Monday, May 14, 2012

HillBilly Ranch Bar Boston

as you get old you forget. as you get older, you are forgotten - anon I know that I didn't come up with that quote, because I haven't really forget everything yet and the other day I was reminiscing about Lost Boston with a few old-timers at the bar of Jacob Wirth's. "Remember when they didn't let women drink at the bar here?" William hailed from Savin Hill. He was a double eagle same as my older brother. They had worked together on several senate campaigns for Ted Kennedy. "Yes, I used to bring my feminist friends here for a joke. They hated that the bartender would serve them at the bar. I thought it was a good laugh." I was a long-hair college student on the other side of the barricades from my older brother and William, who was fourteen years older than me. "Maybe the bartender didn't think it was that funny." William had been a Marine. "No, he loved telling those hairy girls to take a seat in the dining room." I couldn't remember his name, but we agreed that a woman's place wasn't at the bar of Jacob Wirth's. "You dirty hippie and I mean that in the best of all possible terms." My brother showed up later and our collective memories toured the city of our past. We extolled the prune rolls at Warmuths, the grilled hot dogs at WT Grants, the strippers at the Two O'Clock Lounge, and relived my brother's bachelor party in the Combat Zone. It was a blank in my mind. "I vaguely recall stumbling out of the Naked I into the Hillbilly Ranch. I think I wanted to hear MAMA TRIED." "We lost you for about an hour." "Probably ended up with the drag queens at the Other Side." William laughed with his beer belly juggling like defrosted jello. The beer at Jacob Wirth's was better than good. "No, I'd remember that. At least I think I would, but something sticks in my mind about getting up on the stage of the Hillbilly Ranch and singing a song." I had seen Sleepy La Beef, John Lincoln Wright, the Bayou Boys, and other southern b-bands of the 70s at the Park Square dive. "That was a tough bar owned by Frankie Segalini. You were lucky that you weren't rolled in that place. it was filled with Navy peckerwoods and crackers. They didn't like us Irish." "You returned to the Naked I intact." My older brother had a head for long ago. He was a lawyer. "And we made it to the church in time." The three of us clinked glasses to those times gone by. We thought that they would never end and they don't at Jacob Wirths' or in your heads

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

My parents met at the Hillbilly Ranch back in the 1960s. My dad was a bartender there. I was hoping that somebody had some pictures of the Hillbilly Ranch from the 1960s. Please contact me at melchmi@aol.com with any stories and/or pictures. Thank you! Michele C.

Anonymous said...

wife &I met at hillbilly ranch in nov. 1963 been married 49 yrs.

Anonymous said...

I went there many many times from 1964 to 1968. I had a lot of fun there. In those days it was good clean fun and nobody got into trouble. I remember Bob French and his band playing there. I still have a picture taken with the band.

Anonymous said...

Hi Michele. I used to go there a lot in the sixties. I have pictures but only of myself taken by the roaming photographer. It was usually with a date

Anonymous said...

My parents meet at hillbilly ranch in 1962. I can say that my dad, J.Oday love going to this place. My dad worked there sometimes as a carpenter. He has such fond memorie's..there.

Anonymous said...

My grandfather and great-uncle, Wally Zaremski and Peter Nolan, were bartenders at there in the 60s. Just wondering if anyone out there had pictures or any stories of them. kaz93@bu.edu Thanks, K. Zaremski

MANGOZEEN BLOGGER said...

I love the Hillbilly. Nothing like it in Boston these days. A city of the texting Bland Bobs.

Anonymous said...

Went to college in Boston 1956-1959. Hillbilly Ranch was a popular place then.

Unknown said...

I was a Singer/Bass player Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night back in 1952. Jonny George and the Country Gentlemen was the Band. Worked with Ray Bradley at the Irish Rover also, Harry Fraser

Unknown said...


I Sang ad played Bass at the Hillbilly on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Nights For six Months With the Johnny George and the Country Gentlemen back in 1952.
Harry Fraser

Anonymous said...

My Aunt Karen's father (Frank) owned The Hillbilly....The sign was mounted above her Fire place until her death 5 or so years ago...

Unknown said...

Went there several times lots of fun remember Dusty and the playboys. Little John used to be a regular. My friend Lou's and I had so many good times there.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone remember a lady singer by the name of Irene Sadowski?

MANGOZEEN BLOGGER said...

she and hr sister sang withNorm Stephens