And the West is History: Horseshoe Club – ca. 1906

Andy Chitwood, a pioneer of Animas City and Durango, ran the Horseshoe Club at 969 Main Ave. on the town’s notorious Saloon Block. In 1893, 10 bars lined the west side of the 900 block. In the photo, a blackboard is visible on the right showing the results of the 1906 city election. The top name is Charles McConnell, the newly elected mayor. McConnell first served as mayor from 1899 to 1901. After skipping two elections, he ran again in 1903 but lost by only nine votes. He tried again in 1904 and won, then was reelected in 1905 and 1906. However, before the 1907 vote, he resigned under pressure when it was discovered he had accepted $25 to issue a license for a pony vaudeville show without proper authorization. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 18.27.18 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)