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Show mmmmmm '-I I t w i ; ill Jit i 1 i t :ii T..J......'...: :..l..:...'...'..I.M..a..i.'.j....!..i..tra i I .(3 i 1 "S W i 1 chased the building, moved the steak by Stephanie Howell One of my earliest memories of Park City is of the sign above The Claimjumper restaurant. I must have been six or so, and it is not an in-depth memory, just a fleeting fleet-ing moment a deja vu flash of a feeling. I can see myself standing in the snow on Main Street in 1973, my mittened hand clasped tightly in the hand of my father. I am looking look-ing up at the oval image of an old cowboy, and it comforts me to see him watching over the town. It seems to my six-year-old mind to be perfect, right, and lasting. And so, I was not surprised sur-prised to find that The Claimjumper is the oldest restaurant in Park City. Restaurants have come and gone over the years, some within a single ski season, but The Claimjumper remains. The building at 573 Main Street has seen its share of Park City history. Built after the 1898 fire, it was a hotel and restaurant for most of its history. In 1918 it was used as a temporary hospital during dur-ing the great influenza epidemic. epi-demic. When the epidemic abated, the building again became a hotel. In 1971, Richard Ring wood and Lloyd Stevens began leasing the basement base-ment of the building, where they opened a small steakhouse. Stevens' father had advised him to move back to Park City (his birth town) and open a business. The Park City Ski Area had just announced plans to put $1 million into the ski hill. In 1973, Stevens and Ringwood pur- house upstairs and turned the basement into a private club. History was made in that club. According to Stevens, the Park City Councilmembers would often convene there after their meetings for a little THE CLAIMaUMPES J informal planning. Real estate deals were consummated in the bar, and business busi-ness plans were written. Bob Theobald, founder of the "Get Hot Program" which revolutionized mogul skiing wrote his proposals in the upstairs dining room, the Kimberly Seven. The restaurant stayed open year round and occasionally saw nights without with-out a single customer. The off-season was pretty quiet at that time. "You could shoot a cannon up Main Street without hurtiif-anybody," Stevens said. Live country music was played in the bar downstairs, and people from all walks of life would come to hear the bands. Kat James sang there off-and-on between 1980 and 1986. According to James, the bar epitomized Park City in those days. "It was just a crazy neighborhood bar where everyone knew everybody," she said. "It was like playing in a living room." James remembers the time country singer Jerry Jeff Walker stopped into the bar, and ended up playing play-ing until 3 a.m. The police showed up, and everyone ; was afraid they were there , to break up the party. They ; weren't. They just wanted j to listen to the music. J The menu has not changed much over the years. Stevens' influence . remains, though he left ; Park City in 1988, and sold ' his share of the restaurant 5 to Ringwood and Vince Donile. It is still a steak and potatoes kind of place. A variety of steaks and several seafood items grace the menu, which is I printed on wine bottles (meant to represent antique whiskey bot- j ties). This too is a Claimjumper tradi- , tion, part of the place since it's inception. ; Richard Ringwood is the current ! owner of The Claimjumper. His daugh- ter, Tammy Ringwood, is the President l of the company The restaurant is open ! daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and is locat- ed at 573 Main Street, beneath the old cowboy on the oval sign. Scoll SinePant Record . |