Jimmy Purcell, circa 1933

My wife's great grandfather, James Purcell, was the proprietor of four saloons in Mesa County, Colorado, between 1891 and 1909. Three of the saloons were located in Grand Junction and one in Palisade. Over the past several years, members of the Purcell family have studied family records, historical archives and consulted with bottle and token collectors in an effort to piece together James Purcell's life and his involvement in the saloon business.  As a bottle enthusiast, I also have sought to acquire bottles, tokens and other historic items from Purcell's saloons to add to the family collection. 

The purpose of this blog is to share some of the more interesting findings, photos, and history with collectors throughout the country and to elicit additional information about saloons in Western Colorado.