In the mid 1930's, Willamette Street went neon and Tad Luckey Sr. splurged on the original horseshoe-shaped Luckey's neon sign, paying the outrageous sum of $300 in 1934, even though his wife found it quite garish. This sign now rests over the stage, inside the bar because city codes changed in the 1970's and the sign was deemed too big for outdoor display. At the time, most businesses rented their neon signs, and this is one of the few that survived. In fact, it is the oldest neon sign known to exist in Eugene.
When Tad Luckey Sr. and co-owner Louis De Berg passed away in the 1940's,
they left the business in the hands of their widows, Maude Luckey and
Lucinda (Luckey) De Berg. Even though women were not served at Luckey's
and there was no women's restroom, these two women owned
this "man's resort" until the late 1950's.
Dave Anderson, a bartender at the time, claims his co-worker Les, known for his legenday crankiness, kept the women's restroom locked with a sign on it that said "out of order."
"If Les knew you real well and liked you, you got the key. Otherwise, he directed women across the street to use a restaurant's bathroom," claims Dave.
Of course, the fun at Luckey's is enjoyed by women now too, and everyone loves our Ladies' Night with 25-cent PABST PINTS for the ladies.
|