The Counts Brothers’ Saloon

    The Counts brothers, operated a saloon in De Leon for many years.  Tradition said that when De Leon voted out the sale of alcohol they were forced to move their business to a location outside the city limits near the cemetery (the road from Gorman to De Leon to Dublin at the time came down Reynosa).  This photo was provided by Charlene Counts Miller and she indicated that it was taken around 1895.  However, there are several problems with that date.  Notice the ceiling fans.  De Leon did not get electricity until 1906 and by then the sale of alcohol had long been banned from the city.  The saloon is believed to have been located in what has for years been called the Counts Building--the two story building on the east side of Texas Ave. south of the old bank location.  But, once again there is a problem, the front end of the saloon does not match the front of the Counts building as it is today.  Additionally, the above photo seems to show a curved ceiling in the saloon but the Counts Building has a second floor.  For a number of years from at least the teens to the forties, the Counts Building housed a confectionery shop--a soda fountain, cigar store etc.  Perhaps this is how the saloon looked but had been converted to a confectionery.  What appears to be liquor bottles might be soda or ice cream flavorings.

    Here are some other things to look for.   There are actually three bars in this photo, two have bar rails on the floor.  There are three spittoons, three ceiling fans and three light fixtures that appear to be oil lamps or very early electric lights.  On the top shelf of the display case on the right end are cigars.  There is an advertising sign for Alisa on top of the case-which could be advertising cigars-and all the boxes on the end of the lower shelf also bear the name Alisa.  The glasses on the second bar are actually inverted mugs.  Liquor(?) bottles are located behind the bartenders and the adjoining bar closer to the door.  Also notice the elaborate carving on the bar and around the mirror.

Counts Brothers Saloon ca: 1895.  It was located in the two story building that formerly housed De Leon’s Monitor.  The man in the suit is Sidney Calvin Counts, father of former De Leon Post Master Tate Counts and great-grandfather of State Representative Sid Miller.  The man on the left is Newt Mahoney.  Photo provided to De Leon’s Monitor by Charlene Counts Miller, grand daughter of Sidney Calvin Counts.