#2696 - Tiki-Ti, Los Angeles, CA - 1/29/2015

The Tiki-Ti, Los Angeles, CA

TL:DR - A must visit in LA, confirm they are open and get there early (e.g. 4:00 Thursday), bring cash, order a Ray's Mistake, then an Uga Booga, then a Blood and Sand, and eventually an Uber home.

---

An immigrant from the Philippines, Ray Buhen established the Tiki-Ti in 1961 in a former violin repair shop owned by his father-in-law, where his son and grandsons run the bar to this day. Buhen had been part of the very founding of tiki culture in the U.S., one of the original bartenders at the seminal Don The Beachcomber's in Hollywood. Buhen had arrived in the U.S. in the last few years of prohibition, worked as a hotel bellhop and elevator man, then trained as a bartender before joining the new Don the Beachcomber's in 1934.

The Tiki-Ti, Los Angeles, CA

Part of a substantial group of Filipino bartenders who created much of the "tiki" menu and culture, Buhen would go on to work at several more Hollywood grog shops, including The Dresden Room, the Seven Seas, Palms in the Jungle, China Trader, Sugie's Tropics, Ching Hau, The Luau, and the Clark Gable funded Christian’s Hut. (The drink making was interrupted by a stint in the Long Beach shipyards during WWII.) And as this was Hollywood and thereabouts, Buhen's customers included Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, Howard Hughes, Burt Reynolds, Jack Palance, Marlon Brando, Jack Palance, and Tyrone Power (the inspiration for the "Blood and Sand").

Ray worked the bar until he was 88, and passed away shortly after, in 1999. Since then his son Mike and grandson Mike Jr., have run the place, taking a moment every Wednesday to ring a bell five times, whereupon the entire bar makes a toast to the revered founder. Further details on Ray's life may be seen on the bar's web site here.

Virtually everyone agrees that Tiki-Ti is "a classic," but a classic what exactly, is a bit more complicated. Most critically, the huge cocktail selection, 96 choices at last check, and full of secret recipes that Ray took with him from Don the Beachcomber's as well as inventing along the way (and no beer and wine available), is top notch. The house favorite is "Ray's Mistake," a white rum, gin,  passionfruit, pineapple juice, bitters, falernum, and dark rum float concoction of some sort that resulted from an error in constructing an Anting Anting in 1968, and the rest is history. (The recipe is officially a secret but googling reveals any number of attempts to reconstruct it.) The most fun drinks to order, on the other hand, are those that inspire the assembled regulars to chant throughout the preparation. These are the aforementioned "Blood and Sand" (to chants of "Toro, toro, toro!"), perhaps served in a new custom mug designed by Doug Horne, and the Uga Booga, accompanied by chants of the drink's name.

Ray Buhen working at the Dresden Room, late 1960s
(photo via Tiki-Ti Facebook page)

The size and decor are as much those of a cozy dive bar as the more famous tiki establishments, and while purists may not have chosen the pop music over exotica, or the kitschy bric-a-brac over a more deliberately fashioned polynesian decor, it remains one of the most beloved tiki bars in the country. Given its tiny size (12 bar stools and about 30 people max), customers may face lines if they go on a popular day, and/or during popular hours (again, try being there at opening time, currently 4pm, at midweek). The bar is closed Sundays through Tuesdays, which repeatedly frustrated this eager would-be patron, as those seemed to be the only days I had available in LA. But I finally made it in 2015, and am much looking forward to future and longer visits.

Mug designed for Tiki-Ti by Doug Horne,
inspired by the "Blood and Sand" cocktail
(photo from the Tiki-Ti Facebook page)

4427 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 - (323) 669-9381
Est. Apr 28, 1961
Web site: tiki-ti.com - facebook
Recommended Articles: critiki - theworld
Additional Articles ranked: instagram - laist - bbc - tikiwithray - losangelesconservancy - thirstyinla - worldsbestbars - punch - wikipedia - yelp - tripadvisor - wanderingchopsticks - bonapetit - roadtrippers - thrillist - timeout - drinkableglobe 

#2786 - Pastime Tavern, Lacrosse, WA - 6/12/2015

Butch's Pastime Tavern, Lacrosse, WA

Lacrosse, Washington lies a 3.5 mile drive off of Highway 26 in southeast Washington, between Hooper and Dusty, north of Jerita and Sheck, and just a 40-mile drive from Palouse Falls. The population in the 2010 census was 310 -- 95.8% white, 0.3% black, 0.3% Asian, and 0.6% Native American (you can probably do the math).

I'm particularly partial to bars named the "Pastime" -- there aren't so many left these days, but so far I've identified 65 towns in Washington that have had a Pastime at one time or another, and about another 100 elsewhere in the U.S. I wish I knew a lot more history behind Butch's Pastime in Lacrosse. I was told that Butch Thomas has owned in for the last 40 years, although it seems to be owned by Blain and Lana Thomas now, and that it's almost 100 years old, having had some ten different names over the years and 3 to 4 remodels within memory.

You won't stumble across Lacrosse and Butch's by accident, but if you drive down South Main you're eyes will likely be caught by the faded western scenes painted on the exterior walls (and which continue inside). If you're thirsty the Pastime has a selection of popular beers and an old school pub menu of burgers, fried food, etc. Then you can add it to your list of remaining Washington State "Pastime" stops, with whatever others you may have dropped into in Castle Rock, Blaine, Oroville, Ritzville, Selah or Wishram.

(Token image from tokencatalog.com)

210 S Main St, Lacrosse, WA 99143 - (509) 549-3608
Previous bars in this location: Unknown
Reviews: tripadvisor 

#3591 - Sip 'n Dip Lounge, Great Falls, MT - 8/19/2018

Fifty years ago Great Falls was the largest city in Montana and included the swanky O'Haire Motor Inn, which included a tiki bar with windows into the swimming pool, inspired by the Chicago Playboy club, and a young Pat Spoonheim playing piano in the bar. Today, Great Falls has slipped to the 3rd largest city in the state, the local economy has struggled for many years, and the O'Haire is a fairly pedestrian motel. And yet the old Sip and Dip Lounge inside, still featuring keyboards by Piano Pat -- now well into her 80s and semi-legendary -- is now known nation-wide and was once cited by GQ Magazine as one of the ten best bars in the world and the "#1 bar...worth flying for."

What has made the Sip and Dip probably the city's most famous attraction -- over the local symphony that has hosted guests like Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, the local minor league baseball teams that have included players like Pedro Martínez and Raúl Mondesí, and the shortest river in the world -- are the mermaids that have regularly graced the pool since 1995. A story I read in the bar itself said it started when a housekeeper put a sheet around her legs in 1994, but the more prominent histories (e.g. Wikipedia) only mention that it was started by general manager Sandra Johnson-Thares on New Years Eve 1995 as her idea to inject a "fun factor."

The 75-room motel and tiki bar were constructed by Edgar O'Haire in 1962 and the lounge has maintained most of the same tiki theme and decor ever since. Piano Pat was sadly not available during our visit in the Fall of 2018, but we did make sure to visit during mermaid hours (the pool is open to guests outside of the mermaid hours, and we were informed that not all of them wear a swimsuit despite (or perhaps because of?) the bar room view.

The menu features pretty standard contemporary pub food, there is a good beer selection, and the cocktails tend to be more toward the beach party end than craft cocktails. But the history, Piano Pat, and just the existence of one of the tiny handful of mermaid bars in the middle of Montana should make this a bucket list sort of stop for just about anyone.

                                                                                       

Mermaid hours (if you go, check online for current times):
Monday: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Friday - Saturday: 6:00pm to 12:00pm
Mermaid Brunch: 10:00am - 2:00pm, 1st and 3rd Sunday

17 7th St S, Great Falls, MT 59401 - (406) 454-2141
Est. 1962 - Building constructed: 1962
Web site: ohairemotorinn.com - facebook
Articles ranked: critiki - atlas obscura video - wikipedia - national trust for historic preservation - ixplore - delish - orbitz - yelp - tripadvisor - headhuntersflyshop 

#3993 - Linger Longer Tavern, Albany, OR - 3/8/2020

The Linger Longer Tavern, Albany, OR

Albany, Oregon, with a population of around 50,000 citizens, lies at the confluence of the Calapooia and Willamette rivers, about 10 miles due south of Salem and 60 miles sound of Portland. The Linger Longer has operated here on Main Street since 1930 and is said to have been a bar since shortly after the close of federal prohibition in 1933. The building,  constructed in 1905 and one of the oldest in the city, was dragged across the street and a block north up Main Street to its current location in 1921. This street was one of two that battled for the position of the heart of downtown since the mid 19th century, a feud exacerbated by two founding families on separate sides of support in during the civil war. Eventually Main Street, championed by the pro-southern family, conceded defeat to the First Street.

Today the Linger Longer Tavern is classic, older, quieter type of neighborhood dive bar, brimming with historical artifacts and adhering to old school tavern standards -- e.g. no hard liquor and cash only. While the pool table tends to draw much of the action and attention, the centerpiece of the decor is the beautiful pre-prohibition Brunswick back bar, topped with old saddles. It is enlivened by local characters -- and also the occasional robbery or lottery fraud.

To my delight the bar not only has been around for many generations and features a beautiful antique back bar, but the owners actually gave a a great little printed history, which I have reproduced below. The bar appears to have had relatively few owners over the generations, and has primarily belonged to just two women over the last 60+ years. The tavern was said to be established by Russell Deere in 1933, and a 1941 city directory shows him as still the owner at least eight years later (although his name is spelled "Dear" therein). The obituary of Rita Miller (born "Kotthoff" and later "Case") claims that she purchased the bar from her father in the late 50s -- after building B-17s during WWII -- and the bar's history notes observer that she sold it to the current owner Ruth in 1979.

Ruth Tribur has turned management of the bar over to her son Bret Smith, but as of my visit still opened the business herself on Saturdays and Sundays (and celebrated the 40th anniversary of her ownership last November 1). Again, I am grateful for the staff there sharing their historical write-up which I quote below. As you will note the fully history of the back-bar is unknown, but there are a number stories floating around as to how it came to the Linger Longer. Each of these is quite possible, although it is unlikely that it was "three part set" with its remaining parts located in other bars in the area. For some reason these stories -- often involving the parts being actually sawed apart -- tend to be quite commonly associated with these bars, even when the existing piece is quite clearly a full unit exactly as pictured in the Brunswick-Balke-Collender (in the case of the Linger Longer, the "Mont Oro" model). But the Brunswick bars were manufactured primarily in Dubuque Iowa and in the years 1878 to 1912, so it certainly dates back around the 1880s, and as the Panama Canal was yet to be completed, west coast deliveries were often shipped around Cape Horn.

Quite frankly I would want to stop at the Linger Longer for the name alone, but it also makes a fine stop for anyone who would enjoy a cold beer amidst some local  history. And I wish every old bar I visited had compiled such helpful notes:

"The building you are in was constructed in 1905. It originally sat on the SE corner of Main Street and Old Salem Rd (one block to the south). The NW corner of the building would have been located above the new round-a-bout as you turn into Salem Ave. Around 1921 the whole structure was moved to its current location by Mr. Calvin, owner of Calvin's Drug Store. 

During the 1920's the are you are inhabiting was a clothing store. In 1930 it was converted into a cafe and became Linger Longer Lunch. After repeal of prohibition in December 1933 it was established as the Linger Longer Tavern by Russel and Hortense Deere. The tavern has had several owners througout the decades. The Case family owned it for 2 generations. The current owner, Ruth, purchased the tavern from Rita Case (her maiden name), and the building from Dr. Frances Keiser on Nov 1, 1979." 

"In the early 1950's, the back-bar, which was manufactured around 1880, and counter were moved to their current locations. The back-bar faced west and sat in front of the beam that dissects the ceiling. There was seating in the front area and a kitchen behind the back-bar. During the past 39 years that Ruth has owned the tavern, there have been numerous stories told about how the back-bar came to the Linger Longer Tavern. It has been said that it came around Cape Horn on a ship, or that it was stored in a barn then moved here, or that it came across the company on a train, or that it was taken off of a cruise ship, or that it is one part of a three part set and another part is located in (insert name of city here, as there have been dozens). You probably have figured out that we don't know how it came to be here. Many patrons used to play a game where they would try to toss coins over the top of the bar. Whoever made it over first, won, causing the other player to buy the next round. The coins that didn't make it over became the bartenders to keep as a tip. 

The bar is now managed by Ruth's son Bret. He is here Monday through Friday opening every day at 7 a.m. Ruth celebrated here 83rd birthday in January. She still enjoys opening on Saturdays and Sundays."

145 Main St SE, Albany, OR 97321 - (541) 926-2174
Est. Dec 1933 - Building constructed: 1905
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Articles: democratherald - corvallisadvocate - yelp - 2008 lottery ticket theft - 2002 robbery - yahoo

#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.


19th century city guides in my possession provide few hints, as they list owners of saloons in Hubbard, but no business names nor precise locations. The 1893 Salem Polk guide lists Hubbard saloons owned by John C. Milton and George W. Taylor. The 1889 Polk Oregon-Washington Gazatteer includes saloons in Hubbard owned by George W. Taylor, Emil Klinger, and Isidor Isaacson. The 1909-10 Polk lists ones owned by Isadore Isaacson and Klinger Bros Emil and Alphons. The 1913 Sanborn Fire Insurance map does indeed show a saloon at the corner of 3rd and what would become F street (the renaming of what is labeled "B" in the 1913 map to "F Street" can be shown in subsequent maps such as the 1928 version, e.g. relative to the railroad spur and Hershberger building).

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                              

1913 Saborn Fire Insurance Map
Library of Congress Scan

Est. 1933 
Previous bars in this location: Capitol Saloon (as per Terry)
Web site: thehubbardinn.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor 

Historical Note: Gabe's and The Shamrock

Gabe's tavern, Seattle, WA
(Photo from back cover of Gabe's Dirty Blues)

    

Thanks to a post in a Seattle Vintage Facebook post, I recently became aware of the remarkable history of a Seattle bar in downtown Seattle during most of the 50s and the 60s. The bar itself, known first as the Shamrock Beer Parlor and later simply The Shamrock, had been in the divey location on 6th Avenue since at least 1934. The building no longer exists; after hosting the Nikko Garden Tavern through the 70s and into the mid 80s, it was demolished and replaced by the 44-story U.S. Bank Centre in the later 80s. But whatever its previous history, the Shamrock became a unique part of Seattle history when it was purchased by one Gabriel McManus in 1951.

Gabe McManus with his jukebox system, 1967
(Billboard Magazine photo)

McManus was a one-time whiskey salesmen who at an early age fell in love with jazz and blues -- or simply "negro music," as some knew it at the time. Over his life he collected and curated a mammoth set of singles, exceeding 70,000 carefully chosen sides, before he died. When he purchased the Shamrock he loaded the jukebox with his own records, starting out with just a single speaker jukebox and eventually expanding to perhaps the most sophisticated jukebox system in the country, with 40 pairs of headphones and 24 speakers in the divey 35'x60' space that he eventually renamed "Gabe's." It was a rough crowd of assorted characters, best described by Gabe himself on the album he and his son Mike McManus released just before he died in 1978. "Gabe's Dirty Blues" was a double (vinyl) album that collected 30 of the remarkable artists and performances that Gabe loved. And I doubt if there exists any better description of the bar, the music, and the melting pot of people than the one written by Gabe and featured on the back of the album:

"When I bought the Shamrock Tavern in Seattle, the seamen and street people didn't cotton up to me at first. It took 6 months for me and my crazy music to win them over -- and then it was standing room only for years. You see we started with blues and never changed except for jazz. That was it for 17  years. Jazz and blues -- you never had it so good. 

Hell, I didn't know that these singers were legends-to-be. I just loved them and so did my crazy customers. Sometimes during a break of music, the screams of the whores and chippies defying each other, I could never figure out why they placed such a distinction between giving it away and selling it. 

Jack and Betty helped me run the Shamrock for awhile -- then came Ed, an old seaman bartender, and his wife Maria. Ed and Marie came to my rescue many times -- they were one of the good things that happened at first. 

Jazz and blues -- folk -- rhythm and blues -- what a hell of an umbrella covers all these forms and interrelates them. But that is for the musicians, writers, managers, and the critics -- not me. I am a listener and have been for over 55 years. I just got stung with the bug and have been in love with jazz and blues practically my whole life. 

The tunes in this album were basically tunes I played on a juke box and the original Shamrock and later 'Gabe's,' a downtown Seattle joint in the 1950s and 1960s. Now we had an old jukebox with one speaker and we would turn it up as loud as we could. The customers were mostly seamen and street people -- pimps, hustling broads and chippies -- gamblers and boozers -- pinball mechanics (some of the most loveable bastards of all) -- pill-heads and addicts. It was a rough joint and we only had one light in the place -- the juke box. Constant fights -- the seamen were mean. But it was exciting too. Seamen and street people are something else and we never knew what the hell would happen at any given moment. Wow, did seamen love to fight -- drink -- screw and listen to jazz and the blues. And Jack and Betty were right in there with them -- running tremendous shifts. Jack started drinking pretty heavy -- but what the hell. Just another visit from the Liquor Board. And now we had another segment of society added to our unusual clientele -- the gay boys. They loved the blues and the seamen. Pretty touchy at times. Special rules and all that. One to the can at a time and no fraternizing with straights. 

I have always been confused as to the exact musical differences between rock and roll and rhythm and blues. Music experts can give you a technical difference. My ear tells me there is a great difference. Like as if they put a hill billy kick in a rhythm and blues tune -- it becomes rock and roll. One thing it seems to adapt itself to the white dancing styles. Just as soul music adapts itself to the black dance movement. 

Although I have been a blues and jazz addict most of my life, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be programming these sounds. True, I always collected jazz, blues, swing, and some popular music but this was dictated more by love and necessity (I owned a lot of taverns) than by reason. Blues and jazz are my obsession. This two-album set comprises just a few rhythm and blues highlights of the late '40s to the late '60s. Some of the greatest and toughest are not represented. It would take 20 albums to chronicle a fairly complete history of the great rhythm and blues hits. This saddens me but for what it's worth, here they are. These are 25 years of great memories shared by thousands of my customers. 

I particularly dedicate this set to my beloved son, Mike McManus, who shared my dream and made it possible; to Richard Schenkar, who unselfishly and devotedly gave the benefits of his extensive research in ragtime, jazz, and blues history to this project when it was just an idea; to my beloved friend Robert Hardwick, who discovered me, promoted me, put me on radio -- he's the first man on a commercial radio station who had the guts to feature blues, jazz, Dixieland, any old thing that Gabe loved and he did it with Our Hour -- four hours every Saturday morning -- and to my knowledge, first exposed the city of Seattle to Jack Dupree's famous song "Walking the Blues"; to Buddy Webber who played my stuff almost as much as Hardwick; and to Danny Niles, a real friend, who's helping us tell people about this album." 

-- Gabriel McManus, from back cover of Gabe's Dirty Blues

'"This is probably the highest priced [jukebox] location in the world. We have about 40 sets of headphones in here and more speakers than I can count." "Sixteen major speakers and eight complimentary speakers," said McManus. "All in an area that has a floor space of 35 by 60 feet. All of them playing the most authentic blues and jazz you've ever heard." ... "I first started listening to Negro music when I was a kid. Then when I was a whisky salesman in the Middle West back in the '30's, I used to hear some of the great early jazz, the blues and even gospel music in the clubs that were in my territory. I've been following it ever since and I have collected more than 15,000 singles through the years." "... I must admit that Max's suggestion to put in earphones, and all the fine equipment and service he has provided for me has helped a lot. He might not be making as much money from me as he does from his best locations," McManus said, "especially when you consider how many times I've needed instant service. When a tube blows out or something, I have to have it replaced immediately because my whole business depends on the sound system. But even with all the headaches, I know that Max [Mondshein] is proud of this location. For him, as well as for Galante (Ray Galante, of Music-Vend Distributing, who handles Seeburg products), this is a showcase of coin operated music equipment used to the utmost." 

-- Gabe McManus, Billboard, Jan 21, 1967   

"Gabe collected some 70,000 sides of blues and jazz. At one time he had them all stored in an attic cubby hole, until his son Mike one day suggested the discs really belonged in a vault. ...Mike also had some other ideas. He pleaded with his father not to keep the music under lock and key. The world deserved to hear this music again, the younger McManus maintained. Gabe agreed. Two years ago (1978), Gabe, Mike and several friends set about searching the ownership titles to some of the master tapes. By the fall of 1978 they had come up with several dozen tunes which they were able to license from the original owners. They picked 40 of the hottest tunes in Gabe's collection and had them mastered into a two-album set called Gabe's Dirty Blues. The package came off the production line just in time for Gabe to hold a test pressing and the artwork in his hands. Before the album could hit the stores, Gabe McManus died of cancer."

-- Jef Jaisun, Bellevue Journal-American  

Additional Links:  Spotify playlist - Be Bop Wino - Who is the Monk - Ballard Tribune 1981-11-11 

#3979 - Patrick Creek Lodge, Gasquet, CA - 2/28/2020

Patrick Creek Lodge, Gasquet, California

I had never heard of historic Patrick Creek Lodge before earlier this very day, when I stumble across a few photos of it in a local history book in a tavern in Smith River, CA. But after I passed the sign just off Highway 99 in the middle of the Six Rivers National Forest and just a few miles south of the Oregon border, I swung the the car around and headed back, hoping they had a lounge. The large sign out front was encouraging, promising "Food Booze Snooze," the marquee below the sign noting "Happy 90th Birthday, Bob." As it happened, Bob's birthday party was just wrapping up as I stepped inside. Bob himself sat at the end of the bar, and seems to have retained plenty of piss and vinegar, shouting at one of his many guests "Jesus Christ, I'm 90 years old! Take the fucking picture!"

The lodge seems like a pretty nice place to spend a night or two, especially in the summer time when the pool is open or you could take a dip in the Smith River, said by some to be "considered the cleanest river in the U.S." The bar is serviceable, and there is a cozy front room with a substantial rock fireplace. One may need to be cautious in the area at night, however, as not only have there been multiple bigfoot sightings nearby, but the lodge itself is haunted:

"Dating back to 1926, the historic inn and restaurant is rumoured to be haunted by a spirit known as Maude. The story goes that her fiancé jilted her on the day of their wedding, and the distraught young woman hanged herself in Room 16. Ever since, strange occurrences have taken place in that particular suite, as well as in the main dining room." (hauntedplaces.org)

One suspects that the spirit of Maude and the regular bigfoot traffic contributed to the lodge serving as the setting for the 2014 "perfect combination of cheesy love story and campy monster movie" Love in the Time of Monsters.

Meanwhile, the non-supernatural history of the lodge was nicely summarized by Jefferson Public Radio:

"Around 1900, George Dunn built Patrick Creek Stage Station in northern California to serve travelers on the Gasquet (gas KEY) Toll Road. He sold meals for twenty-five cents.

After Dunn was murdered for $7.50 worth of gold, Lew Higgins purchased the building; later, it was sold to the Raymond family who operated it successfully for several years. The station’s lodge burned in 1919.

Bar at the Patrick Creek Lodge, Gasquet, CA
(Birthday boy Bob at far right)

The Raymonds built a new lodge four miles downstream on Patrick Creek, beside the route of the planned Redwood Highway—Highway 199. Completed in 1926, Highway 199 greatly improved travel from Crescent City, California, to Grants Pass, Oregon. The new lodge opened May 8, 1926. Originally called “Patrick Creek Tavern,” it is now known as “Patrick Creek Lodge,” and it has had several owners.

Since 1926 the lodge has remained a welcome place for rest and refreshment, midway between the coast and the Rogue Valley. Today the lodge is fitted with modern conveniences, although guests may still enjoy the ambience of the original rooms, the big sitting room with its fireplace, and the dining room overlooking the creek."

(ijpr.org)

13950 US-199, Gasquet, CA 95543 - (707) 457-3323
Bar Est. ? - Building constructed: 1926
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: patrickcreeklodge.com - facebook 
Reviews: jeffersonpublicradio - bindutrips - yelp - tripadvisor - hauntedplaces - 101things