Sociologist Ray Oldenburg described bars as "a third place, different from home or work, where people could escape but still be part of a group."
As I looked through the oldest photos in this gallery, one question came to mind time and again:
What was the purpose of the towels hanging on the customer side of many of the bars pictured?
Bartenders, of course, would have towels to clean glasses and wipe down the bar, but why would towels hang from the patrons' side?
I did a little research on legendsofamerica.com and, in a sense, am sorry I did because the answer is a little disturbing.
The site notes, "encircling the base of the bar would be a gleaming brass foot rail with a row of spittoons spaced along the floor next to the bar. Along the ledge, the saloon patron would find towels hanging so that they might wipe the beer suds from their mustaches."
OMG, they had them in barber shops too. Is it just me or do others think the local boards of health should have prevented saloon proprietors from allowing patron after patron from wiping their mouth on the same nasty towel? And, there was also the mention of spittoons on the floor which makes me wonder how much chew wound up on those towels, too.
To me, the concept doesn't seem all that different from a restaurant asking patrons to pass around a community napkin.
I also wondered why some taverns had bar stools and others didn't.
The site mentioned above notes that taverns that had table seating usually had standing-only bars, while establishments that didn't have enough room for more than one or two small tables offered their patrons stools at the bar.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
One thing to point out: it wasn't always drinking that made a bar or tavern popular or memorable. A number of the ones featured in this gallery were well known for their food as well as beverages. My own experience with that was what was considered by many a coming of age tradition in Vineland: lunch at the K&O Bar on Sixth Street.
Delish! ... the same to you .... I distinctly recall my father taking me there one day; I ordered a liverwurst sandwich and it came with a glorious pickle. Regulations were a little more lax in those days; I was allowed to sit at the bar. But for many, including me, it was one of the earliest life experiences in a place usually reserved solely for adults.
Here's a gallery of watering holes ? some gone, some still in business -- in New Jersey. Be sure to have captions enabled to find out more about each photo.
Can't get enough? You can view previous galleries on the topic by clicking this link here and clicking this one over here.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.