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| Photo Credit: Scott Martin Gavin 1983 |
The Royal Chinook Inn was a historic, family-owned restaurant and bar located in Corbett, Oregon. Built in 1948 by Eva Reed and William C. and Francis North, the Inn was originally a combo restaurant/store/hotel. In the early 1950's, the Inn changed into a restaurant/bar. It was established at an old landing on the Columbia River for steamboats in the early 1900's. If you've ever driven through the Columbia Gorge from Portland, you've probably glanced at the forlorn Inn sitting on the roadside just off the freeway. The Royal Chinook closed in mid 90's then briefly re-opened in 1999 for 4 months before closing for good. Since then, the building has gradually deteriorated. If you ever had the pleasure of visiting the 'Chinook' when it was open, you experienced a piece of gorge history. The old Inn has an interesting story.
Year Built: 1948
Current Address: 2827 NE Corbett Hill Rd, Corbett OR 97019
Historic Address: 2605 NE Corbett Hill Rd, Corbett OR 97019
Historic Phone Number: Corbett 331
Historic Phone Number: Frontier 5-9566
Historic Phone Number: 1-695-2297
Size: 3210 square feet
Seating capacity: 55 people
Menu Specialty: Smoked Salmon
Corbett Station
Corbett Station was founded in 1894 as a general store at the fishwheel and boat landing on the Columbia River by William and Myrta Reed. They lived on Reed Island. Both the island and the landing (Reed's Landing) are named after them. There is also a road in lower Corbett named after them. In 1922, the original store suffered a fire and burnt down.
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| The original general store and train station at Corbett Station 1904 |
In 1948, the Royal Chinook Inn was built. Through the late 1940's and early 50's, the Inn served as a general store, hotel and restaurant for river travelers, automotive traffic and those traveling by train thru the gorge. In 1953, the Inn began to change and later that year, it was granted a license to serve liquor. This marked a shift in the business strategy, changing from hotel to bar. In 1954, the Inn added a new room with booths and placed the steering wheel of an old steamboat on the wall behind the bar. Along with the big wheel was an old framed picture of the Corbett Station boat landing which showed the fishwheel, nets, boats with the riverboat J. N. Teal passing in the background. Over the years, the bar accumulated an eclectic collection of nautical relics and displayed them throughout the place. It became the signature element of the bar's charm. The captain's wheel was from the Harvest Queen, which used to take Portlanders up and back on the Columbia River. Also in 1954, the Sternwheeler Club of the NW was formed to meet once a month at the Inn to reminisce and perpetuate memories of the old sternwheelers that used to operate on the Columbia River. Old seadogs frequented the Royal Chinook over the years to tell their stories. The Inn also continued to refine another marquee element: smoked salmon. The process started with Chinook salmon cut into pieces minutes after they were caught and placed onto trays. Inside the smokehouse, there was special greenwood that smoldered underneath. The salmon would cook in the smokehouse for several days until the humidity was right under the watchful eye of owner Bill North. To make sure nobody interfered with the smoking process, the smokehouse door was marked with a sign that read: "Danger 10,000 Volts". North also cooked batches of Sturgeon and smoked oysters. The smoked salmon was used in salads, soups, on a plate and sold by the pound. It was legendary.
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The Chinook Inn (shown above) was built to replace the original store that burned down in 1922. The Cape Cod style building featured a gabled roof with 4 dormers and colonial style windows. The rugged, symmetrical design was a good choice to help withstand the gorge elements. The windows afforded wonderful views of the Columbia River. Wooden clapboard siding on the front with lap siding on the gable sides gave the Inn a tidy appearance. The main level featured an abundance of lattice-style windows with 2 separate matching doors. The building opened as Eva Reed's Tavern in 1948. The lower level featured a restaurant, tavern and fish store. The upper floor offered rooms for overnight guests. The interior was finished with knotty pine and featured nautical trinkets, hanging photographs and artifacts throughout establishment. |
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Five years later, in 1953, the Royal Chinook Inn was looking good. The windows on 2nd floor offered a gorge breeze when open. Note the neon sign with the leaping Chinook Salmon. Unfortunately, a tree fell on the sign and destroyed it during a winter storm in late 1953. 1951 Chevrolet Wagon.  The Chinook Inn in 1980. |
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| Photo taken 2018 |
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| Royal Chinook Inn June 2022 |
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| The bar still stands inside the Royal Chinook Inn. Photo taken June 2022. |
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| Matchbook cover |
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| Photo credit: Scott Martin Gavin 1983 |
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The bar inside the Royal Chinook Inn was used on the album cover for the 1980 KGON album featuring 12 local Oregon bands. You can see the captain's wheel from the Harvest Queen and framed photo referenced above. The dried Puffer Fish dangling from the ceiling is a bonus. |
The Harvest Queen Steamboat
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REGAL STEAMER--The Oregon Steam Navigation Company built the 846-ton Harvest Queen in Celilo in 1878. She was designed to carry grain, freight and passengers on the upper Columbia River (Celilo to Lewiston). It shot the Cascade rapids to the delight of onlookers who jammed wharfs and boarded boats to watch. She was decommissioned in 1899. Her steering wheel was mounted behind the bar at the Royal Chinook Inn from 1954 thru 1999. |
The Present Day Challenges of Bringing the Inn Back
