History of the Banta Inn - Separating Fact from Fiction

I had been hearing for years about this allegedly haunted spot near Tracy, California known as the Banta Inn. There are all sorts of write-ups online about it, and even a few books that mention the location as well. With each telling and retelling of the story, it is apparent that 99% of the people who have published about the Banta Inn have just regurgitated the same story they got from somebody else. Sadly, most people are notorious for this and it doesn't help the location by continuing to tell incorrect history about it.

So, a few years back my fiance and I headed out to Banta, a small town just outside of Tracy, to check out this "haunted" Banta Inn. From the exterior, it just looks like an old bar. Nothing special. But, when you get inside, it truly is a really cool place. The bar has dollar bills hanging from the ceiling, and old decor that you would seen in an old dive. The atmosphere inside alone was something worth taking note of. We sat down in the cafe area towards the back, and I sipped on a Shirley Temple as the waitress was kind enough to bring us a folder of newspaper clippings, not of historic value, but of ghost stories having been published in recent years. We enjoyed our quiet time, as we were the only patrons there that afternoon, and we walked around taking photos and just soaking up the atmosphere for a little while. 

By the time we stepped out of there, I was determined to find out the true history of this historic location and it has been my mission to do this ever since.

So, what is the true history of this location?

Well, let's start out with the legends and lore that have been circulating for a very long time, and then I will get to the truth.

To begin, if you go over to the "Historical Marker Database" online it says:

"Originally built as a two storey saloon / sporting house in 1879 by Frank Gallegos, reputed former member of Joaquin Murrieta's band. The inn has continued as a saloon to this day.

The inn suffered a major fire in 1937 and was rebuilt retaining some of the original timbers. The inn remained in the Gallegos family until 1981. It was then sold by the youngest daughter of Frank Gallegos, Jenny Gukan, when she was 92 years old.

The inn is also alleged to be haunted by the spirit of the late Tony Gukan, third husband of Jenny Gukan."  

This historical marker was erected in 1989 by E Clampus Vitus Tuleburgh Chapter #69.

So, is any of this information on the very plaque that is attached to the building correct? 

Sadly, No.

For one, Frank Gallego (not Gallegos) was born in 1863, a whole 10 years AFTER Joaquin Murrieta had been allegedly beheaded by Harry Love. So, unless the ghost of Joaquin Murrieta was coming around when Frank was in diapers, I truly doubt they hung out together. 

The establishment in Banta was also built in 1897, NOT 1879. Again, facts people, FACTS!!

There was also NO FIRE that burned the building either, but we will get into that in just a bit.

According to the book, History of San Joaquin County,by George Tinkham, the biography he wrote about Frank Gallego reads: 

"Another strong advocate of irrigation, whose success in ranching has given force to his arguments as to one of the most vital of all needs in parts of California, is Frank Gallego, the popular and wide-awake merchant of Banta.  

A native son, he was born at Pleasanton, Alameda County, on September 24, 1862, the youngest son of Anselmo Gallego, a native of the City of Mexico, who came to California in the great Argonaut year of 1849.  He settled in Pleasanton Valley and became prominent as a stockman, trying his luck in the mines of that period.  His paternal ancestors were subjects of the Crown of Spain, and he inherited much that anyone might envy.  The father married Juanita Carrasco, a native also of the City of Mexico, and a charming and accomplished lady.  These worthy parents made a splendid record.  Both are now deceased, having passed away at Banta in 1887.

And there, Frank Gallego grew to maturity, and became a rider on the range of his father; and when his parents died, he continued near Banta until 1897, farming to grain and stock.  Mr. Gallego was married to Miss Bernal, a daughter of Antonio Bernal, and a descendant of Don Bruno Bernal of San Jose de Guadalupe, and owner of the Rancho Santa Teresa; and two children were born to them:  Juanita has become the wife of Paul de Ranga, and they have one daughter, and reside at Stockton; and there also Antonio resides.  Mrs. Gallego died at San Jose in 1893, and Mr. Gallego’s second marriage united him with Miss Refugia Ortega, a sister of Mrs. John A. Fellom, Sr., of Gilroy.  She was born at San Ysidro, received a good education at St. Mary’s Convent, Gilroy, and was married in 1895.  Now she is the mother of one son, Anselmo R., who is employed by the Southern Pacific Railway at Tracy, and resides at Banta.  Mr. Gallego is a Republican.  He is a member of the I. D. E. S. at Stockton.

In 1897 Mr. Gallego removed to Banta, and there he now conducts a soft-drink parlor, and also owns and manages much good realty, including his residence.  He has 120 acres adjoining Banta on the south, and there he has installed a complete irrigation plant, greatly improving the property, which he operates himself as a grain and alfalfa farm.

Mr. Gallego’s first business in Banta in the early ‘90s was to operate a sheep-shearing and sheep-dipping camp.  He was a professional sheep shearer, working in California, Nevada and Oregon.  His record was shearing 143 sheep per day, then dancing all night, and shearing as many as the next day.  He made this record at Firebaugh, Fresno County, when he worked for Miller & Lux.  His excellent wife kept a boarding house in Banta for eighteen years and was in every way a true and loyal helpmate to her husband."--- 

So you see, Frank Gallego was NOT a friend of Joaquin Murrieta, and his tavern was not built in 1879, but instead 1897. That is a huge difference. Also, his family were respectable people within the community, and the reason I point that out is because another one of the "rumors" surrounding the Banta Inn, goes back to prostitution, involvement with the mob during prohibition and even just a bad element of people coming in and out. And that couldn't be further from the truth. There is no way, this decent and honorable, hard working family-run business would be associated with such things, and it is not only a disrespect but an insult to insinuate anything of the sort.

The refreshment parlor was originally known as "Cool Corners" before later becoming known as the Banta Inn in 1937.

Tracy Press, 10/28/1938

Going back to the lore surrounding the Inn, there are numerous accounts listed where people claim that there was a huge fire that burned the Banta Inn down and during this fire, a woman and child were trapped inside and died. This is also FALSE. 

The Banta Inn never burned down. I scoured all of the archived newspapers searching for any shred of evidence of this story, and there was no fire in 1937 and the building did not burn down. 

There was a fire in the town of Banta on October 22, 1938, however it didn't come close to the Banta Inn, and only destroyed a warehouse, a storage house and the Canale & Sons Merchandise store. That's it. 

Going back one year to 1937, why did the Gallego family decide to rebuild the Banta? Well, according to the newspaper article dated, April 16, 1937, Frank's son, Sammy, had taken over the proprietorship after Frank passed away in 1934, and Sammy felt the need to tear down the outdated, dilapidated tavern and construct a brand new building.

According to an article in the Tracy Press, it states:

"On a corner lot on the corner of his native town, a lot which had been in the family for many years and which also for many years was occupied by one of the oldest buildings in the community - that old building also belonging to the family of the boy who wen to town  -- the said "boy" is spending his money to express his faith in my home town. The "boy" in the story is none other than A.R. (Sammy) Gallego and the home town is none other than Banta.

Quite a number of years ago "Sammy" was the "blessed event" in the Gallego family, being born not more than 100 feet from where he is now spending his hard-earned cash. But to get on with the story. The first thing to be done was to remove the old building before mentioned and to erect a brand new structure on the site. The new place has been named “The Banta Inn” and now Banta can and does boast of a fine place to eat, and incidentally, to drink, as there is a bar in the front part of the café and everything.

The mere building of the Banta Inn was just a start in the mind of the man spending his money. He had visions of other things and as a result he has already completed (or nearly completed) seven cottages.

Each of the cottages is to have every convenience to be found in most any automobile camp, and some conveniences not found in some camps.

The interior of the places are so arranged as to make every inch of floor space count and to be the most convenient for the occupants. The bed rooms are furnished with Simmons beds, springs and mattresses, the best that money could buy, and the kitchen is supplied with gas plates, and metal cabinets, presenting an exceptionally neat appearance and every convenience.

Six of the cabins are well under way to completion and a gang of men is now busy doing the finishing while other men are at work getting the foundations and frame work of the one under way." ---

The article also mentions how Sammy made his fortune, having started working for the Southern Pacific Railway company for over 13 years, and later venturing off to be a perishable freight agent for Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Company and the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, which his office having been located in the Wells Fargo building in San Francisco.

It also stated that he was such a busy guy juggling so much work, that although he was still the “big boss” at Banta Inn, he hired “Chuck” Holdaway as manager with Mrs. Holdaway acting as the cook at the restaurant.

So you can see, that this place was a jumping spot, and was said to be a pretty classy one at that. There was no seedy element coming into this place and there was no mention of it having been that way before either.

At some point it seems the proprietorship became too much for Sammy (Anselmo Raymond Gallego), so his older sister Juanita "Jennie" Gallego Gukan took over with her husband Anton Gukan. Jennie had married Anton or "Tony" after her first husband, Paul De Ranja
passed away. She and Anton ran the place for many years.

Anton Gukan was born on September 17. 1888. A native of Austria, Gukan married Jennie and settled in Banta. Sadly, just before Christmas on December 28, 1960, Anton passed away on the property. I found this information in a newspaper headline in the Tracy Press, that read  “Banta Café Owner Dies After Heart Attack At Home.”- Dec 30, 1960. Jennie lived for another 26 years before she, too passed away. 

Everyone is buried at the Tracy Cemetery, which I have an interesting story pertaining to this subject. You see, after our visit to the Banta Inn, we decided to head over to the Tracy Cemetery to see if we could find Mr. Gallego and Mr. Gukan. Sure enough, my fiance literally pulled up to the exact spot where Mr. Gukan is buried and parked his car on the driveway. When we got out of the car, there it was. These sorts of things happen to us all the time, but this day it was extra special. 

We wandered the cemetery and we eventually found Mr. Gallego's grave, too. Such a simple marker, for such a hard working patriarch of a great family. 

In the past 40 years or so, the rumors sprang up about the Banta Inn being haunted. Tales of this false fire taking place, killing these imaginary people have sparked interest in the public, especially ghost hunters. Then with the death of Mr. Gukan himself, that threw fuel to the fire, and kept the haunted theories burning.

Sadly though, the people who keep flocking to Banta to investigate either don't research the story thoroughly or they just believe other writers (who obviously didn't either). And with that, the tales of the Banta Inn continue to be told incorrectly.

In the book, "Dinner and Spirits: A Guide to America's Most Haunted Restaurants, Taverns, and Inns" by Robert Wlodarski, he completely tells the story wrong. For one, Jennie didn't come to Banta in 1895, she was only born in 1890. She was just a little girl then. Also, he brings up that pesky fire rumor again, but like I showed you, there are no records whatsoever that the building ever burned down in a fire at all.

If you google haunted Banta Inn, you will find site after site claiming the same old story, but no one has ever really shared the facts behind the location's history and or disproven the myth and lore that has been spread for so many years.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed this deep dive into the history of the Banta Inn. Happy History Hunting!

(Copyright 2021)- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com