Is that the southeast corner that now has that weird fort monument?
Yes, I believe SE corner. Guess you’d just go east on Broadway/Weidler to Halsey and eventually you’d get to Hood River.
Oddly, the Historical Oregonian has Johnny’s Tavern at three different addresses from 1946 through 1956. The first mention of the place was on July 18, 1946 (p. 7) with the headline “Gun Forces Cab Driver” which describes a police report of a Broadway Cab driver who was forced to go there. “Tavern Stop Made: With the gun constantly at his neck Decker drove on the gunman’s instructions to Johnny’s Tavern, 8120 N.E. Glisan street, where the passenger told the driver he was broke, forced him to hand over a dollar and then made him enter the tavern, where he drank a beer and ordered cigarettes. The gun was kept out of sight in a side pocket…” (The driver was then ordered to drive to the Yum Yum Bar-B-Q.)
The first mention of the tavern at 1412 N. Larrabee was in 1950 (January 8, p. 16) when “Prowlers took the bars of a rear window…to gain entry and took $60 in nickels, $35 in change from the cash register, 75 cartons cigarets [sic] and an automatic pistol….”
On April 21, 1951, the tavern (now listed at 217 NW 6th Ave.) was penalized for permitting an intoxicated person to remain five days.
However, six months later (Oct. 6, p. 7) the Larrabee address once again appeared when it was reported that burglars had removed a pane of glass from a door and carried off an undermined amount of cash, an electric razor, a pair of shoes, two coats and a number of cartons of cigarettes.
A box ad was printed on December 22, 1953 (p. 6) notifying readers that John and Edith McGonigle are now operating Johnny’s Tavern at 217 NW Sixth Street. “Come down and try our NEW Maple Top Shuffleboard!”
The last mention of the tavern in the database was on September 17, 1956, when yet another robbery (this time for $10) was reported at the Larrabee Avenue address.
Oct. 2021
You nailed it Robert G.
In this aerial photo you can just barely make out the two buildings in today’s pic, just west and across the street from the big brick Bekins building. Today’s photo is looking south-southwest and that fort-like wood-stone sculpture sits where Johnny’s Tavern is.
The first related photo is actually taken from the roof of Johnny’s, looking north-northeast back at the Bekins building.
The second related photo, looking south on Larrabee, shows today’s buildings in the background.
The sculpture is called Terra Incognita, installed in 1995.
Another memory from my younger days…parking free under the west end of the Broadway Bridge and walking across the river to a Blazer game, bringing two tallboy beers along, one to drink on the walk, the other to hide inside the sculpture for the walk back after the game…
Coincidentally, the statue of York at Lewis and Clark College is called York: Terra Incognita, although there’s no connection between the two works.
The light reflected outward from inside Johnny’s Tavern fires the imagination with what might be a waitress being silhouetted in the glare. One can kinda make out patrons sitting at tables inside too; one looks like a woman and a man seated with their backs to the window.
Coca-Cola was well into its sixth decade as a beverage staple on this Monday afternoon in January ’48.
The Broadway Coffee Shop looks deserted – perhaps it was just a morning & early afternoon establishment.
For $1.25 you could have (#?) Business Cards printed up for yourself at the printing shop.
The next business window reads Columbia something & something but I can’t make it out.
More on Coca-Cola:
The soft drink was developed in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. At the time it was introduced, the product contained cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts which together acted as a stimulant. The coca and the kola are the source of the product name, and led to Coca-Cola’s promotion as a “healthy tonic”. Pemberton had been severely wounded in the American Civil War and had become addicted to the pain medication morphine. He developed the beverage as a patent medicine in an effort to control his addiction.
In 1889, the formula and brand were sold for $2,300 (roughly $71,000 in 2022) to Asa Griggs Candler, who incorporated the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892. The company has operated a franchised distribution system since 1889. The company largely produces syrup concentrate, which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold exclusive territories. The company owns its anchor bottler in North America, Coca-Cola Refreshments. From Wikipedia.
You can see the subway entrance to the right of the front door of the tavern. It’s the 3 foot tall 3 panel concrete wall, it was a tunnel under the road, so you could cross the street. I went through that one in the late 60’s, perfect place for transients and delinquents to hide out.
That’s my grandfather’s print shop in the building to the right of the tavern and coffee shop!
A friend of mine has a way of judging public art such as ‘Terra Incognita” and those rusting metal pipe house frames on MLK. “Tree or Art?” Meaning, what would you rather see there, this piece of art, or a tree.
Vintage Portland 
Is that the southeast corner that now has that weird fort monument?
Yes, I believe SE corner. Guess you’d just go east on Broadway/Weidler to Halsey and eventually you’d get to Hood River.
Oddly, the Historical Oregonian has Johnny’s Tavern at three different addresses from 1946 through 1956. The first mention of the place was on July 18, 1946 (p. 7) with the headline “Gun Forces Cab Driver” which describes a police report of a Broadway Cab driver who was forced to go there. “Tavern Stop Made: With the gun constantly at his neck Decker drove on the gunman’s instructions to Johnny’s Tavern, 8120 N.E. Glisan street, where the passenger told the driver he was broke, forced him to hand over a dollar and then made him enter the tavern, where he drank a beer and ordered cigarettes. The gun was kept out of sight in a side pocket…” (The driver was then ordered to drive to the Yum Yum Bar-B-Q.)
The first mention of the tavern at 1412 N. Larrabee was in 1950 (January 8, p. 16) when “Prowlers took the bars of a rear window…to gain entry and took $60 in nickels, $35 in change from the cash register, 75 cartons cigarets [sic] and an automatic pistol….”
On April 21, 1951, the tavern (now listed at 217 NW 6th Ave.) was penalized for permitting an intoxicated person to remain five days.
However, six months later (Oct. 6, p. 7) the Larrabee address once again appeared when it was reported that burglars had removed a pane of glass from a door and carried off an undermined amount of cash, an electric razor, a pair of shoes, two coats and a number of cartons of cigarettes.
A box ad was printed on December 22, 1953 (p. 6) notifying readers that John and Edith McGonigle are now operating Johnny’s Tavern at 217 NW Sixth Street. “Come down and try our NEW Maple Top Shuffleboard!”
The last mention of the tavern in the database was on September 17, 1956, when yet another robbery (this time for $10) was reported at the Larrabee Avenue address.
Oct. 2021
You nailed it Robert G.
In this aerial photo you can just barely make out the two buildings in today’s pic, just west and across the street from the big brick Bekins building. Today’s photo is looking south-southwest and that fort-like wood-stone sculpture sits where Johnny’s Tavern is.
The first related photo is actually taken from the roof of Johnny’s, looking north-northeast back at the Bekins building.
The second related photo, looking south on Larrabee, shows today’s buildings in the background.
The sculpture is called Terra Incognita, installed in 1995.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Incognita_(sculpture)
Here’s the sculptor’s website with other examples of his art:
https://www.ilanaverbuch.com/1-2/
Another memory from my younger days…parking free under the west end of the Broadway Bridge and walking across the river to a Blazer game, bringing two tallboy beers along, one to drink on the walk, the other to hide inside the sculpture for the walk back after the game…
Coincidentally, the statue of York at Lewis and Clark College is called York: Terra Incognita, although there’s no connection between the two works.
The light reflected outward from inside Johnny’s Tavern fires the imagination with what might be a waitress being silhouetted in the glare. One can kinda make out patrons sitting at tables inside too; one looks like a woman and a man seated with their backs to the window.
Coca-Cola was well into its sixth decade as a beverage staple on this Monday afternoon in January ’48.
The Broadway Coffee Shop looks deserted – perhaps it was just a morning & early afternoon establishment.
For $1.25 you could have (#?) Business Cards printed up for yourself at the printing shop.
The next business window reads Columbia something & something but I can’t make it out.
More on Coca-Cola:
The soft drink was developed in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. At the time it was introduced, the product contained cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts which together acted as a stimulant. The coca and the kola are the source of the product name, and led to Coca-Cola’s promotion as a “healthy tonic”. Pemberton had been severely wounded in the American Civil War and had become addicted to the pain medication morphine. He developed the beverage as a patent medicine in an effort to control his addiction.
In 1889, the formula and brand were sold for $2,300 (roughly $71,000 in 2022) to Asa Griggs Candler, who incorporated the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892. The company has operated a franchised distribution system since 1889. The company largely produces syrup concentrate, which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold exclusive territories. The company owns its anchor bottler in North America, Coca-Cola Refreshments. From Wikipedia.
You can see the subway entrance to the right of the front door of the tavern. It’s the 3 foot tall 3 panel concrete wall, it was a tunnel under the road, so you could cross the street. I went through that one in the late 60’s, perfect place for transients and delinquents to hide out.
That’s my grandfather’s print shop in the building to the right of the tavern and coffee shop!
A friend of mine has a way of judging public art such as ‘Terra Incognita” and those rusting metal pipe house frames on MLK. “Tree or Art?” Meaning, what would you rather see there, this piece of art, or a tree.