Glur’s Tavern is old enough to have hosted William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his Wild West troupe.
Its story goes back nearly 150 years when a Swiss immigrant helped create what is now believed to be the oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Missouri River. Joseph Bucher, born in 1845, arrived in the United States in 1873 and settled in Columbus, Nebraska, three years later. With his brother William, he built a flour mill, bowling alley, and saloon at 2301 South 11th Street in 1876. First known as Bucher’s Saloon, the watering hole quickly became known for its cigars, tobacco, and as a gathering place for the growing town.
Buffalo Bill would occasionally stop by the bar between 1883 and 1909. Rumor has it that in 1883 he arrived with his Wild West troupe and proceeded to buy a round of drinks for everyone, paying the tab with a $1,000 bill. In 1892, the Bucher brothers installed a beer garden with eight tables, sixteen benches, and electric lights. Shaded by large trees, it gave the appearance of a retreat in the woods.
In 1894, Joseph sold his share of the business to William due to his wife’s health issues. Joseph purchased 33 acres of land near Escondido, close to San Diego, where he grew lemon, orange, and olive trees in addition to peaches and apricots. He later relocated to San Bernardino, where he shipped barrels of wine back to Columbus for the tavern. William continued to operate the bar until 1914 and then founded Farmers State Bank in 1917.
William hired Louis Glur in 1903 when he was just seventeen years old. Louis took it over in 1914 and renamed it Glur’s Tavern. After Prohibition began in 1920, it operated as a soft drink and ice cream parlor. The owner also brought in decks of cards, cribbage boards, and slot machines and began serving food in an effort to keep the business open. The effort paid off, as the bar has remained open ever since. It also established a tradition of card playing that continues to this day.
By 1938, all three of the tavern’s early owners were gone, starting with Joseph in 1925, Louis in 1931, and finally William. This left Louis’s sons, Louis Jr. and Conrad, to carry the business forward. The largest renovation occurred in the 1960s, when the bar was moved from one side of the building to the other. Around this time, a ladies’ restroom was added.
Conrad sold the bar after his brother passed away in 1968. Their sister, Elinor Glur Viergutz, and her husband Gus operated the tavern until 1978. During their tenure, the bar was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. They made several improvements, including installing the wooden railing around the building and replacing the bar with one from the old Ivanhoe Bar in downtown Omaha. This marked the end of the Glur family’s long ownership when Brian Gaver took over. He expanded the kitchen in the 1980s. In 1992, he sold the tavern to former McFly’s Center Street Tavern owners Todd and Carrie Trofholz, who worked for the next 32 years to preserve its legacy. Although they sold the business in 2024, it remains open under new ownership.
The two-story frame building with a large wraparound porch looks nearly identical to photographs from 1899. Its original oak floors remain in place, along with its limestone foundation. It draws tourists, politicians, and celebrities, while remaining a beloved institution in the community. A lot has changed since 1876, but the oldest bar west of the Missouri River is not one of them.
Content written by Omaha Exploration. See my website for sources. If you enjoy my content, sign up to receive emails or make a donation on my website. You can also follow or subscribe on my Facebook page. Thank you and keep exploring!
Omaha Exploration is sponsored by @Rockbrook Mortgage Inc.
Not just a mortgage broker, we’re your educator and guide through the loan process. Proudly local in Omaha, Nebraska, we personalize our service to your specific situation. We’re not here to sell, we’re here to solve your home loan needs. Give us a call and see how we can help! (402) 205-7618
Click here to learn about opportunities to sponsor Omaha Exploration!
Bonus pics
Follow OE on Facebook for more
Get an email when new content is posted
Omaha Exploration, 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links can be used, if full and clear credit is given to Omaha Exploration with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Omaha Exploration proudly supports
Contact me to learn more about M4K!
Sources
- Omaha World-Herald archives
- https://visitnebraska.com/columbus/glurs-tavern
- https://savingplaces.org/stories/historic-bars-glurs-tavern-in-columbus-nebraska
- https://pchsne.org/buildings/glurs-tavern/
Leave a Reply