Doing a bit of personal research on Albuquerque Downtown (‘New Town”) entrepreneur Joseph Barnett and the nightlife transition from saloons to movie houses that took place before and after New Mexico’s statehood. Instead of a single, comprehensive look, let’s “blog this thing” and keep 2024 attention spans in mind.

Joseph “Joe” Barnett did a great many things before dying at 88 in 1954, after moving here in the latter 19th Century. His diverse range of talents extended from real estate trading to billiards. Most long-lasting of his accomplishments is the Sunshine Theater, built 100 years ago and formally opened on May 1, 1924. We’ll use that date as arbitrary end to his public story, one that generally began with co-ownership of the famous/infamous St. Elmo in November of 1891.

The St. Elmo was quite a place, located on quite the strip of saloons, liquor stores and assorted other nightlife staples on the south side of Railroad (now Central) Ave. between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Here’s the 1898 Sanborn map detailing businesses along and behind this one block of New Town.

John Wickstrom and Joseph Barnett co-owned St. Elmo for a while before Barnett fully took over. The saloon was widely known as one of the premier gambling spots in the Southwest, featuring a large neon “Keno Tonight” sign out front. You could bet on anything from cards to routlette to elections there.

Heck, you could even place bet on who was the better skeet shooter.

Barnett and the St. Elmo prospered swimmingly throughout the end of one century and start of another, before gambling was outlawed in the New Mexico Territory January 1, 1908. The place closed for good two years later, Barnett having moved on to purchase of the nearby “White Elephant Saloon” as noted here.

We’ll recount the story of the equally famous White Elephant and how it geographically turned into Sunshine Theater as we relate more of Joseph Barnett’s story next time.