#3999 - Hubbard Inn, Hubbard, OR - 3/9/2020

The Hubbard Inn, Hubbard, Oregon

The Hubbard Inn in Hubbard, Oregon, about 25 miles south of Portland, claims to have been established in 1889, and insofar as I can tell that would probably make it the oldest bar in Oregon, in the sense of a single location having hosted bars of various names. (Huber's dates itself to 1879, but didn't move into its current location until 1910.) Current owner Terry Harden has some artifacts to help support the claims of very significant age, at minimum pre-dating prohibition, such as old photos and the existence of a prohibition era tunnel and under-floor space for poker and liquor consumption. (The 1889 Polk Oregon-Washington Gazatteer includes saloons in Hubbard, owned by G.W. Taylor, Emil Klinger, and Isidor Isaacson, but does not include addresses.)

Located in tiny Hubbard (area 0.71 square miles) and not visible from the highway, it's not a place you're likely to stumble upon by accident, but the locals definitely know where it is. There was a lively crowd on the Monday afternoon I visited, and there are more when they have live music or Monday prime rib dinners. And like any great, long-running, local bar, it has bric-a-brac spanning decades.

Current Hubbard Inn owner Terry Harden

The first settlers arrived in the area in the mid 19th century, and grew after early resident Charles Hubbard offered the Oregon-California railroad land in and through what would become the city. The locals grew wheat and later experienced what some consider to be the first "crop circle" in the world. Another crop artwork was noticed in farmer Doug Aamodt's wheat field by a pilot flying into Lenhardt Airport in 1998, "igniting a media frenzy and sending dozens of UFO experts to the site." (pdxmonthly)

Whether you're visiting the local fields from another galaxy or just road tripping through northwest Oregon and looking for some local history and character, the Hubbard Inn is well worth a stop.

I chatted with Hubbard Inn patron and U.S. veteran Bob

The Hubbard Inn, Hubbard, Oregon

3389 3rd St #9597, Hubbard, OR 97032 - (503) 982-5541                              
Est. 1933
Previous bars in this location: Capitol Saloon (as per Terry)
Web site: thehubbardinn.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor