The Tale of Two Gun Kate and the Shootout at the Old Brick Saloon

In the Wild Whisky days of the 1850s, Paris had no less than 17 licensed taverns in a town of little more than 1,000 On the road to Brantford there stood a saloon called the Brick which was under the ownership of Tilly Yates on the southwest corner of Paris Rd and Hardy roads The Brick was better known for its ladies of the evening. As Ms. Yates operated her establishment, she gained two other names, Calamity Jane, and Two-Gun Kate because she always toted two loaded guns She became one of the area’s most legendary characters Some young lads from Paris would often venture here to escape their quiet town in search of adventure and to toss down a few drinks which sometimes led to arguments followed by dustups. It was then that Two-Gun Kate earned her reputation, whipped out her guns and fired one over their heads. The lads knew that it was time to clear the premises If they were not so inclined, Kate, being a crack shot, wouldn't hesitate to wing one of them. It was in one such brawl around March 1883, that she hit a Paris man in the leg and embarrassed him to no end, the man swore he would get his revenge. In 1885, around Christmas time, five men associated with the Paris man, decided it was time to get even When Tilly got word that they were coming, she called her bouncers and locked and barred the doors. The gang approached and was emphatically told that if they knew what was good for them, they would move on They dropped into another tavern until they regained their nerve and decided to return to the Brick that same night. When they found the doors still barred, they began using rocks and a small battering ram to gain entry. When a back window was broken, Tilly got the guns out, shots were fired, and the mob moved on with zero casualties Tilly Yates was a force to be reckoned with and few men ever tested her again after that night. Among the antics for which the Brick was famous, was its collection of dancing girls who arranged themselves in their colourful ruffled skirts on the front balcony on warm sunny Sunday afternoons. From this perch they took great delight in heckling the carriages being driven by young men who were taking their ladies out for a pleasant afternoon drive The men would speed up the horses while the ladies would turn their heads away from such lewd scenes. Other roads led to Paris, but this was by far the most popular. By the 1950s the Brick had become an apartment building and eventually it was demolished altogether and replaced by a new building. But the legend of Two Gun Kate and the Old Brick Saloon has been retold for generations