La Gitana
June 1, 2007
A milestone has passed. A Rubicon has been crossed. What could this be? What momentous occasion (besides the erection of the tower) has happened recently?
La Gitana Cantina has been sold! After 20 years in the hands of Jerry and Mary Beckham, there are new owners!
For many Arivacans, the center of town life has been La Gitana Cantina. Besides a dance hall and saloon, at various times the building has been used for a church, a courtroom, a store, a hay barn, and a restaurant. There had been at least one saloon in Arivaca since the 1870s. Sometimes there was enough business for two or more. The little building that now houses La Gitana has been a cantina since at least the 1940s, but its origins are lost in time. It appears in a 1914 photo, but the date it was constructed has not yet been determined. Doña Teresa Celaya ran a saloon and pool hall next door (in what is now the ruin) from at least the turn of the century, and probably well before that time, so the south side of Main Street has always had a bar. Doña Teresa came to Arivaca in the mid 1880s from Altar, Sonora. Frank Krupp remembered her as “Lady Bountiful and the friend in need of rich and poor alike throughout the area. . . In addition, the Senora ran the cantina, and in that capacity was her own bouncer, and an effective one.”
During the 1920s, Armando Membrila remembered, “They had a pool table in the saloon. I remember my dad used to go there and shoot pool with the guys and I wasn’t allowed in there but you’d look through the door.” Then Teresa retired and began renting the building out. Armando said, “When the Galvez family had it they made it into a little store. They didn’t sell groceries, they sold merchandise. I remember one of the things they had were these surprise packages. You paid a quarter for a box and you might get a dollar’s worth of stuff or you might get a nickel’s worth of stuff. They used to hold dances in that little joint and they would charge admission to dance. You could go in to see, but if you started to dance a lady would come around and put little ribbons on your lapel and you would have to pay. They would sell food. They would make the food outside. Tamales and things like that.” In the late1930s the main cantina of Arivaca was Caviglia’s Cafe at the west end of Main Street in the house most recently owned by Hack and Emma Mae Townsend.
For a while, Charlie Boice of the Arivaca Ranch had the liquor license. Some of the bartenders in those days included Foy Evans, Bill Steen, Bill Kennedy, Bill Ammonett, and E.B. Garner. In those more blatantly segregated times, mostly “gringos” frequented the bar. At one point Charlie also used it for a hay barn.
One time the Bar became a courtroom. In a house across the street, Cowboy Tom Reneer and Customs Officer Pat Sheahy got into an argument and Pat pulled out a gun. He shot Tom, injuring him (in an embarrassing place) but not killing him. The Sheriff came and took Pat away to Tucson, but apparently the trial was held right there in Arivaca in the bar.
Charles and Helen Brouse and his brother Bill bought the bar from Carmen Zepeda (Teresa’s daughter) in the early 1940s. The front room, formerly the bar but now used as a restaurant, was added by Gene and Helen Louise (Brouse) Casey in the late 40s. They brought adobes from a ruin down on the Sasabe Road and built it themselves. Gene and Dan Solvey installed a new wooden dance floor. It was Helen Brouse who named it La Gitana, after a poem in Spanish that she liked. In about 1950, Lucille Depper, a friend of Helen’s and artist from Magee ranch, painted the first gypsy on the south wall of the dance hall. Lucille later repainted the gypsy. She was much happier with the second one, but my own best memories are of the original gypsy with her pensive gaze. In those days the bar had a family atmosphere with piñata parties in the patio and children climbing on the cottonwood logs. Every holiday was an opportunity for the community to have a dance. Bill Walls taught many an Arivaca youngster to dance. The Brouses were active in Veterans activities and began hosting parties to commemorate Memorial Day and Veterans Day, beginning the tradition that continues 55 years later. In those pre-electricity days they even showed movies!
In 1957 Marge and Fred Schwanderlik and Tony Prevor bought the bar. Many will remember the square dances called by Ralph Smith, who brought his little record player out from Tucson. Also during that time a priest would come out from town and say Mass in the dance hall, since there was no Catholic church. In those days the bar had better facilities for community activities than did the school, so most events were held there. The bar continued as a place for community activities such as the Arivaca Clinic pancake breakfasts until the Old School and Community Center facilities were up and running.
Louie and Emily Schwanderlik took over the Bar in 1962. Emily ran a tight ship. A sign said, “No knives or guns allowed!” and she enforced it. Mrs. Schaffner, who worked there for several years, remembers lots of dances and potlucks, with people coming all the way from Tucson. The jukebox played old time favorites like “Put your little foot” and “La Bamba.” Joe Pianka tended bar and told jokes. His visage still stands guard over the old dance floor. In the early 70’s Louie put up a sign, “No hippies allowed!” But eventually he had to give in to changing times.
Since the Schwanderlik era, a number of different people owned the bar. Bill and Ruth Larson had it from 1971-76 with their son Jack Larson. After that came Dorothy Adams, who put her face on the gypsy. Then followed Vi and Bob Leeds. The Leeds renamed it the Silver Belle Bar, which it remained for several years after Rudy and Jan Cyprian bought it in 1980. Jan Cyprian remembered it as a family place where adults and children were welcome. She had birthday parties as well as a book and clothing exchange, as there was nothing of that kind any place else in town in the early 1980s. The next owners, Mike and Kathy McCarthy, changed the name back to La Gitana. They renovated the front room to be used as a restaurant and moved the bar to what had been the dance hall. A door in the south wall replaced the image of the second Gypsy. The next owner was Jackson “JR” Reynolds. In the 80’s Susie Kromenacker painted a Gypsy on the east wall of the restaurant.
Over the years a number of people have rented out and run the restaurant; generally for short periods of time. However, Steve and Penny Shepard did have a successful run for over seven years. Like most businesses in Arivaca – summertime is hard on small businesses and keeping a restaurant running is no exception.
Jerry and Mary Beckham, of Tubac, had La Gitana since 1987. He said, “I love the history behind the bar. It’s an old cowboy bar. There’s something about it that draws you. Money has nothing to do with it.” He commissioned Robert and Nancy Fricchione to make the bar of mesquite wood in 1997. Recently the painting of the Gypsy was replaced by a colorful, dancing Gypsy done by C Hues. Jerry had La Gitana longer than almost anyone. Over the years he had thought he might like to sell, but, who would buy it?
Along came a group of locals interested in buying it with the intentions of upgrading and operating it as a safe, comfortable place for locals and visitors to gather. The idea came about one day, at La Gitana’s Happy Hour, when a group started talking up the idea of buying the bar. The initial group included about ten people, (who met for soup-potluck dinners to discuss the possibilities) but eventually it came down to just four who then formed Soup Group, LLC; the sale papers were signed in late April, 2007
The new owners are Fern Robinson, Michele Fournier, Rich and Maggie Milinovitch. Fern had lived in Arivaca back in the late 80s. She left in 1991 to go back east, but always kept an eye on what was going on here. She said, “the wonderful, diverse crowd here in Arivaca fascinates me.” Last year she moved back to stay. Michele Fournier lives here with her 11-year-old son, Kevin. She is the only one with experience in managing a bar – her parents owned a bar back east and she grew up in the business. Rich and Maggie Milinovitch have lived in Arivaca for many years. Rich is their go-to guy for all the repairs and maintenance needed.
La Gitana’s new owners have redecorated, but not too much. They have plans to make improve it, but not too much. And, as soon as they get the kitchen ready and the Health Department’s ok, they will open the restaurant.
So, if it’s been awhile since you made a trip to La Gitana, come on back and see what’s new!
Note: this is my latest version of the La Gitana story, and I am prepared for the latest round of corrections.
Copyright 2007 Mary Kasulaitis
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