This image is the cover for the book Lost Roadhouses of Seattle, American Palate

Lost Roadhouses of Seattle, American Palate

Prohibition came early to Washington State--in 1916--and kicked off an unforgettable era of nightlife.


Prohibition went national in 1920 and a network of roadside inns, taverns and dancehalls just outside of 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 the earliest of these hideaways.


Join authors Peter Blecha and Brad Holden as they uncover the fascinating era of forbidden nightclubs.

Peter Blecha, Brad Holden

Peter Blecha is a staff historian with HistoryLink.org, director of the Northwest Music Archives and an award-winning author of eight books. He has been acknowledged as "the premier expert in his chosen field of research" (Seattle Weekly); "Seattle's best-known collector" (Scram Magazine); and a writer who "deserves a place in Northwest music history" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Brad Holden writes a monthly column for Seattle Magazine, contributes to HistoryLink.org and co-hosts the podcast Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks: The Dive Bars of Seattle. His work has also appeared in Pacific Northwest Magazine. His first book, Seattle Prohibition: Bootleggers, Rumrunners & Graft in the Queen City, was listed on Seattle Public Library's "Best Books of 2019" and on Seattle Metropolitan Magazine's "A Big Seattle Reading List."

The History Press