b. 1910 - Drake Hotel torn down 1960s?

History/Story: “Where women seeking women gathered.”

Per the GLAPN - A Walking Tour of Downtown Portland: A Century of Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Historic Sites June 1999: In reports of the Women’s Protective Division dating from 1949, this little restaurant on the northeast corner of 13th and Washington (now Suriya) was mentioned as the hangout for a group of lesbians who congregated at the Music Hall nightclub on Tenth and Stark. The police department noted that “these women are reported to attempt their pick-up at the Music Hall and in case of failure before the Hall closes, they then retire to the Buick and look for other prospects.” The report added that “these women were recently ousted from San Francisco for their actions and are, apparently confirmed lesbians.”

Per Appendix II – Historical Highlights/Burnside Triangle Walking Tour September 2002 “Lesbian meeting place from at least the 1940s. The 1940s witnessed a growth in urban lesbian communities as a result of the World War II. The war brought women to West Coast cities, as both military personnel and war industries workers.”

• A city police report from the period noted that “these women are reported to attempt their pick-up at the Music Hall and in case of failure before the Hall closes, they then retire to the Buick and look for other prospects.”

• The report also noted that “these women were recently ousted from San Francisco for their actions and are apparently confirmed lesbians.”

Per Peter Boag’s article quotes a 1949 police report: “These women were recently ousted from San Francisco for their actions and are ... confirmed Lesbians.”). In police reports of the Women’s Protective Division dating from 1949, this little restaurant on the northeast corner of 13th and Washington,  since demolished, was mentioned as the hangout for a group of lesbians who congregated at the Music Hall nightclub at Tenth and Stark.  The police department noted that “these women are reported to attempt their pick-up at the Music Hall and in case of failure before the Music Hall closes, they then retire to the Buick and look for other prospects.”  The report added that “these women were recently ousted from San Francisco for their actions and are, apparently, confirmed lesbians.”  The only mention of the Buick in the Oregonian is a June 4, 1959, ad seeking a waitress (p. 27). [not true, many want ads were placed for the Buick Café in 1959 for waitresses and Short Order Cooks]

Per https://lostwomynsspace.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-buick-cafe.html: During World War II, the Buick Café at 1239 Southwest Washington Street had a reputation as a popular meeting spot for the city’s growing lesbian population. Drawn to wartime jobs, and in many cases free for the first time to explore their sexual identity, many gays and lesbians moved to urban centers, particularly port cities, in large numbers during and after the war. The Music Hall, which opened in 1937, at 413 Southwest Tenth Avenue, was one of Portland’s most popular gay and lesbian nightclubs. The Hall featured both male and female impersonators. A City Police Report from 1949 notes that “these women are reported to attempt their pick-up at the Music Hall and in case of failure before the Hall closed, they then retire to the Buick and look for other prospects.”( Boag, P. 2004. Does Portland need a homophile society? Gay culture and activism in the Rose City between World War II and Stonewall. Oregon Historical Quarterly 105 (1): p13.) Public Policy and Sexual Geography in Portland, Oregon, 1970-2010 Elizabeth Morehead Portland State University.

Per https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2018/05/in-1964-portland-tried-to-crack-down-on-the-city-s-gay-scene-here-s-what-happened: In the years after World War II, a small crescent of welcoming spaces evolved along our rainy streets. Some dated to the ’30s or before; many flickered in and out of existence according to the usual whims of business, culture, and real estate.  [later on in article] The Rathskeller, on SW Taylor Street, developed a reputation by the ’40s; in roughly the same era, women seeking women gathered at the Buick Café, at SW 13th and Washington. (Boag’s article quotes a 1949 police report: “These women were recently ousted from San Francisco for their actions and are ... confirmed Lesbians.”) By the early ’60s, the scene (as surveyed by a GLAPN tour of historic sites) included the lesbian-friendly Milwaukie Tavern and the gay-male-oriented Tel & Tel on SW Oak.