African Americans and the Boston Saloon
Storey County, Storey County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
African Americans And The Boston Saloon. Between 1866 and 1875, a remarkable business thrived directly behind this building. Free-born William A.G. Brown operated his Boston Saloon, serving Virginia City’s African Americans. Archaeologists have revealed that Brown offered his customers finely prepared meals with the best cuts of meat. Shortly after Brown sold his business, the great fire of 1875 swept through town and destroyed the building. There were rarely more than one hundred African Americans living in Virginia City, but they played varied and important roles in the community. Some African Americans pursued work as laborers, porters, and barbers. Others became affluent business owners, and a prominent doctor won widespread respect. By the 1870’s, African American children attended integrated schools. Prejudicial laws and racism placed hurtful restrictions on the African Americans of Nevada. Fortunately, a prevalent pro-Union, anti-slavery attitude improved the lives of many African Americans who helped build Virginia City.
Erected by Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
The Story
In the boomtown of Virginia City, free-born entrepreneur William A.G. Brown ran the Boston Saloon from 1866 to 1875, serving the town's small but vibrant African American community fine meals and the best cuts of meat — details archaeologists later confirmed digging through the site. Though rarely more than a hundred African Americans lived in the city, they worked as laborers, barbers, business owners, and a respected physician, and by the 1870s their children attended integrated schools. The great fire of 1875 destroyed the building soon after Brown sold it.
Why it matters
The saloon is a rare, archaeologically documented window into Black life and enterprise in the Reconstruction-era West, where a pro-Union, anti-slavery Nevada offered opportunity even amid persistent discrimination.
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Related people
- · William A.G. Brown
Related events
- · Great Fire of Virginia City, 1875
Themes & tags
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