A Little bit of Chicago in Sellwood

Many years ago, the southeast area known as Sellwood was the most populated area of Portland (more populated than Portland itself was at that time). The Sellwood area featured a racetrack, and an infamous bar called the Whitehouse (known for its gambling and prostitution), just off of what is now SW Macadam. The street of Macadam derived its name from the early process of road paving, known as macadamizing. This was the first paved road in Portland near the turn of the 20th century, and tales abound of men racing their horse-pulled buggies down this road to The Whitehouse; an early form of drag racing I suppose.

Within Sellwood itself stood a bar known as the Leipzig, and for years this was one of many watering holes on the southeast side near the bridge. Years later, the original owner would sell the Leipzig to its current owners, with one caveat, the Leipzig sign was to remain, and so it does to this day.

Today the attached restaurant is known as Geno’s. The bar inside was salvaged from a Chicago warehouse by the current owner, and adds a more authentic old-world touch to the atmosphere of the bar (the brass seal from the manufacturer is still on the bar today).

The legacy left behind by the original owner, the Leipzig sign, often makes me consider what drives men to want to create and perpetuate legacies.


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