Besaw's

In 1903 two gentlemen, George Besaw and Medric Liberty, dreamed of starting their own beer parlor and gambling hall. At the time, a booming industry full of loggers, longshoremen and their families were populating much of this vibrant corner of the Northwest. Loggers themselves, George Besaw and Medric Liberty received the generous help of Henry Weinhard, one of the best known brewery owners in the nation at that time, to finance their dream. An immediate success with locals and visitors alike, Besaw’s was conveniently located en route to the 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition, a grand outdoor bazaar akin to the Worlds’ Fair, attracting many of the Northwest’s– not to mention the world’s– elite. With the onset of prohibition, the duo was faced with a difficult decision: either cease the service of alcohol or close the doors on their dream.