Van Tassell, A Day in the Life - Buckaroo Bar with Donna Lloyd
A Day in the Life, Van Tassell was celebrated on Sunday, June 14. This was a part of the America 250 / Explore Niobrara events celebrating America's 250th Birthday.
Buckaroo Bar
Click here for Donna Lloyd's Buckaroo Bar Video Presentation
Some of you may recall one of Van Tassell's famous establishments & others like me grew up hearing about The Buckaroo Bar. Oh, so many stories! In 1946 and 1947 the Buckaroo Club which was better known as the Buckaroo Bar & Buckaroo Nite Club was built.
This establishment was one lively fixture in Van Tassell; the club added a splash of glamour to the community by serving gallons of beer and spirits across what was claimed to be the longest bar in Wyoming. It was part of a bustling scene in the early 20th century.
Van Tassell offered the perfect conditions for a club like the Buckaroo to thrive, despite its modest size. It's located on the border of Wyoming & Nebraska and not far from South Dakota. This accessibility made it a natural destination for entertainment geared toward a transient audience, particularly railroad workers, ranchers, and visitors seeking relief from a remote life.
The Buckaroo Club's "exotic" dancers and stag parties weren't just anomalies in a quiet corner of Wyoming - they were part of a larger story about how rural America flirted with glamour, performance, and identity in the mid-20th century. Van Tassell once pulsed with the same desire for novelty and escapism found in larger cities, like Omaha. Its advertisements hint at a hidden nightlife and a community that welcomed - or at least tolerated - the spectacle on its own terms.
Exotic dancers became a prime source of entertainment at the Buckaroo Club in 1962 and 1963. Not only did they bring in new exotic dancers weekly, they also hosted Stag Nites and featured live bands. Every Friday and Saturday night the club hosted 2 floor shows. They also served food like steaks, seafood and chicken (their specialty).
Exotics Who Performed: Donna Dare from Denver - no, this wasn't me, (I'm much younger), there was also, Miss Dusty Ryan, wonder if she got her name from the trail & let's not forget Pixie Regan "The Cutest Little Nudist in the Land," hum, do you think this might be Ronald's sister, you know the actor, the President? Maybe these were the exotic performers in March of 1963 when the FBI raided the Buckaroo. Yes, after watching the Buckaroo Club for months, special agents of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) raided the Club during a Friday night stag. The agents entered the club at 10:30pm where they found 40 men, most from Nebraska, being entertained by “exotic dancers.” The Niobrara County authorities also participated in the raid. The operator Harold Manders was arrested on the charge he failed to pay the annual $250 federal tax on coin-operated gambling devices. He was released on $1500 bail and none of the patrons were arrested at the raid. In 1965 a fire consumed the Buckaroo under suspicious circumstances.