Ira's Bar - First National Bank of Nara Visa

Ira's Bar - First National Bank of Nara Visa historic building in eastern new mexico. at one time it was a bank and even printed money. it was robbed a lot. at a later time it was a bar.

it was robbed then, too.

11/15/2020

Sold! Now, there's 6 lots with 3 old houses behind the fire station left to sell. Make offer.

08/29/2019

For Sale Commercial 5600 Sq Ft Lot, Built in 1945 in Nara Visa, NM

08/29/2019

View priced at $25,500 in Nara Visa, Quay County, NM. Browse photos, see details, and contact the seller.

05/06/2019

This was the scene at Ira's Bar in Nara Visa, New Mexico on the afternoon of Thursday, September 21, 2017. Before it was a bar, this building was a bank owned by the Burns family, and the vault is still obvious (although not in this photo). Reportedly, the bank's second story was removed. Jeff and Ivy Ward, who ran the place, used the vault to hold the liquor, which seems sensible. Jeff and Ivy decided to retire and the Hutchison's took over as the last operators. But finally no one else came forward to take the reins and Ira's closed before the 1980s were through, as far as I've been told. Jeff Ward passed away a few years ago. I'll post a photo of the *other* Ira's Bar next.

My thanks go to a couple people who know Nara Visa and its history well for sharing their memories with me. I used some of their many fond recollections for this post. Also, one or two people living in Nara Visa keep an eye on Ira's Bar and they're not expecting patrons. So please keep that in mind if you're passing through on U.S. Highway 54 and think you might want to wet your whistle.

04/25/2019

I swear, I've seen this old Ira's Bar in a movie.

04/25/2019

Folks, that was a wonderful response to the question, "Just where did that beautiful old bar from the St. James Hotel go?" Thank you all very much. A field trip will now be undertaken to have a look at one bar in particular and then we'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted! Eventually this information will be included in a book being written on the St. James Hotel and its original owner, Henri Lambert. I should say, however, that I'm not the one writing that book!

To hold to a theme, one place the bar from the St. James is *not* is Ira's Bar in Nara Visa, way out in eastern New Mexico. Nara Visa is one of those names that comes from the corruption of another. In the 1880's, there was a shepherd in the area named Narvaez. English speakers pronounced it "Narvis," which further mutated to Nara Visa. A creek was then given that third name.

The village named for adjacent Nara Visa Creek was founded in 1901 with the construction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad line to Tucumcari. Initial settlers lived in a boxcar, but Nara Visa would soon become a significant shipping point for cattle.

04/25/2019

The First National Bank of Nara Visa, was at one time the most robbed bank in the United States, including the Pretty Boy Floyd gang

Address

496 Bell Street
Nara Visa, NM
88430

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A slice of history

this bar originally was a bank. one of the few buildings that survived the 1910 fire (mainly just the safe survived) After the great depression, this building was repurposed into a bar and was host to many a parched throat and tall-tale.