Bathhouses
AERO VAPORS
Per book A Curious and Peculiar People: by David Grant Kohl 2006: “The Aero Vapors…was the best known, with twenty-two canvas bunks and a maximum capacity for sixty-seven ‘guests’.”
Per the book The Queerest Places [A guide to Gay and Lesbian Historic sites] by Paula Martinac 1997 cites the following: “For help in compiling the Portland listings, many thanks to Tom Cook, president of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. For more sites associated with gay Portland, see “From Silence to Celebration! A guide to Portland’s Historic Gay Sites,” a publication of GLAPN. Don Horn reached out to Tom Cook, and he states that the name of the document was changed to the GLAPN A Walking Tour of Downtown Portland: A Century of Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Historic Sites June 1999. Per Paula’s book, she writes, “A city park called Terry Schrunk Plaza now stands on the site of one of Portland’s most famous gay bathhouses. Schrunk, according to local gay activists, as the city’s notoriously homophobic mayor. Across the street from the bathhouse was Mama Bernice’s, a gay bar during the mid-1960s.”
Per a paper written by Anne Mussey for the Gay and Lesbian Archives, Ruben Reynaga USNT 421 AERO-VAPORS and Workout Baths possibly circa 2000, Interview with David Hamilton/Mame: Bathhouse (1958-1972), “Eventually Dave was able to provide some of his personal experience with one of my projects at least Aero-vapors Bathhouse. Dave had been a client of Aero-Vapors Bathhouse but his memory of it was rather dim; however, he did mention that it was a very popular place. The vicinity surrounding Aero-Vapors located 1237 SW Third has had an interesting history. The Plaza Blocks (Chapman and Lownsdale Squares) are located between Jefferson and Salmon in downtown Portland between Third and Fourth Street.”
David mentioned that gay men commonly cruised this area due to the presence of a variety of business that catered to gay men, including Mamma Bernice’s, located on 1228 SW Third Street (1962-1964). The bathroom, which is now closed but still stands on Jefferson between 3rd and 4th street, was infamous for the many gay encounters.
Other business included theatres and a variety of bookstores that often attracted students from the Portland State University. Dave did talk about Mama Bernice and her popularity with the gay crowd. She was considered a symbol among the gay community and often served as a second mother to many. Other amusing stories arose about her demanding that her customers give her a dime every time she saw them go to Aero-Vapors instead of her bar. The most important change in the Plaza Blocks was the addition of the Terry Park Plaza (formally the Federal Plaza) in 1974. The block where Aero-Vapor used to stand, between Madison and Jefferson, was torn down in 1973. The Portland directory no longer listed any businesses on that block in 1973.In 1958, when Aero-Vapors first opened, many businesses on the block were vacant, however, the bathhouse remained opened. It was only in 1972 that the bathhouse closed, and in 1973 the whole block was torn down as part of the South Auditorium Urban Renewal Project and made into a park known as Terry Schrunk Plaza. It should be noted that Terry Schrunk, mayor of Portland along with Portland City Council were strictly anti-gay when in 1964 a Committee for Decent Literature and Films was formed, and the council tried to close down six bars – the OLCC declined to have them closed.
The tall building was originally the First Interstate Bank Tower, presently (2022) the Wells Fargo Tower. The view is as if you were facing where the Aero-Vapors was located.
photo 1964 Portland City Archives
1953
Date unknown
1237 S.W. Third. CA 7-9776
Located on the corner of SW Jefferson and SW Third Street. [Now Terry Schrunk Plaza.]
Years: 1958 - 1972
CITED IN TRAVEL GUIDES:
• Listed in in the Directory 43 2nd Edition Travel Guide – 1964
• Listed in the Guild Guide 1964 -
• Listed in Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1965 under Baths
• Listed in International Guild Guide 1965 page 82
• Listed in the Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1966 under Baths.
• Listed in the Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1968 under Baths.
• Listed in the Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1969 under Baths note it’s called Aero Vapor Steam Baths
• Listed in the Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1970 under Baths note it’s called Aero Vapor Steam Baths
• Listed in the Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1971 under Baths note it’s called Aero Vapor Steam Baths
• GAY PLACES 1971 International Guild Guide –was still active – 24 Hours 227-8193 with G – which meant Gay
• Listed in the Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1972 under Baths note it’s called Aero Vapor Steam Baths
• Listed in Guild Guide 1973 USA & International