The Historic Brown Derby

The Historic Brown Derby

About the turn of the twentieth century Lon sniff built the first brick building in Deer Trail, where he operated a saloon. The upstairs was used for dancing, roller skating, theater, church service, and other community activities. The first high school classes were also held here. This brick building was located on First Avenue across from the White Hotel.
Arapahoe County was 'dry' a few years before prohibition, about 1917. Lon Sniff was forced to close his saloon. He moved to a building just over the Elbert County line on Highway 40. about three or four miles south of town. He called it "Binnville."
U. S. Prohibition was in effect from 1921 to 1932. During this time there were many "stills" around the country, where people made and sold booze, homemade beer, and wine. The sheriffs were kept busy trying to close down all these stills.
After prohibition ended, a few restaurants started serving liquor by the drink. On May 1.1935 a Spirituous Liquor License to sell drinks in Deer Trail was granted to Dorothy M. Crandall, Crandall Cafe, also had roller skating in the back hall, now also part of the Brown Derby. Wheat was also stored in this hall at one time. In 1936 the Crandalls moved their restaurant down the block. Dorothy named it "The Brown Derby." Currently the Brown Derby is owned and operated by Glenn Kunkei. That has change and unknown who is the owner, as it is up for sale. The economy has a big roll in the Brown Derby in the last few years and has been sold to different people over the last 8 years without any success. Copy by: Ron Schaffer update.
(From the book, History of Deer Trail)


Deer Trail's First Rodeo Begun on a Bet
By Floyd Pakuer
Those who like rodeo should give thanks,
because of what happened in 1869 on the East Bijou
banks.
The place to compete was not far from the rail, a small town in the west called "Deer Trail." The wager was made, the date was all set, a new suit
of clothes is what the winner would get. Now. the riders were cowboys who worked for the
outfits around The Hashkife, the Campstool, and the
Mill Iron. The crowd that came to see this contest
didn't do it by chance. They traveled in buckboards and wagons to watch rawhide and denim dance.
These horses would kick and strike you. They were nobody's pet.
Real means Broncos, just as bad as they get. The horse would be snubbed to let the rider get set. This started a ride that no one would forget. Montana Blizzard, a horse who was a bad one to buck, and Emilnie Gardenshire, a cowboy who was to try his luck. The ole bronc would kick, pitch, and duck, with such great force you would swear that the devil must have made this horse. He was one of the worst broncos that ever grew hair, but that didn't matter 'cause that cowboy would stay right there.
When the dust had settled and the bucking had quit, this ended the ride that had Begun on a Bet.