antedating honk-a-tonk 1890

[Stephen Goranson]

OED honky-tonk
colloq. (orig. U.S.).
[Etym. unknown.]
    1. A tawdry drinking-saloon, dance-hall, or gambling-house; a cheap
night-club. Also in somewhat extended uses, and attrib. or as adj.
1894 Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Okla.) 24 Feb. 1/4 The honk-a-tonk last night
was well attended by ball~heads, bachelors and leading citizens....

 From America's Historical Newspapers [does newspaperarchive have earlier?]

Dallas Morning News, page 6 col.4
Publication Date:
August 6, 1890
Published as:
Dallas Morning News Historical Archive
Location:
Dallas, Texas
Headline:
In His Night Clothes
Article Type:
News/Opinion
myself and him set and talked awhile and he got up and said he wanted to go to
the honk-a-tonk (variety show)."

Dallas Morning News, page 5, col. 2
Publication Date:
September 22, 1892
Published as:
Dallas Morning News Historical Archive
Location:
Dallas, Texas
Headline:
The News in Fort Worth
Article Type:
News/Opinion
Willie Frankie, a variety actress, is under arrest, charged with stealing $20
from a patron of the honk-a-tonk where she worked.

Dallas Morning News, page 6 col 2
Publication Date:
April 11, 1893
Published as:
Dallas Morning News Historical Archive
Location:
Dallas, Texas
Headline:
Camp Washington Organized
Article Type:
News/Opinion
The honk a tonk in Amsler's [?] hall last night at about 12 o'clock was the
scene of another row, which came near resulting fatally.

Tacoma Daily News, page [2], vol. XXIII, iss. 145
Publication Date:
September 10, 1894
Published as:
Tacoma Daily News
Location:
Tacoma, Washington
Headline:
Wild Western Ways
Article Type:
News/Opinion
It's a deadly insult for one Oklahoma editor to say that another has a pass to a
"Honkatonk."


Dallas Morning News, page 8
Publication Date:
November 26, 1894
Published as:
Dallas Morning News Historical Archive
Location:
Dallas, Texas
Headline:
Willis M'Ginnis Killed
Article Type:
Death Notice
...in a resort called Honkatonk McGinnis was killed...


Fort Worth Morning Register, page 8, col.1 vol. 1, iss. 76
Publication Date:
January 7, 1897
Published as:
The Fort Worth Register
Location:
Fort Worth, Texas
Headline:
Good Man Gone Wrong. Gus Woods, of Honk-a-Tonk Fame, Has Disappeared. There is a
Warrant
Article Type:
News/Opinion
Gus woods, the erstwhile proprietor of the Front Street honkatonk...,

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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