Pete Blecha
AUTHOR – HISTORIAN – RESEARCHER – INDEPENDENT CURATOR

He is also a contributing editor with Washington State’s online encyclopedia, HistoryLink.org; the multiple award-winning author of ten books; Director of the Northwest Music Archives, and a freelance writer. He has been acknowledged as “the premier expert in his chosen field of research” (Seattle weekly).

Pete will be sharing a PowerPoint slide show with many great vintage images of his book, “Lost Roadhouses of Seattle” (publisher, American Palate, Aug. 2022).

Blecha’s on-line introduction explains: “Prohibition came early to Washington State – in 1916 – and kicked off an unforgettable era of nightlife. When prohibition went national in 1920, a network of roadside inns, taverns and dancehalls just outside Seattle’s city limits thrived, well into the rockin’ 1950s, providing illicit entertainment for those seeking a good time. Spurred on by early car culture and strict liquor laws, places like the Spanish Castle, The Jungle, and the Black Cat sprang into being. Commonly called roadhouses, many of these remote outposts existed along two newly built and parallel stretches of county highways, far from the prying eyes of city police. Fabled speakeasy operator ‘Doc’ Hamilton founded some of these hideaways.

Join author Peter Blecha as he uncovers the fascinating era of forbidden nightclubs.

REGISTER HERE