A Sore on the Body Politic

While my friend was looking up information about the Odd fellows Comet Lodge (she is still on the hunt), I was scanning council minutes for anything about Everett “Big Hutch” Hutchings and the saloons on Estella Street. I was quite surprised to find only two liquor licenses remain in the city files – one for the Country Inn Roadhouse, Big Hutch’s digs, and one for the Vienna Bar that was directly across Estella Street from Hutch.

Hutch is mentioned in the city minutes along with the proprietors of several other “saloon-keepers”. After perusing the files I found several letters of interest – let’s start with a correspondence from the “Office of Kenneth MacKintosh, Prosecuting Attorney for King County” dated April 22, 1908.

“I desire to call your attention officially to a condition of affairs existing in your city which you have within your power to rectify. There are six resorts selling liquor under licenses granted by you which are being so conducted that they are constantly violating the laws of this state. The places … are as follows: “Roxy’s,” the proprietor of which is Roxy Reber; “Rainer Bar,” the proprietor of which is L.C, Bregonze; “Lincoln Park,” the proprietor of which is Charlton and Bowman; “Germania Park,” the proprietor of which is F Brand; “Vienna Grocery and Bar,” the proprietor of which is L. Pavish; and “Bohemian Park,” the proprietor of which is Richard Bishop. The proprietor of each one of these places has been found guilty of selling liquor on Sunday and of maintaining a nuisance, and it seems to me that these convictions give you sufficient foundation to revoke their licenses.”

The letter goes on to say…

“There exists no reason why one man upon your police force, to say nothing of the entire department, cannot keep these places from being, as they have been, the harbor for dissolute and depraved men and women, and form violating every law upon the statute books which it is within the power to violate”
“You may choose one of three courses in dealing with this matter, -
(First) You can revoke the licenses of these resorts and thus entirely abolish them with t her attendant vice, or
(Secondly) You can see to it that your police department compels them, if you still allow them to hold their licenses, to maintain order, disperse the degenerates who frequent them, clean out their dance halls, close up their bedrooms, and conduct themselves in an orderly and decent manner, or
(Thirdly) You may allow them to continue in the way in which they have been going, to the discredit of your city and the humiliation of your citizens, and compel the county to bear the expense of policing and prosecuting them.”

In conclusion…

“I sincerely hope, however, that you will co-operate with me and cut out these sores which exist in your body politic.
Yours respectfully,”


The question now is how did our city fathers respond to the County Attorney. Did they revoke the licenses of those named above, allow them to continue up until annexation, or did the offices of Kenneth MacKintosh enforce the law of the land?

Country Inn Roadhouse

photo courtesy of MOHAI

Roadhouses were popular meeting places around the turn of the last century and Georgetown had plenty of roadhouses. With the Meadows racetrack a short walk away from these rough and tumble waterholes it is no wonder the popularity.

Usually found in two story buildings immediately fronting the sidewalk, patrons would find gambling, drinking and dancing on the main floor while rooms for rent were found upstairs. Often "working girls" would continue to entertain overnight guests.

In 1911, Prosper Casteran and his wife Mary moved into the old roadhouse and opened the Carleton Avenue Grocery. It seems Casteran already owned the building and may have lived in a residence which stood on the northeast corner of the property. The 1908 Polk directory lists his address at 807 Monroe (now known as Warsaw). That building is now gone, but the foundation can still be found on the property.

A few reminders of the past have been found in the old roadhouse, an electrical inspection certificate dated 1906, a small stencil set, and an old Rainier beer bottle. After taking the old carpet out of the main living area in one of the upstairs apartments, the original floor plan was uncovered. You can clearly see where the old hallway would have shuttle patrons to the rooms and into the waiting arms of one of the "working girls".

The Country Inn Roadhouse saw plenty of action over the few short years her doors stood open (1904-1909). Today, she is the last remaining example of a roadhouse from the early years of Georgetown.