Julia Bulette: MYTH and LEGEND
Usually when you look at a photo taken of an Old West Town showing the buildings and people, you can tell the popularity of a location by the number of horses in front of it. Also when the horses are not there you can still tell by the Horse Residue left. The largest and the most piles of Road Apples would mark such a spot. This is the case with this photo. Your eye immediately goes directly to Julia’s House. Not the Opera house, not the Bar but to that small dwelling on the East side of” D” St. Close to Union.
Her location in town would bring a smile to Joe Conforte’s face. You probably couldn’t select a better location for this type of business. Across the street from the Alhambra Theatre. Slightly south and across the street from Sporting Row. One block from the International Hotel. Less than 200 feet from McGuire’s Bar and Opera House. It also had a great view down 6 Mile Canyon, not that anyone besides Julia, ever noticed.
Thomas McGuire built the Opera House in 1863. Julia was killed in January of 1867 and in March of 1867 John Piper took over the Opera House and the name changed to Pipers Opera House. The Opera House burned in the Great fire of 26 October 1875. Piper owned a Bar at the corner of “B” and Union St. so he rebuilt the opera house at the rear of his saloon and it opened 28 January 1878. In March 13, 1883 it again burned to the ground. He again rebuilt at its present location and opened on 6 March 1885.
