Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino, a landmark in Primm, Nevada, is shrouded in a captivating legend. It’s said that the casino is haunted by none other than Whiskey Pete himself. Guests and employees often report an eerie sensation of being watched, and some claim to have seen a spectral figure of an elderly man in old Western attire, only to have him vanish in the blink of an eye. The popular story suggests that Pete’s restless spirit lingers because his grave was disturbed during the resort’s construction, and he’s making his presence known, forever keeping watch over his former domain.
Initially, the ghost stories surrounding Whiskey Pete’s Casino seemed like mere folklore. Lacking specific details about sightings – who saw the ghost, when, and where – the tales felt more like urban legends. Moreover, the very existence of “Whiskey Pete” as a real person was questionable. However, delving deeper into the history reveals a surprising truth: Whiskey Pete was indeed a real individual, and his grave was, in fact, disrupted.
The True Story of Whiskey Pete McIntyre
Long before the towering hotels and bustling casinos that now define Primm, Nevada, a modest service station named the State Line Station stood in the desolate landscape. This station was operated by Pete McIntyre, a gruff and notorious moonshiner known throughout the region as Whiskey Pete. Pete was reputed to be a man who tolerated no nonsense, a larger-than-life character well-known in Las Vegas, though not always fondly, with some believing he operated outside the bounds of the law.
Pinpointing Whiskey Pete in historical records proves to be a challenge. He’s absent from the U.S. Census records for 1900, 1910, and 1920. However, records place him in the Tulare County jail in January 1918. His offense? Running a “blind pig,” a Prohibition-era term for a speakeasy. Although sentenced to 30 days, Pete ended up serving over two months due to initial bail issues. Jail records list his birthplace as Arizona, a detail that contrasts with his 1930 Census entry. Intriguingly, his occupation was listed as a miner. By 1922, Pete’s run-ins with the law continued, with another arrest for bootlegging in Nevada, resulting in a six-month jail term.
Whiskey Pete surfaces in the 1930 U.S. Census residing in Crescent, Nevada, a small mining community near the California-Nevada border. His occupation is listed as the proprietor of a service station, marking his transition into a more legitimate business, at least on paper. His name first appears in Las Vegas newspapers in 1928, stemming from a letter read by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. The letter, penned by a woman traveler, detailed a troubling encounter at Whiskey Pete’s gas station around 11 p.m. She stopped for gas, oil, and water checks, but upon realizing the car only needed water, Whiskey Pete allegedly became “abusive and threatening,” refusing to provide even water. The woman was forced to drive to the next station with an empty radiator and an overheating engine. The Chamber of Commerce revealed that similar complaints had been accumulating for months from tourists traveling between Las Vegas and California. Some accounts were even more alarming, alleging that Whiskey Pete shot at customers, while others claimed he made threats of violence. The Chamber forwarded these complaints to the Las Vegas sheriff, suggesting a need for a stern conversation with the temperamental service station owner.
Pete’s behavior may have temporarily improved following the sheriff’s intervention, but by March 1931, he faced a serious charge: assault with a deadly weapon. The victim was Rube Bradshaw, the Elgin postmaster, who was shot in the shoulder. Unsurprisingly, the accounts of the incident differed drastically. Bradshaw stated he stopped at the station with his sons and found Pete in a foul mood. When Bradshaw requested coffee and sensed Pete’s escalating anger, he decided to leave. However, as he reached the door, Bradshaw claimed Pete hurled an insult, and upon turning to respond, he was shot in the shoulder by Pete’s pistol.
A newspaper clipping detailing the assault charges against Whiskey Pete, showcasing the legal troubles he faced during his lifetime.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled, where Pete pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. Speaking to reporters, Pete expressed resentment over his negative reputation, arguing that his isolated location necessitated being armed for protection. He also emphasized that he was covering all of Rube Bradshaw’s medical expenses. Ultimately, the charges against Pete were dropped when Bradshaw failed to appear in court on three separate occasions.
In early 1932, Pete married Lauretta Frances Enders. However, by October, the marriage had soured to the point where Lauretta sought to have him declared insane. Medical examinations concluded Pete was mentally sound but physically failing, likely terminally ill with “miner’s consumption” (silicosis). Mrs. McIntyre, the sole witness against her husband, testified that he would “fly into a rage every time he sees me and accuses me of all sorts of things.” Pete readily admitted to his temper, but retorted: “who wouldn’t when they find their wife running around naked in the hills with other men.”
Pete recounted an earlier incident where Lauretta had taken him to the Stillwell Sanitarium in Banning, California, staying to care for him during his initial treatment. However, as soon as his health showed improvement, she left. Lauretta was supposed to manage the service station in his absence, but upon his return, Pete found it neglected and Lauretta allegedly “running around with other men.” The judge dismissed Lauretta’s petition for commitment, and she disappears from historical record after this episode.
By December 1932, Pete defiantly declared himself “too busy to die,” claiming to be four months past his expected demise. By September 1933, he was back at Stillwell Sanitarium, reporting his condition as stable. Whiskey Pete McIntyre finally passed away on November 11, 1933. His funeral announcement in Las Vegas marked the beginning of an even more unusual chapter in his legend.
The Legend of Being Buried Standing Upright
Sometime before his death, Whiskey Pete shared an eccentric wish with his friends: he wanted to be buried standing upright, near his beloved service station. His exact, colorful request was, “Bury me up on the hill, standing up facing the valley so I can see all those sons of bitches goin’ by.” Loyal to his wishes, his friends honored his request. They used dynamite to create a six-foot hole in the limestone cliff overlooking Highway 91, behind his State Line Station. Over time, the exact location of Whiskey Pete’s grave was lost, with his grave marker repeatedly stolen and eventually never replaced. His service station changed hands several times, ultimately becoming the site of Whiskey Pete’s Casino, which opened in 1977.
The only known photograph of Whiskey Pete’s original grave site, marked by a simple wooden cross, before it was lost to time and development.
Then, on February 2, 1994, construction crews were working on grading land for a new railroad track intended to connect Whiskey Pete’s Casino to Buffalo Bill’s, located across the freeway. While excavating near the original State Line Station site, their equipment struck a decaying wooden coffin. Inside, they unearthed the skeletal remains of Whiskey Pete McIntyre himself. Contrary to some embellished legends claiming he was buried with a ten-gallon hat, six-shooters, and a jug of whiskey, only his bones were found. Traces of hair remained on his skull, dentures were in his mouth, and a few buttons clung to his shirt.1 – Remains of Whiskey Pete found – Las Vegas Review-Journal – February 5, 1994
A news clipping from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, dated February 5, 1994, reporting the discovery of Whiskey Pete’s remains during construction.
The coffin was reported to be about 80% intact and positioned at an angle facing the highway, seemingly confirming the legend of his standing burial. The project manager commented that while they knew Whiskey Pete was buried somewhere in the vicinity, the precise location was unknown. “The tractor caught the edge of the box and the skull popped out. There was Whiskey Pete staring at us.”
While the resort initially stated that Whiskey Pete would be reburied on the property with a memorial, no memorial appears to have been established. The exact location of his reburial remains unconfirmed. Rumors circulate that his remains were reinterred in one of the caves he purportedly used for moonshining, adding another layer of mystery to the legend of Whiskey Pete’s Casino in Primm and the enduring question: Is the spirit of Whiskey Pete still watching over his casino?
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