Lost Roadhouses of Seattle

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

Prohibition came early to Washington State—in 1916—and kicked off an unforgettable era of nightlife.

Prohibition went national in 1920 and a network of roadside inns, taverns and dancehalls just outside of Seattle's city limits thrived well into the rockin' 1950s, providing illicit entertainment for those seeking a good time. Spurred on by early car culture and strict liquor laws, places like the Spanish Castle, The Jungle and The Black Cat sprang into being. Commonly called roadhouses, many of these remote outposts existed along two newly-built and parallel stretches of county highways - far from the prying eyes of city police. Fabled speakeasy operator, "Doc" Hamilton founded some of the earliest of these hideaways.

Join authors Peter Blecha and Brad Holden as they uncover the fascinating era of forbidden nightclubs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467150736
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/15/2022
Series:	American Palate
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	638,763
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Peter Blecha is a staff historian with HistoryLink.org, director of the Northwest Music Archives and an award-winning author of eight books. He has been acknowledged as "the premier expert in his chosen field of research" (Seattle Weekly); "Seattle's best-known collector" (Scram Magazine); and a writer who "deserves a place in Northwest music history" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Brad Holden writes a monthly column for Seattle Magazine, contributes to HistoryLink.org and co-hosts the podcast Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks: The Dive Bars of Seattle. His work has also appeared in Pacific Northwest Magazine. His first book, Seattle Prohibition: Bootleggers, Rumrunners & Graft in the Queen City, was listed on Seattle Public Library's "Best Books of 2019" and on Seattle Metropolitan Magazine's "A Big Seattle Reading List."

Table of Contents

1 Roadside Attractions 11

2 Little Old Seattle 21

The Rose Room 25

Doc Hamilton's Barbecue Pit 29

Also in this chapter: The Illahee

3 The Three Old Roads 34

The Bothell Road 35

South X Northeast 37

Briarcrest Ranch 37

My Southern Home and Mammy's Shack 38

Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Dixie Inn 38

Hittin' the Road 42

The "Bottle Highway" 43

The Black Cat 45

The Grove 48

The Blakehart Inn 48

Parker's Bothell Highway Pavilion 51

The Green Mill 51

McKenzie's Bungalow Inn (No. 1) 53

Willard's Inn 55

The Plantation/The Manor 55

The Jungle Temple (No. 1) 56

Also in this chapter: The Blue Bird, Bob's Place, Canyon Park Inn, Coe's Country Club, The Green Mill, Highway Sandwich Shop, Joe's Hot Lunches, The Lake View, Lemm's Corner, Mae's Place. Mexicano, Otto's Place

4 The Big Bolhell Highway Crackdown of '27 57

Doc Hamilton's Barbecue Ranch (No. 1) 59

Also in this chapter: The Camel Inn, The Jungle Inn, The Orient Tavern, The Tip-Top Inn, The Toot Inn

5 At the Crossroads 61

The Goon Chicken Inn and Club Cotton 61

The Jolly Roger (Part 1) 65

Also in this chapter: The Chinese Castle

6 The Rise and Fall of the Highway 99 Roadhouses 69

The Everstate Pavilion 71

McKenzie's Bungalow Inn (No. 2) 72

The Jungle Temple (No. 2) 74

Doc Hamilton's Barbecue Ranch (No. 2) 76

Rubenak's 90

The Oasis 92

The Blakewood Inn 93

Melby's Echo Lake Tavern 95

Chinaland/Club Charmland 96

Costa's Café 98

Also in this chapter: The Drip On Inn

7 Old Highway 99 South 100

The Halfway House 100

The Barn 101

The Hi-Line Grove 101

The Big Tree Inn (Part 1) 103

8 The End of the Road 105

The Big Tree Inn (Part 2) 105

Scoop Jackson vs. the Roadhouses 106

9 The Roadhouse Legacy 109

The Evergreen Ballroom 111

Spanish Castle Ballroom 115

Parkers Dance Pavilion 118

Bert Lindgren's Bothell Hi-Way Pavilion 122

The Washington Social and Educational Club 122

The China Pheasant 124

The Jolly Roger (Part 2) 126

The Wagon Wheel Inn/Brooklake Inn 127

Fiddler's Inn 130

Mack's Shanty 132

Bibliography 135

About the Authors 144