Club Harlem was one of the first integrated casinos in Nevada. Located at 221 East Douglas Alley, the bar first opened in 1946 under the watchful eye of its owner, William Bailey. Although cited for illegal gaming, the small property was later licensed in 1948 for slots and 21.
Bailey moved to Reno from South Dakota in 1934 (born 1903) and found numerous jobs before joining the army in 1940. When he returned to Reno in 1944, he invested in the Peavine Club at 219 Peavine Street, along with several other small bars.
The Peavine was originally opened by Harry Wright and offered drinks, slots, craps, 21, and a rough crowd. The games may or may not have been on the square, and in December of 1944, craps dealer Walter Ector shot Joe Jones when he was accused of using loaded dice. The following year, Wright himself was shot by John Berton during a brawl. The 67-year-old owner decided to sell his share of the club to Bailey, who ran the property for two more years before the building was condemned.
After opening the Club Harlem, Bailey was also shot while dealing dice. For a while, the casino was off-limits to Reno Air Base personnel, and the 21 games had to be dealt from a wooden shoe because of concerns about cheating. When that wasn’t enough, a pit boss from the club was arrested at the New China Club next door – for cheating. My oh my.
In the meantime, Bailey continued to work as a civil rights advocate and as president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. Long before the better-known Moulin Rouge opened in Las Vegas in the 1950s, Club Harlem was a leader in Nevada casino integration. When local entertainers finished their gigs at other casinos, they weren’t welcome to enjoy the casinos themselves. Instead, they often walked down the street to Club Harlem.
When Sammy Davis, Jr. was working with the Will Maston Trio at the Mapes, he could be found afterward at the Club Harlem. B.B. King performed regularly at Club Harlem, as did other entertainers like Louis Armstrong. Another favorite at the club was Pearl Bailey, the owner’s cousin!
Bailey sold his interest in the club to Norval Embry, who ran it from 1958 until 1968, when it became the Soul Club. It operated as a bar and lounge for another ten years before being torn down to make way for Harrah’s parking garage on Center Street in 1977.
For you chip collectors, one of the $5 chips shown above sat in a tiny alcove by the Virginia Street entrance of the Senator Hotel for a dozen years before a thief reached over a small glass partition and brought it to a Reno coin shop, hoping to get $5 for it. By that time, it was selling for around $150, and the seller got more than they expected.
Many more stories about Reno, Las Vegas, and Lake Tahoe are found in Nevada’s Golden Age of Gambling!
Thanks for reading – Al W Moe