Throwback Thursday: Location of Steinke’s Saloon

Our newest project is to research business locations in Edgewater to record what businesses were historically located at various locations around Edgewater. Today we are focusing on the location of a saloon that was the beginning of Edgewater’s journey to become a city.

Edgewater’s Golden Anniversary History Book, published in 1951, records how Edgewater started its journey to incorporating as a city:

October 14, 1892 in the saloon of Mr. Steinke, near Sheridan Boulevard and Emerald Street (West 25th Avenue), a meeting was called and nearly a hundred persons were present representing saloon keepers and citizens. It was the purpose of the meeting to persuade the people to incorporate into a town. The saloon owners offered to pay all expenses in order that they be out from under the jurisdiction of Denver and the Ashland police. They not only wanted to incorporate what is now Edgewater but also extend into Denver, north of Manhattan Beach. The people were so alarmed at this proposal that they refused to have anything to do with it, fearing that the unsavory element connected with the saloons, liquor and gambling interests would make Edgewater a gangster’s paradise. 

It wouldn’t be until August 17, 1901 that efforts to incorporate Edgewater would be successful.

With the launch of Joyride Brewing Company at the northwest corner of 25th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in 2013, we’ve wondered if Joyride is close to the location of Steinke’s saloon.

Thanks to the great archives at Colorado Historic Newspapers, we found the record of the sale of the saloon from Mr. Steinke to a new owner. The newspaper article from May 2, 1894 records the transfer of real estate located at Lot 28 Block 112 in Edgewater from Ernest Steinke to GM Mayer for 500 dollars.

We took this information and found Lot 28 Block 112 on the original map of Edgewater.

The original lots in Edgewater in 1894 were 25 feet, so half of Joyride Brewing Company’s expansion space (2509 Sheridan Blvd.) sits on the original location of Steinke’s saloon.

Joyride’s expansion space at 2509 Sheridan Blvd. sits on the original location of Steinke’s saloon

In honor of Steinke’s saloon and their link to brewing history in Edgewater, Joyride is now serving a Steinke Saloon Colorado-Vienna Lager, which is based off an 1890’s recipe from a local brewery, and uses all Colorado malt and German hops.

This October will mark 125 years since that historic meeting at Steinke’s saloon that started Edgewater’s journey toward becoming an incorporated city at the banks of Sloan’s Lake.

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.