Jack and Jill’s Tavern operated from the early 1930s at least into the 1950s at 16321 Base Line Road (SE Stark Street now). The night club offered dinners, music and dancing, and stage plays. It’s the site of a pizza parlor now, whose building is listed on portlandmaps.com with a 1926 construction date. Probably the same basic building with many improvements over the decades. Thanks to Roxanne for sending this in.
(Roxanne Cummings)
Vintage Portland 
I thought Papa’s pizza was a new building. Do you really think it could be the same place? (street view http://goo.gl/maps/VAGj2 )
I found a photograph my parents had taken here with another couple after Dad had returned from the Pacific. It came in a nice little folder with a drawing of the club, called ‘Jack and Jills Elations’. Just like that scene from ‘Best Years of Our Lives’ I did a lot of looking online and in the Oregonian online archives but this is the first picture I’ve seen of how it looked on the outside. Must have been a great place.
Even if it is a completely new building, I like how Papa’s Pizza used some of the original architecture styles and stonework from Jack and Jill’s Tavern. Somewhat of a fitting tribute to another long lost building.
My dad, who played drums, used to work gigs there. I don’t know what band it was but I do remember him saying he was working there. This would have been late 1950s or early 1960s.
Looks like at least that chimney is the original river-rock stone.
Continuing… funny that they say “3 miles east of Portland”… I bet nobody would have known what to make of an address number that big back then. 🙂
Also, looking at the historic plumbing permits on Portland Maps, it seems this place was “Poor Richards” through the 70s and has a permit for a “new restaurant” issued to owner “Pier 101” on 4/22/82. The last reference to “Jack and Jill’s Silver $” was 8/14/67 when their cesspool was replaced.
This place was on a septic tank (which apparently required frequent replacement) until 1993!
Anyone know when Baseline was renamed to Stark? Was it part of the Great Renumbering?
Baseline Road, named after the Public Land Survey System. I wonder why Baseline got renamed and not Division?
Division was the new name. The old name was Section Line Road.
My family moved to Wood Village in 1970. I think that there were still signs near Troutdale that said Baseline then.
There used to be a book at the library on the history of Rockwood. I think it said that Jack and Jill’s was a speakeasy during Prohibition.
It’s still called Baseline out in Hillsboro and Cornelius, although the road doesn’t track the actual baseline closely anymore.
I worked at Poor Richards Restaurant(home of the Two-Fer) in Hollywood at 39th and Broadway in 1964-65. They opened in 1959 and one of the original owners kept it running till sometime in 2006. The new owner kept it open another 5 years or so before it closed in 2010 or 2011. I wouldn’t have thought there would have been another Poor Richards so close by.
Great work, Tad!
This building has been remodeled and added on to many times, but parts of it appear to go back to the 1920s. I remember eating there as a child back in the late 1970’s when it was Poor Richards, and again a few years later when it was Pier 101. Both were popular at first, but as with many large restaurants in that era, they became victims of the poor economy at that time. At some point there was a fire that destroyed a significant portion of the structure and they chose not to reopen. Pier 101 also had a location in Beaverton and they are still in business in Lincoln City.
I lived just up the road off 162nd & Market from 1961 on. My parents would go to Jack & Jill’s because it was the only place out in east county
the Front entryway does look very similar to the current “Papa’s Pizza” I wonder if it’s just expansions/remodel’s over the years, but the address would be about correct for it being in the same spot. Had no idea it was a nightclub beforehand. Great find Roxanne!
I have seen an old drink token “good foir 25 c at the bar” frolm The Elations, Portland, Oregon and dated 1941. It pictures what appears to be a stripper.
My grandma Helen Willard used to work here as a waitress in the 50s or 60s. My mom and aunts remember getting to go inside. Grandma used to get together with former coworkers from Jack and Jills once a month for decades after it closed.
My mom and her cousin danced there. She had wonder stories and pictures.
My mom and her twin sister were among Jack and Jill’s Elations in the early 40s. They dropped out of high school to do it, so they were underage. Both married in 1944, and didn’t perform there after that. They were never strippers, but did wear some pretty skimpy costumes! They said that Jane Powell was one of the performers then, too. A friend happened to see this photo just today at a cafe here in Portland and told me about it, so my brother and I went out there to see it.
There have been other comments about JACK and Jills, I have seen a few from previous dancers; My uncle bought the property in 1932; my parents cams from Kansas in 1933 to assist him in opening a night club from the tea room that was on the property. I went to Rockwood grade school; We lived in a little cottage behind the club; which was expanded in 37 with a huge parking lot behind as well as the full area in front….it was expanded; huge floor shows; elevated dance floor; huge band; We left Portland in 45; my uncle sold later in the 40″s….Many members of my mothers family also worked there until after the war; So it was the Binford (L.C was known as Jack) his first wife was Jill, My folks, Earl and Vera and several Coffman’s.
Donna, thank you for filling in a lot unknown information.
Here’s a bit of dark information also tied to Jack & Jill’s. Excuse me if this has already been posted in connection with this location:
http://portlandcrime.blogspot.com/search?q=george+sack
It is fun just to see the name Jack and Jills coming up again…..So many comments about the place, but the one about corruption and gambling is a far fetched romantic idea about the place. But it was innonvative and original. It was the first place that paint was used on costumes ( they were skimpy) under the black lights. It was a true WOW. So many memories, I lived behind it in 1933….grew up there.
donna Binford Roberson
Hello Donna. I am Katherine Binford, Lindley Charles Binford’s granddaughter. I have been reading the information here with such interest. It would be wonderful to get in touch!
Wow, how much fun to hear from a Binford….Your dad was always called by the full name….I saw him several years ago at a reunion….he was living in Idaho. I do hear from your uncle Bill over the holidays. I would love to know more about your and
keep in touch….my e-mail. donna@robersons.com, I live in San Jose, Calif…..
please lets get acquainted.
The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, San Diego, has a ticket for the USS Epping Forest (LSD4) Home-Coming Dinner Dance at Jack and Jill’s on Thursday Evening, August 16, 1945, from S 1/c Don Eusted, who served aboard that ship from 1943 -1945 during WWII.
I am excited to share that my mom (Irene Russell aka Hilda Maurer Zeissner) shared her scrap book of Jack & Jills and the Elations Girls with me and I have alot of photos to share with anyone that is interested in seeing them. Please email me at “AshantiFalcon@yahoo.com” if you would like to receive them.
My grandfather cleared the land for Jack & Jill’s. It was originally a “roadhouse.” When they tore it down for the Pier 101 restaurant they only kept the fireplace.
It was the Inferno when I used to dance and drink there after my navy days. But was known as Jack and Jill’s Silver dollar before that I thought!
It is now an Elks Club, again preserving the entry and famous fireplace. My uncle owned Jack and Jill’s: He was called Jack ( not his name) and his first wife was Jill.
My parents left Kansas to help him in remodeling the Tea Room into a dinner house them a nightclub with live music and 4 floor shows a night. The band in the early 40’s was” Paul Lamoureau ( spelling?) and The Wettest Music in Town”. After WW2 started we were only opened on weekends, it then became more Country Western without the Floor Shows. It was started in 1933 and was “The Place” even with the restrictions that involved alcohol consumption.
I do not believe that Silver dollar was attached to the name unless it was during
the western era.
Donna Binford Roberson
I believe that Baseline is Burnside—Burnside is a baseline road that divides N/S. However, at that time, maybe they considered Stark as Baseline since both streets intersected each other in a couple different areas.
In the 60s/70s it drew some popular talent of the time. When I was in grade school and would walk to Safeway, across from J&J I would see Elvin Bishop on the marquee, and also Melanie (who just passed away today, 1/24/24).
Later the Silver Dollar was right next door to J&J.
we moved into the neighborhood in 1955 ( 113th ave) and it was called stark then. I also worked at the inferno < 1972-1973> and don’t recall it being called anything but the inferno during the 70’s.