Jim asked me to post this for him.

SADDLE CLUB HISTORY

2487 Dixie Highway

Fort Mitchell, Kentucky

Researched by Jim Linduff

A recent find of three Saddle Club chips by CC & GTCC Club Member Paul McDonald resulted in initial research of the Saddle Club and as is common with this kind of effort, we have more questions than answers. However, the investigation continues since the joint is still in operation and there has been some interest by the current owners to help in the project.

About ten years ago, Paul purchased a large lot of illegal chips from the Northern Kentucky area including those from Glenn Schmidt’s, The Flamingo Club, Merchant’s Club, The Magnolia Hotel, Beverly and the Yorkshire. Included in the lot were three denominations from the Saddle Club.

The Saddle Club chips were all Diamond and Squares mold as follows:

Red, 4 Black, “Saddle Club $1.00”, both sides

Yellow, 4 Red, “Saddle Club $5.00”, both sides

Purple, 4 Yellow, “Saddle Club $25.00”, both sides

Paul was gracious enough to send one of each for our research, and in future updates, I’ll try to include pictures, assuming I ever get my scanner working.

THE JOINT

The Saddle Club in Fort Mitchell has been in operation at the same location for 50 to 60 years, in same area as the Greyhound Grill and The Five Mile House (Retschulte’s) and near the several Erlanger spots, Arcaro’s, The Cabana, The Dixie Club and the Roundup, all who were sited for some form of gambling over the years, most for operation a handbook.

The bar originally was in the south side of the building, with a private room directly next to it, not accessible from the street. That room operated as a “card” room well into to 1980’s, but from all I have interviewed, featured cash games and/or private gin games for select customers.

Recently, within the last four years, the bar was moved into what had been the card room and the original bar area now houses a pool table, dart boards and high top tables. Currently no food is served.

My personal experience at the Saddle Club originated in about 1962 when we met there on Saturday mornings to square our horse bets with our bookies. Spoody Vetter was my “contact” who operated Spoody’s Place on Pike Street in Covington. The race book was wide open, with Racing Forms and Tout Sheets offered at the bar. Bartenders shot dice for drinks and I’m sure some form of gambling took place in the card room, but I never played there myself. Many of the old Summit Hills Country Club gang hung out in the joint.

Ownership included the List family who also owned the old Five Mile House south of the Saddle Club. The Five Mile House had been in the extended List family since about 1895. The club was then called Retschulte’s until 1983 when it was sold to interests that remodeled it to become a Barlycorn’s.

During the List ownership the Saddle Club was raided in 1968 for operating a handbook.

In 1975 the Saddle Club was sold to the Ireland family, with Wanda Ireland listed as the contract owner. The family still owns the club and it is through several members that additional information may be learned. After a couple of discussions with members of the family, I am sure that they will share what they remember, because they recognize the history of the joint to be of historical interest.

There are still a few regulars that remember gambling, but none who remember chips. I showed a couple of guys the chips and as they said, “It wasn’t unusual for chips to be used in many clubs in Northern Kentucky”, but when pressed they all remembered horse betting as the action.

THE CHIPS

Burt Company manufactured the Diamond & Square mold for sale to casinos from 1941-1960. The mold continued for non-casino use until 1990, but is not used today. The mold was distributed by Hunt & Company, Chicago, Portland Card Company, Portland MA, Noll & Company, Pasadena, CA and White’s Club Room Equipment, Cincinnati, OH.

Given the condition of the chips and the casino dates above, the timeframe does fit the gambling era in Northern Kentucky.

The mold did show up in Northern Kentucky at the 633 (Flamingo) Club, The Magnolia Club, The Turf Club and a “CK” chip thought by some (not me) to be from the Keeneland Club in Covington.

Research of the Illegal Index listed in Hertel, we found 18 Diamond & Square mold chips, 13 from the Northwest, 2 from Florida and 3 from Kentucky (above). White’s would have likely distributed only the Kentucky and Florida chips. Getting the Portland Card Room records may help determine the location of the Saddle Club chips since they were the largest distributor.

The denominations of the three chips is consistent with those used at some of the biggest clubs in Northern Kentucky; The Glenn Rendezvous, The Latin Quarter, The Lookout House, etc. but frankly the $25 chip is a very high denomination for a small joint in the 1940’s/1950’s.

OTHER SADDLE CLUB LOCATIONS

There were four Saddle Club locations in Las Vegas over the years and one in Ely NV. The original Saddle Club in Las Vegas opened in 1941 the same year as the diamond & square mold started to be made by Burt. Given the name association with racing there were many other Saddle Clubs around the nation.

I haven’t any chips of the mold attributed to the Nevada clubs, but that data is based only from listings in Hertel and TGT.

CONCLUSIONS

It is certainly true that the chips could be from the Fort Mitchell location given how they were purchased, the history of the joint and the manufacturing dates of the chips. Further investigation may bring antidotal confirmation, which frankly isn’t much less than other chips we now consider authentic. While I still consider the Jockey Club attributions suspect (a son of the original owner remembers chips being used), these chips today are in the same category in my opinion. I’ll list them as UFC’s and will continue to investigate. Actually, the bar today is very nice…flat screen TVs, cold beer, friendly people, so my “research” isn’t a real burden!