St. Louis's Oldest Bar & Restaurant

I was twenty years old or so when I met the owner of the World Famous Trainwreck Saloon in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. We were in Europe a small group of Phi Kapps (Phi Kappa Sigma of the University of Denver). A member of the DuPont family was with us. I was asked if I wanted to meet the owner of a restaurant in St. Louis, he is our age. I saw George Hansford a few more times in Europe in after the initial meeting. I was leaving Denver, Colorado, USA headed to St. Louis when a fraternity brother (Phi Kapp) said to remember to look George up while I was in St. Louis. I worked at the Trainwreck Saloon a few times when in town. Gary Strassler and another friend Spencer a.k.a. Big Sprocket. went to the Trainwreck Saloon for food and drink two or three times. Over forty years later the Trainwreck Saloon is still selling food and drink. The bar and restaurant location has been open since 1890. Though not always being known as the Trainwreck saloon it has been continually serving food and drink since 1890 Rock Hill, Missouri, USA. The site was first known as Nine Mile House which opened in 1890, then Porta's Tavern in 1932, and The Trainwreck Saloon which was named by the Hansford's in 1982. I first met George in 1988, and I met Kris shortly after that at The Trainwreck in Rockhill, Missouri on the second floor. George let me Barback to make a little extra money while in town for the weekend. Cathy Gahr was a waitress who later became a manager at multiple locations. I was at The Trainwreck Saloon Westport in 1990 to 1991 when George explained he would be moving a few booths from Rockhill Trainwreck Saloon to Westport, in Maryland Heights, Missouri. I met the incoming Manager Gregory Pantikoff. This means I have seen many phasis of the lifestyle that is known to Trainwreck Saloon customers. 

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Story by Darren Dwayne Frazier                                                                         

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