Shady past creates a lively atmosphere in Centralia

CENTRALIA -- It's always difficult this time of year to find something comfortable to do. The steady rain often washes out a lot of enthusiasm as well as outdoor recreation opportunities. An inventive mind is a good thing to have.

I remembered my search a little over a year ago for a warm, comfortable spot to overnight during my visit to McMinnville, Ore., in the heart of the Yam Hill County wine region southwest of Portland.

On a lark, I booked a room at McMenamins Hotel Oregon in the heart of McMinnville's historic district. The hotel was described as "an imaginative renovation that blends modern amenities and whimsical features with the building's rich historic flavor."

For $72 a night the hotel did all that and more. But during my stay someone mentioned that the brothers McMenamin (Mike and Brian), who are restoration and renovation specialists, had fashioned a similar property from a historical Centralia building called the Olympic Club. They said the Centralia property included a renovated hotel, a brewpub, a pool hall and a theater.

During Prohibition bootleggers apparently ruled the roost in Centralia. Cash flowed as freely as the illegal spirits. The Olympic Club, which was referred to then as a "gentlemen's resort," or so the stories go, was bootleg central for Lewis County. All sorts of notorious rascals and illegal liquor kingpins frequented the club. Its close proximity to the bustling railroad depot didn't hurt.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A freight train roars past the Centralia train station downtown. The city recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its vintage 1912 railway depot.

My first thought was, "How could the McMenamins' restored club survive in Centralia of all places?" True, the brothers have had renovation successes over the past 30 years up and down the West Coast. But I hadn't been to Centralia since 1973. In fact, I didn't know anyone else who had been to Centralia lately.

However, one glance down Centralia's main street and the town's history comes alive. The 12-block Historic Downtown District, lined with brick and stone buildings, some of which boast murals that depict Centralia's colorful history, recently was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Centralia also is considered the antiques capital of Southwest Washington, with more than 350 dealers.

Situated about 85 miles south of Seattle, Centralia was incorporated in 1890 when it was one of the key railheads in Southwest Washington. The city recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its vintage 1912 railway depot, complete with wooden bench seats, and wood finish work that harks back to the glory days of railway passenger service.

The day I was there, eight eager passengers patiently waited for Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight , which was two hours behind schedule from Seattle. One passenger groused that Burlington Northern freight trains rule the rails and dictate Amtrak schedules.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A waitress moves past the turn-of-the-century potbelly stove in the Olympic Club Hotel restaurant lobby area. The wood-burning stove still churns out plenty of heat.

Just as for my McMinnville trip, I booked a room in advance for one night at the Olympic Club Hotel and Theater (as it's often referred to), not having any idea what to expect. If I had more carefully researched the trip, I might have taken Amtrak from Seattle to Centralia instead of driving.

All I could think about during the drive down was a paper I wrote in high school about an unfortunate deadly incident in 1919 between a contingent of radical International Workers of the World (the Wobblies) and so-called Centralia patriots. Four men died in the conflict and one Wobbly was killed and hung from a bridge over the Chehalis River after he was taken from jail by an angry mob.

It took years for Centralia to shake the stigma of the event. All that remains today is a 1924 statue dedicated to the Centralia Legionnaires who were killed during the incident.

As in the old days, hotel guests pick up their keys at the reception desk just outside the bar. The hotel entry is a couple doors down and easy to miss. A long, steep, two-tiered flight of stairs leads to the 27 restored rooms.

All the accommodations are politely called "European Style," which in vernacular means the bathroom is down the hall. For $60 I couldn't turn down one of the King Suites that overlook downtown. The shared bathroom (locks from the inside) was up-to-date and fashionable.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

One-wheeling is one way to take in the downtown.

Each of the rooms commemorates a shady character who frequented the club during Prohibition's heyday. My rather elegant suite, with a small porcelain sink, king-size bed, and desk with two chairs, was named after Jack Sciutto, "King of the Bootleggers." Jack's story is told in elegant script etched on the walls of the room. Jack was "a card player, businessman, but most of all a bootlegger." But Jack didn't have Wi-Fi like I do.

Historical photographs and sometimes whimsical artwork line the walls of the hotel corridors. Featured in one of the hallways is a framed front page of the Seattle P-I dated June 17, 1921. It featured a story in which "debonair" train robber Roy Gardner told how he escaped from custody in Seattle and rode a cow-catcher on the locomotive all the way to Centralia, where he partied and hung out at the Olympic Club until his arrest. One of the rooms is named after him, of course.

The brewpub and restaurant part of the club are joined at a huge turn-of-the-past-century, wood-burning stove that pumps out a lot of heat. The food and service are adequate and relatively inexpensive. Guests can belly up to the elaborate bar and order a sampler of McMenamins handcrafted beers and ales with an appetizer. The bar is a popular meeting place in town most nights of the week.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

On the side of the KeyBank building in downtown Centralia is a mural of the founder of Centralia, George Washington.

The vintage 1908 Billiards Room just off the restaurant looks larger than the restaurant and bar combined.

It's as dimly lit as the other areas of the club -- apparently folks back in Prohibition days had better vision than we modern folk. There is barely a light bright enough to read a newspaper by without difficulty in the bar, restaurant or even in your room. It's atmosphere. I know, and remarkably enough, it works.

A separate bar adjacent to the club restaurant, called the New Tourist Bar, serves the movie theater (free to hotel guests). Years ago it was a saloon regularly raided by federal liquor agents. Funky, to say the least, the saloon was transformed into a large living-room-like setting filled with mix-and-match furniture, including overstuffed couches, love seats, coffee tables and end tables, with a large screen and food service and first-run films. I watched George Clooney's much-praised "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Next time I visit Centralia, I won't ride a cow catcher from Seattle like Roy Gardner did (especially in this weather), but I will take the train just to relish in a little history and first-run film at the Olympic Club.

If you go

* Centralia -- Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, 500 N.W. Chamber of Commerce Way; 360-748-8885; www.chamberway.com

* Amtrak -- 800-872-7245; www.amtrak.com

* McMenamins Olympic Club -- 112 N. Tower Ave.; 866-736-5164 (reservations); www.mcmenamins.com

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