I was digging around in the archives a couple of days ago and ran across this post. I enjoyed reading it again, but was bummed because the pictures were gone . I thought a few of you might enjoy the story...especially if I put the pictures back with it!

So, without further ado...from our travels in the fall of 2007

By:Pam G. R-3432
Date: 10/13/07 10:09 pm

In Response To: NCR--So we continued East on I-80... (Pam G. R-3432)

Couldn't go any further east and still be in Nevada, so we dropped South on Alternate 93...then we hit McGill. There's a sign outside of town that says the backbar at the McGill Club is the oldest in Nevada. We'd heard that it was the backbar from the old Arizona Club, in Las Vegas, that was later moved to the Last Frontier Village. We wanted to see it. So we stopped at the McGill Club, and checked their hours. The Club was open for a few hours yet, so we headed across the street to a shop that had 'antiques', videos, and other assorted stuff. Fished a couple of Sands (LV) shoe horns out of a fishbowl ("whatcha'got? 3? how about $1?"). Then to the McGill Club. We ordered our drinks, then talked to Norm, the bartender.

Asked him if the backbar was from the Arizona Club, and he said no. But here's the story...

The bar was manufactured in the 1890's in Dubuque, Iowa, by the Brunswick Company. There was no cross country railroad in those days, so the bar was shipped around the horn to San Francisco. It went by rail from San Francisco to Caliente. In the early 1900's it went by wagon train to East Ely, where it was at the Antler Club. Then, in 1943 it was moved to McGill. I asked my boss, one time, how it was moved and he said "In 3 pieces". He told me it went through a bad storm and fell off the wagons 3 times. I wanted to know more, but we got busy and I didn't get a chance to talk to him anymore that night. I figured I'd just ask him again later, but wouldn't ya know...that railroad crossing out there...the only one in town...well, he was killed out there before I ever had a chance to ask him again.

Did you see that wall in the front room? Every one of those pictures represents a soldier from right here in McGill...someone that enlisted, or maybe was drafted, from McGill to fight in World War Two. If I had the time, I could tell you about every one of those people.

There used to be a lot more people here. I guess we had about 2500 folks, one time. Now we've got about 700. There's nothing for 'em to do. They have to leave McGill to find jobs. Me, I was born here in Ely 70 years ago. By now I gotta figure I'm gonna die here, too.

Oh yeah...we used to have more gambling here. There was a roulette table over there, and blackjack over there. Nope, haven't got any chips or dice anymore. Sure, little lady, you go ahead and take all the pictures you want. It's been real nice chatting with you folks.

Is that great, or what? If you get a chance to go through McGill, be sure to stop at the McGill Club and talk to Norm.

2015 update: I just learned that Norm Linnell passed away in 2014, after a long and full life. An article in the Ely Times stated that he started working at the McGill club as a janitor/water boy in 1935, when he was 14. He served in WW2, and when he came back he went to work at the post office for a short time...then went back to the McGill Club, where he worked for a total of 72 years. The article also stated that he helped his father build the 50 Club. I also heard that the McGill Club is for sale