I ran across some unpublished columns while look though some old files. I thought you might get a laugh out of this one. ~ Sheila

We stumbled upon an interesting place to eat while traveling. The Ruby House is a restaurant in the tourist section of Keystone, the closest town to Mt. Rushmore. I’ve found that a way to find good places to visit is to check in Travel Advisor. People give honest appraisals. I noticed it had a 5 star rating, so since we were looking for a place to eat, we decided to give it a try.

What I noticed immediately was that the red wall-papered walls were covered with antique pictures and ancient guns. This was once the Wild West remember. A large hutch and glass front cabinet held old dishes and knick-knacks. I was so fascinated that I had to get up from the table and take a closer look. The place was like a museum.

Morris, always curious, asked, “Who is Ruby?” The waitress said, “I will bring you some information,” and then brought us a newspaper-style brochure with the restaurant’s history.

It seems the Ruby House started as a brothel owned by Miss Ruby back in Gold Rush Days. Unfortunately, two of her best customers, Lechherous-Leo the Lawman and Wildman Ed, got into a feud that turned into a gunfight. Miss Ruby got between them to stop it before someone was killed. Unfortunately, Miss Ruby was the one who was killed. Never get between two angry cowboys in a gunfight.

It seems Miss Ruby had many admirers in the area and she had a huge funeral, well attended. The business continued even though Miss Ruby was gone. No sense closing down the best brothel in town. It had several different owners through the years. It burned down once and was flooded another time, but was always restored and reopened, maintaining its glitz and glitter. Eventually, the original purpose was discontinued, but it continued as a restaurant.

So, that’s the history of the Ruby House Restaurant. I might mention that the food was as good as the story – absolutely delicious. If you are ever visiting, Mt. Rushmore be sure to give it a try.

Copyright 2017 Sheila Moss

Do you ever read reviews on Travel Advisor or write your own review? Just curious…