Hotel ca 1900-Courtesy Audrey Alper's collection.
