Per papers that called Chronology of Portland’s Gay Bars – author unknown, “1975.”

Per the GLAPN - A Walking Tour of Downtown Portland: A Century of Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Historic Sites June 1999: “Advertised in the local gay press in 1975. Little else is known about this location.”

Check out the conversation between Bill Dickey and Don Horn in April 2022. Bill managed Ely’s.

citations & references:

• Cited in Jeff Taylor’s Gay Guide for the Pacific Northwest – Summer 1975 edition, page 15 under Discotheques, Opens 9 pm Mon-Fri, 5 pm Sunday. Discotheque upstairs opens at 10 pm daily; lounge; restaurant AND Restaurants – Open 6 am -7 pm On-Sat, closed Sundays. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Specializing in short orders and sandwiches. Opening soon: 24-hour coffee shop.

• Ad mentioned ‘Hot Water Hat’. It appears that this possibly was the 24-hour coffee shop mentioned in Jeff Taylor’s Gay Guide for the Pacific Northwest – Summer 1975 edition, page 17

• Listed in Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1976 under Bars/Club with notations of YC – Youth/Collegiate Types, G – Ladies/MS, D – Dancing, * - Very Popular with notes: (Liquor) (Some G)

• Ad in Northwest Gay Review May-June 1976 - page 14 and on the back page, an ad for Sylvester! And a large article in the same newspaper in the REVUE section: SYLVESTER is coming! – page 15, 17.

• Cited in I Love Portland “A Guide To the Portland Court System and It’s Organizations” 1976 a booklet stated, “another public service of Tom Terrific”

• Also in 1976, Year Four of The Golden Awards. It was held at the W.C. aka Watercloset Bar, again produced by The Second Foundation.

• Listed  in Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1977 under Bars/Club with notations of YC – Youth/Collegiate Types, D – Dancing, * - Very Popular with notes: (Unisex)  (Liquor) (upstairs)

• Not listed in Damron Address Book/Address Guide 1978 or thereafter.

• Per an article in Northwest Gay Review, December 1975 interview with Steve Suss on bars, So the Castaways closed and Steve began looking for another bar. He checked out several bars including the Watercloset [W.C. Watercloset], but didn't feel that any of them was quite what he was after…

  This was before the Watercloset had opened. I think I had thought about it a couple of times before that, but it wasn't until that man actually said it, that it really stuck in my mind.  I took it from there and it was about six months later that I actually approached the owner. I'm a very slow mover. I think about things a long time before I actually take a step like this."