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Colorado Vignette - Buffalo Rose Saloon

The Buffalo Rose has a rich and varied history. The original building was built in 1859. It housed many businesses over the years. It was a 2 story frame building with 2 storefronts, the first true commercial block building in Jefferson County.

The first business here was a grocery store, with the first public hall (Metropolitan Hall) on the second floor. The hall hosted a wide variety of gatherings, from church services to dances. The grocery went under in the Civil War Depression, along with most of Golden's other business establishments.

During this period Golden was the capitol of Colorado Territory. The Territorial Council, the equivalent of a Senate, met in the second floor meeting hall from 1862 - 1866. Many of Colorado's earliest laws were voted on in this hall.

After the Civil War the building was occupied by the Golden Paper mills (the first paper mill west of the Mississippi). A successful mercantile was also housed in the storefront. The Metropolitan Hall continued as a public hall. In the 1870‚s a new owner remodeled the hall into the "Overland House", a hotel and restaurant. It served many travelers on the Wells Fargo Company Overland Stagecoaches.

The varied recreation in the buildings over the years included bowling, boxing, billiards and orchestrion (predecessor to the modern jukebox). The first public event on the premises was a Miners Hotel Ball in 1860. The first musical act performed was the Denver Quadrille Band in 1860, first public concert was the Hass Grand Orchestrion in 1878. Celtic fiddling was the type of music used at Golden's earliest public gatherings.

Some of the famous guests included General's Grant, Sherman and Sheridan. Over the years shadier guests caused more trouble, including shoot outs, the first shootout took place in 1860 and it is said the ghosts of some of these notorious men are still around. In 1914 Coloradans voted for Prohibition two years before the rest of the nation. To survive the saloon converted to soft drinks, going back to liquor when Prohibition was repealed.

Now it has been remodeled again and ready to continue the legacy of a Colorado Landmark. The current BUFFALOROSE offers a modest menu, breakfast and lunch specials, nightly drink specials, live entertainment Thursday thru Sunday plus banquet and event facilities.

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