history:

Per an article in the newspaper Northwest Gay Review, June 1977 written by W. Holman “A Gay History – lest it be forgotten” sheds many stories on various bars [time period possibly 1961-1964], “In the midst of increasing harassment, Miss Ira tended bar at the most obvious vantage point in town: across the street from City Hall – The Cartwheel.”

“Papa Scott,” a.k.a. Jay Scott, was a lesbian bartender with a large following that made this one of the popular lesbian bars.  It was located across the street from City Hall. Papa Scott was hired by Walter W. Cole to be his first full-time bartender at the Demas Tavern (208 N.W. Third) from approximately 1968 until 1970 or 1971 and described her as “an old school dyke, dressed like a man, always in a suit and tie.”  There is no mention of this tavern, ads, or photos that this writer can find.

Per the GLAPN - A Walking Tour of Downtown Portland: A Century of Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Historic Sites June 1999: (1958-1962) “Papa Scott” a.k.a Jay Scott, was a lesbian bartender with a large following that made this one of the popular lesbian bars. It was located across the street from City Hall.

Paper by Jamie R Walton – Gay and Lesbian Archives – Professor Ann Mussey December 1, 2000 Locations: (1) The Model Inn (2) Zorba the Greek

Walton Page 5 & 6:

I asked Sally if she recalled anything about The Cartwheel. She recalls it had a different name. She did not go in before because she was living out of town. After 1962 it was called the Model Inn (it turns out that these were two different places). Sally said there was no theme in the décor that would lead one to know why it was being called the model, “It was a small dark place.” There was nothing special about its appearance, but it was fast becoming the place for PSU lesbians to frequent. The entrance was parallel to City Hall, and it was on the corner facing south. [Note this was the Cartwheel].

Sally says, “You saw the new preppy lesbians in there all the time. But you could tell them by the little white crew socks with the stripe across the top. And there was, of course, the inevitable Duck-Tail haircut.”

Sally said a lot of these women played semi-professional softball for the team that was sponsored by Irv Lind Florist Shop. “I am going to find Patti May for you. She will know 2 lesbian bartenders that ran The Cartwheel. She did some time for performing abortions at a time when abortions were illegal, and the only way women could get them was to go to someone like Papa Scott.”

Later, I did talk to Patti May. She was very helpful. But she did not anything about The Cartwheel Tavern. She knew a lot about The Model Inn because it was her bar.

As I listened to Patti, I was struck by the similarities of her story to the stories found in Lesbian Woman (A fine book written by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon which was written in the 70s). Martin and Lyon described the ambiance of lesbian bars before Stonewall happened. Patti May told me that the place was small and depressing. She said role-playing was the only way to be a lesbian in those days.

“You were either butch or fem and that was it,” she said.

It was also a dangerous time. There were frequent bar fights between lesbians and more frightening, between lesbians and straight men.

Patti May told me there was a woman, “Big Val”, who could “clean a man’s clock!”

“That was rare, you know, for a woman to be able to beat up a man,” she added with a laugh but still in awe.

I tried to get an interview with the owner, Nick Polechrones, but the party listed in the phone book with that name has not answered any of my messages.

City of Portland Directory, page 230, 1964 – Carriage Trade Inn - 1223 SW Fifth

Per papers called Chronology of Portland’s Gay Bars – author unknown, “The Cartwheel Inn; G. L. and Hannah Brown, owners. 1958-1962; Jay Scott worked as a barmaid here; partly lesbian; torn down in urban renewal.”  NOTE: Jay Scott went on to be a bartender at Demas Tavern which turned into Darcelle XV Showplace.

The building where The Cartwheel Inn was located was torn down in 1982 to make way for the Pac West Center per an article in The Daily Journal of Commerce: https://djcoregon.com/news/2006/10/16/work-on-pacwest-center-begins-in-october-1982/

Oct. 26, 1982
“Going Up”
“A construction commencement ceremony for Pacwest Center is set for noon, Tuesday, at the project site at Southwest Fifth Avenue, Jefferson Street. Completion is due May, 1984. Contractor on 30-story office/retail complex is Hoffman Construction Co. Architect is Hugh Stubbins & Associates of Cambridge, Mass. Associate architects are Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Portland.