The Cedar Vale Poker Game

Several bloggers have expressed an interest in the long established and ongoing Poker Game in our village. I'll try to pass along a bit of it's history and a few interesting tidbits.

The venue of the game is the "studio" behind the Robinson (Borrum) family home. My personal involvement has always been in this place, although the"game" predates this bldg. My memory goes back to the late 30s when May Borrum married Lincoln Robinson and they came back to this area to live and help run the Borrum Ranch south of Hewins. It should be mentioned that Lincoln was from New Hampshire, was a graduate of Harvard, and a published author of childrens books for which he did his own illustrations. Your typical CV citizen he was not. A VIP piece needs to be done on Lincoln and I think his son James or daughter Margaret should do it.

When May's spinster sister died, the Robinson's came to live in the big Borrum house. I might have been 8 or 9 years old at the time and I remember well how different Lincoln was and how all the blue noses distained the drinking, gambling, and cigar smoking associated with the "game". The earliest regulars were all solid citizens of the area. The ones I can remember are;

Woody Lemert (always with a cigar clamped in his teeth), Herbert Stone our Dentist and subject of previous entries in the blog, Brady Meldrum a local rancher and another cigar chewer, and another one or two that escape my memory. Others who joined the game on a regular basis in the 40s and 50s are; Max Montgomery who was Postmaster, George Dale a stockman and father of Kathy Dale Lewis, T. Fred Archer father of our own Diane Bradbury, Wilber Martin who owned the Locker Plant and later a cafe, Merle Maggard who bought the Locker Plant, Rollin Leedy a livestockman who is still alive and in assisted living in Winfield. Others who played some were Harold Cable and later Dale Ramsey and Carl Joesph Smith a retired railroadman. I know this is not all as I wasn't around much in the 60s and 70s so some of you can flesh this out with your memories.

The game was/is always a male bastion and in its earlier days had several semi heavy drinkers so one can imagine the air would be blue with randy stories and cigar smoke. I do know that a couple of participants were asked not to return when their drinking or poker ethics became a problem. Remember that Lincoln was the host and there were house rules as to what games would be played and how as well as understood standards of personal conduct.

I started playing on a semiregular basis when I bought my farm down by Elgin in '82 and have played regularly since '98 when I moved back to Cedar Vale. The present group of players does not include any names above as they have gone on the the celestial poker room. (except Rollin)

We now play some of the newer poker games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha Stud. I'm sure Lincoln wouldn't approve as he was very conservative about poker although very liberal in most other aspects. We have six or seven players usually and we all shun other obligations on Tuesday nite so we can get to the game. Dale Coffman, Vic Vaughn, Bill Vaughn, Floyd Montgomery, John Juul, Dennis Finger, and myself are the current crew. I include these names because the locals would know them. When you come to town and want to play, let me know--we might have a seat available