Rawlins America

When I was a young engineer (in my early 30’s), I worked for an engineering company in Denver, Colorado. They needed an engineer (preferably single) to go to Rawlins, Wyoming and design and manage the construction of a 30 mile water pipeline. Rawlins got their water from mountain springs 30 miles south of them, and the line needed to be replaced. Like an idiot, I agreed to do it.

The surveying of the line was fairly laborious due to the mountain region and more so the vast amount of vegetation. It took about three months for two crews working 10 hour days for 6 days per week to complete. When the survey was completed, I turned it over to a Land & Title company for the acquisition of the right-of-way and easements. This took another three months. During this time I designed the line and had two draftsmen working with me at the same time.

I got to know the mayor of Rawlins fairly well. He either came to my office on a daily basis, or I would go to his to give him an update. We always ended up in one of Rawlins’ bars for a drink or two, or three. During one of my meetings the mayor asked how I liked Rawlins. I, of course lied to him and said, “it’s great”, but I sure miss the BBQ from Texas. Well, this certainly pumped him up and he asked me “Have you not been to Willie’s yet?” I answered no and he told me that Willie’s had the best BBQ in Wyoming, which to me wouldn’t be much of a task. So, we agreed that tomorrow he would take me to Willie’s.

Willie’s is located on the edge of the north side of Rawlins in an old and very large residential house. The bottom floor had been gutted to accommodate a large bar and dining area. I initially assumed the top floor was offices and a residential area where Willie lived…………I was wrong.

When I first entered the place I noted the bar was magnificent….made out of cherrywood and hand crafted during the 1860’s. They don’t make bars like that anymore. I was really impressed with the place. The mayor and I sat down and the bartender was “Johnny on the spot” to serve us. We ordered our drinks and after a good sip or two I looked around and noticed the place was full of drop dead gorgeous women wearing very skimpy clothing. You might imagine that a young man stuck in an awful city like Rawlins for 6 months might be delighted at this sight…..and you would be right. Up until this time the only women I ever ran into in Rawlins were either school teachers trolling to get married and have someone take them away from this hell hold, or City staff who were married and looking for a little “extra-curricular activity”, so to speak. I learned that the only person meaner than a married woman in Wyoming was her husband. Although the school teachers were very needy, and most of them still had all their teeth, the married women would get you shot in a heartbeat (no pun intended). I stayed clear of the married ones.....even though they were much more experienced than the school marms.

Anyhow, as the mayor and I were enjoying our beverages after ordering our BBQ, two ladies (and I use that term loosely) came over and asked if they could join us. The mayor perked up and said “Hell Yes”. The bartender knew who the mayor was, as it seems like he was a “frequent flyer” of this place, and immediately went into the kitchen. Very soon after that the ugliest person I have ever seen in my life came out of the kitchen and greeted the mayor. He was about 5’2” tall and 5’2”” wide and as black as could be. He looked like a human bowling ball. The mayor introduced me to Willie, the owner of this fine establishment. Willie immediately shooed the girls away….much to my chagrin.

But, as I was talking to Willie, he noticed my Texas drawl and asked if I was from Texas. This brought a smile to my face and I replied “Hell Yes”. Willie smiled and said, “So am I”. It seems as though Willie was born and raised in Snook, Texas. He asked me if I had ever heard of it, and I said you bet I have, it’s about twenty miles east of the Holy Land. Willie grinned again and said “You must have gone to Texas A&M University”, as he then noticed the Aggie ring I was wearing. He then asked where the best BBQ in Texas was, and I replied it was at a small place in Snook called “Thelma’s”. Then Willie, with a smiling grin and white flashing teeth, told me his story….he was born and raised in Snook. He used to own that little restaurant but had to leave the state “unexpectedly”. He left the restaurant to his daughter Thelma, who he said “was almost as good at cookin’ BBQ as I is”.

I’m thinking this is unbelievable. Who would ever think they would run into the father of one of the best BBQ cooks in Snook, Texas in a town like Rawlins, Wyoming, whom also ran a pretty good whorehouse……..or so I was told?

The mayor and I ate (and yes, it was very good BBQ) and drank the rest of the evening and Willie would not let us pay. As we were leaving, Willie told me to come back anytime, the food and booze was on him, but “You gots to make your own deals with the ladies".

I'm thinking I hit the Mother Lode……..so to speak.

On the way home I asked the mayor why the city allows a whorehouse to operate inside the City.  His response was great......"Willie does a good job at managing the fighting and other activities in his place, the police rarely have to go there, and besides, if we close it down, the prostitution will only hit the main streets of Rawlins.  With Willie's, it's controlled in one spot".  I never thought of it that way, but it made a lot of sense.