This is a photo of my parents at a bar in Bandera, Texas, about 1954, while they were on a Rosarian Club trip to the nearby Dixie Dude Ranch. I'm not sure, but I think they may have been in what is now Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar Saloon, based on some photos I found online of a downtown Bandera bar with similar decor.
According to the 2012 Handbook of Texas Music, second edition, edited by Laurie E. Jasinski,
"The building was constructed in 1921 and opened as a social establishment called The Fox Hole. In the 1940s the dance hall became The Silver Dollar." Other sources say the building dates to the 1890s. This honky-tonk is located in the basement under the Bandera General Store.
Or, it might have been the nearby Cabaret. According to the 2002 Dance Halls and Last Calls: A History of Texas Country Music by Geronimo Trevino II, pages 75-77,
The Bandera Cabaret opened its doors in 1936 as a small honky-tonk that catered to folks in nearby counties. Military trainees in San Antonio and Hondo helped popularize the Cabaret, and in the 1940s it was enlarged to its present size. The famous "hump" on the dance floor was caused by an uneven pour of concrete during the expansion. Past owners decided to leave it rather than make the effort to break it up and level it. It gives you a strange sensation as you dance over that portion of the 2,400-square-foot dance floor. The hall is over 10,000 square feet....The dude ranches around Bandera bring in people who enjoy going to the Cabaret year after year.The Cabaret has been closed since 2006, but is currently (as of August 15, 2013) being restored.
© Amanda Pape - 2013 - click here to e-mail me.
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