When was Pioneer Saloon established?

Pioneer Saloon claims a founding year of 1883, placing it in the Gilded Age era.

Pioneer Saloon — Oldest Bar in Oregon (Est. 1883)

Q: What is the oldest bar in Oregon?

Pioneer Saloon in Paisley is widely cited as the oldest bar in Oregon, with a claimed founding year of 1883. Verification status: Disputed. The Pioneer Saloon has poured drinks on the same site since 1883 and is widely cited as Oregon's oldest saloon, but the Rainbow Cafe in Pendleton claims the identical 1883 founding year, and OPB reported in 2023 that neither bar can produce an exact opening date — so the 'oldest in Oregon' title remains genuinely contested.

Q: Is Pioneer Saloon still open?

As of our July 2026 review: Open today. Open as of mid-2026 (active official website billing itself 'Oregon's Oldest, Est. 1883', Yelp listing updated June 2026, and TripAdvisor reviews into 2026). Typically takes a short winter break in early January. The property appeared on a LoopNet commercial listing in the past, but no active sale is confirmed and the saloon continues to operate under owner John Steffes, who bought it in 2015. Confirm current hours with the establishment before visiting.

Since 1883

The Pioneer Saloon opened in 1883 in the remote Oregon Outback ranching town of Paisley and was earlier known as the Cooley Saloon and the Paisley Tavern; it is one of only two original structures still standing in town. In April 1888, Civil War veteran Henri Brown fatally shot bartender Harry Schick during a card game, later claiming it was accidental and receiving a governor's pardon in 1903. The saloon's centerpiece is a Brunswick bar manufactured in Boston in 1905 and shipped around the tip of South America to Portland — before the Panama Canal existed — then hauled to Paisley by freight team in 1906. The saloon has survived Prohibition, two hangings, a deadly shooting and stabbing, two World Wars, and the rise and fall of the local timber industry. Current owner John Steffes purchased it in 2015 after a chance visit on a motorcycle trip, and it celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2023.

Its ornate Brunswick back bar was built in Boston in 1905 and shipped around Cape Horn at the tip of South America (the Panama Canal didn't exist yet), then freighted overland to tiny Paisley in 1906.

What to order: Classic bar food — homemade fish and chips and smoked brisket — with Oregon craft beer, served across the famous 1905 Brunswick bar.

How solid is the claim?

Disputed

Oregon’s oldest bar — the evidence

Pioneer Saloon in Paisley is our featured pick for the oldest bar in Oregon, with a claimed founding year of 1883. The Pioneer Saloon has poured drinks on the same site since 1883 and is widely cited as Oregon's oldest saloon, but the Rainbow Cafe in Pendleton claims the identical 1883 founding year, and OPB reported in 2023 that neither bar can produce an exact opening date — so the 'oldest in Oregon' title remains genuinely contested.

Claimed Founding

1883

Operating Status

Open today — Open as of mid-2026 (active official website billing itself 'Oregon's Oldest, Est. 1883', Yelp listing updated June 2026, and TripAdvisor reviews into 2026). Typically takes a short winter break in early January. The property appeared on a LoopNet commercial listing in the past, but no active sale is confirmed and the saloon continues to operate under owner John Steffes, who bought it in 2015.

Verification

Disputed

Last Reviewed

July 2026

Competing Claims

Other Oregon establishments with a stake in the title:

1883

Rainbow Cafe — Pendleton

Opened in 1883 as The State Saloon (early years included a brothel and opium den); operated as a cigar shop during Prohibition and relaunched as the Rainbow in the early 1940s. OPB covered the dueling 1883 claims in July 2023; neither bar has documented an exact opening date.

Pioneer Saloon

Since 1883

How solid is the claim?

Oregon’s oldest bar — the evidence

Competing Claims

Sources

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