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The Peerless was established in 1899 under the proprietorship of philanthropist Robert E. "Daddy" Garner. Garner operated the Peerless until his death in 1919 at the age of 52. The Peerless was best known for the whiskey Garner served - Old Wildcat. Aged but not weakened, Old Wildcat was bought by the barrel and bottled in a 7-ounce "a scant” bottle, with “a scant" measuring slightly less than half a pint. Old Wildcat bottles were blown at a glass factory in Tallapoosa, Georgia owned by Garner. Unfortunately for Garner and the Peerless patrons, the factory and all of its precious stock of wild feline intoxicant went up in flames.
In the early 1980s, the Peerless sat empty and in a state of neglect. The saloon came close to becoming another Anniston landmark casualty of "progress" and was within three months of being torn down. But the proud old lady was not to be denied. On October 3, 1985, the Peerless Saloon was registered by the U.S. Department of the Interior to the National Register of Historic Places.
One group, the Peerless-Salooners, whipped the establishment into drinking shape by hosting a series of now legendary social events before the saloon was officially open to the general public. Finally on May 13, 1992, the Peerless reopened her doors for business. Years of hard work by the saloon's proprietors - Dub Nolen and Kristy Farmer – have brought Anniston’s first saloon back to its original splendor.
Much of the saloon's turn-of-the-century grandeur is visibly evident. Venturing into the Peerless takes customers back to a time when Anniston's founders, including the Noble, Tyler and Sproull families, dominated the town’s political, economic and social landscapes. The massive mirror-backed mahogany bar on the west side of the building, was featured at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, and has been in the building since 1906. Old church pews have been cut in half to make the booths where some of you now sit. The doors and windows are adorned with ornate woodwork.
Upstairs, the Atlanta Room was once home to a brothel and infamous Madam from 1899 to 1927, when prohibition forced a end to this phase of Peerless history. A popular story is that Madam provided her “clients” with ties as Christmas Gifts. The owner's wife of the Saks Department Store was known to gauge the Madam's customers by the quality of the ties!
More history is made daily, by the colorful characters who make up the fabric of what the Peerless is really all about; daily good times woven into treasured historic memories.
Information above came from the Saloon's website orginally posted at: http://www.southernmusic.net/peerless2.html (URL is no longer valid: last known update was 2016). Business name timeline:
R E Garner
Address timeline:
15 W 10th St | |
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