Echoes of the Southwest

The Birdcage Theatre opened in 1881 and was not only a theater, but also served as a saloon, gambling hall and brothel. The New York Times called it, “The wildest, roughest, wickedest honky tonk between Bash Street and the Barbary Coast”. It had all the best beer and champagne and a miner could spend a month’s pay there. It was opened 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and even on holidays. There were 26 deaths during the 80 years of business and has over 120 bullet holes in the walls and ceiling. On December 25, 1881, William “Billy” Hutchinson and his wife Lottie opened the Bird Cage Theatre. It got its name from the 14 boxes that were referred to as “cages”. These cages are located on the second story balconies on both sides of the main hall. Each box had drapes that could be drawn while the prostitutes amused their cliental. Also found in the main hall is a stage where live performances were held and below was an orchestra pit. Many famous and notorious legends frequented the Bir...

It has be a long time since I had a meal at the Old Spaghetti Company. Any place that serves up pasta with a side of ghosts has my attention. Sitting in downtown Phoenix, Arizona on Central Avenue is an old building which once was two houses where the Cole and Baker families resided. Both houses were built in the 1920’s and were merged together when the Cole family bought the Baker House in the 1940’s. With an addition built between the houses to unite them into one establishment, a furniture shop was the first store to open its doors in the newly renovated building. The building was eventually sold to the Barrow Family and then to a Phoenix business man in the 1970’s. He turned the building into a restaurant and the Spaghetti Company was born. It remained as such until 1996 when they sold the property to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Shorty afterwards the ghost stories started to become more apparent after employees and guest started experiencing strange occurrences. One time when t...