By 1885, the city of Renton, Washington, had nine saloons. The young single men who worked in nearby mines, mills and logging camps came to town on Saturday and Sunday to catch up on the news, do some shopping and drink with their friends. Saturday nights were frequently noisy and violent. The saloons closed in 1916 when Washington State passed laws making the sale and drinking of alcohol illegal. This photo, probably taken sometime around 1900, shows a group of Renton men standing outside the Eagle Saloon. The saloon, operated by the Dobson Brothers, was located on the corner of Burnett Avenue and Walla Walla Street, handy to the railroad. It offered billiards and pool as well as food and drink.

Original photograph: ca. 1900. Copied ca. 1976 by the Museum of History and Industry.

• Subjects (LCTGM): Bars; Wooden sidewalks