In 1896, saloon keepers E.H. Asmussen and J.A. Kelly financed this building to establish their Denver Exchange Saloon, which catered to the local investment crowd of stock brokers, speculators, bankers, and other financiers. Kelly served as town trustee from 1893 to 1896, while Asmussen managed the saloon and often tended bar. Asmussen contracted with the Zang Brewery of Denver to sell its beer, much like Henry Bunte up the street had signed on with Adolph Coors. Zang brewed a popular pilsener, and at the time the Zang Brewery was one of the West's largest beer producers.