Vanished from Victoria: The Lone Star Saloon
Upper level of bar said to host gentlemen's club
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The Lone Star Saloon was once located at 107 W. Constitution St. It was rumored to have a gentleman's club in the second story.
In 1896, L. F. Jecker (1853-1920) built this elegant late-Victorian structure to house what was said to be Victoria's finest watering hole.
It featured cast iron detailing on the exterior.
The Lone Star, 107 W. Constitution St., was furnished with the costliest and most beautiful set of mahogany fixtures of any bar in town.
In 1911, Jecker sold the business, but not the building, to his younger brother, Joe Jecker (1861-1926).
There were, of course, all sorts of interesting things going on up on the second floor of the building over the years. There was a club known as The Cattlemen's Club, which held forth upstairs. There is some report of a "Gentlemen's Club" using the premises as its headquarters.
One thing is for certain: There were a lot of saloons in Victoria in 1900, and there was a lot of liquor consumed.
During the first two decades of the 20th century, the trunks of all the trees on the main plaza were whitewashed. This was believed to have been done to keep all the inebriates from bumping into them on their way home after a night of socializing.
Sid Weisiger wrote: "It was the custom, during court sessions or election times, to require all the old gentlemen to check their walking canes of crutches with the bartender. This was to keep any of these old men from getting too excited and using the canes or crutches to prove a point.
"Of course, all pistols and knives from inside patrons' boots were taken and checked at the bar."
Mr. Jecker had a small gasoline engine mounted on a concrete slab in a small building at the rear of the saloon. A shaft ran from the motor and into the basement, where it was attached to the floor joists.
Fans mounted upstairs in the saloon were powered by this ingenious device.
In 1918, Joe Jecker purchased the building from his brother for $14,000. His timing was not the best. The Volsted Act was passed over President Woodrow Wilson's veto on Oct. 27, 1919.
On Jan. 16, 1920, the act went into effect. The good old days were over.
The Lone Star Saloon building was eventually gobbled up as the National Bank expanded to the west.
