As the cattle industry flourished around the valley in Ogallala , it didnt take long for entertainment to follow. By the 1870s gambling across the West was at its height even in the buildings of Ogallala. Most gambling took place at two establishments, Cowboys Rest and The Crystal Palace saloons. As Ogallala was a by product of the railroad, many gambling establishments forced their way through. These towns including Ogallala often attracted the lowest dirty gamblers around. In the summer months professional gamblers or those that made it their profession, arrived in Ogallala as the Texas cowboys began flooding the town. Most cowboys received there pay upon arrival, ready to try their luck at Ogallalas tables. These cowboys were easy targets for the gamblers traveling through Ogallala. They were not experienced in comparison to the gamblers and often lost their pay. During Ogallalas early years, bank notes and paper money were generally not accepted by cowboys, as they did not trust northern money following The Civil War. To appease this gold was accepted. Gold freely flowed across Ogallalas gambling tables. One such particular story in Ogallals began as a man named Joseph Hayden quickly won $10,000 in gold. He quickly fled Ogallala, but was soon hunted down and murdered in Paxton. Although in modern times winning a jackpot would be a highlight to ones day, in Ogallalas days it could mean death or injury among gamblers. With this, so gamblers arrived seasonally by the hundreds in Ogallala. Gambling was for some a way of life passing through Ogalllala. In fact, gambling was so serious in Ogallala that gamblers played 24 hours per day. Once such tale in Ogallalas history tells of a group of gamblers aware of the saloon on fire, moved the table to the street and continued playing as the building blazed. Gamblers across the West stopped in Ogallala some including the infamous Bat Masterson and Luke Short. By November the gambling seized as Ogallala fell back into its winter hibernation. Gamblers made their way to other towns across the frontier only to return in the summer months as Ogallala blossomed into its seasonal display.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 04:02:01 +0000
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