Boons Treasury in Salem

Snow in Salem

Don and I pulled up to Boon's Treasury at 11:15, on February 23, 2023. 

We hardly expected to find the tavern open and serving, on that snowy morning.

​Second Biggest Snowfall

We had left Portland 2 hours earlier. We'd shoveled the rental car off the night before, but there was still lots of snow to remove in the morning. Portland was pretty much shut down, due to the second biggest snowfall in history. But we hit the road.

We were determined to make it to our B&B reservation on the coast. We packed "just in case" blankets and water and supplies. We hadn't expected to attempt a lunch stop, but Salem had not been hit so hard. We drove into town.

Open?

No other cars were in the lot at Boon's Treasury, but the OPEN sign was glowing.

The staff of two was inside, but hadn't unlocked the door yet. A young woman, bundled in warm clothes rushed to let me in. 

Cozy and Empty

She and the man behind the counter apologized for the locked door. 
"We didn't expect anyone to come, with this weather." Salem doesn't usually get much snow I guess.

We were invited to take a seat anywhere. The place was small, but there were plenty of tables waiting for customers.  

Patriotic Art

​We took a quick look around and caught onto the theme. (The brewpub restaurant, was located on Liberty Street!)  We could have taken the table next to the flag waving woman, who wanted us to enlist.

We decided to sit in a cozy booth with another patriotic woman. I ordered coffee right away and let my warm drink, plus Lady Liberty's torch and the glowing lamp, warm me up.

Upbeat Vibe

Our server's name was Heidi and she was delightful. When she wasn't checking on us or chatting with us, she was happily gabbing with the guy setting up behind the counter/bar.  

Sometimes it's a little awkward to be the only diners. Especially if the staff was hoping no-one would come in. But these 2 were a happy team and the tavern felt cozy and warm and welcoming on that snowy day.

McMenamin's Owned

Don and I have eaten at quite a few restaurants in Oregon. owned by the McMenamins. We don't usually care for chains, because they're predictable.

But there are always surprises at the McMenamin restaurants and hotels. Almost all of the properties are in historic buildings. The history is never hidden, even though the creative and often whimsical art can distract. I headed back past the bar, where I spotted some old photos. 

Boon Treasury Building

Heidi said the Treasury building was the second oldest in Salem. This photo shows the building on the far left, around 1940.

The building on the right is Wade's Green Store. I believe Lincoln Wade moved his store into the Treasury Building, in the late 1800's.

J.D. Boon

This photo shows the building a little more clearly in 1953, when it was Karr's Tavern. At that time the Italianate-style brick building was already nearly a century old. 

John D. Boon built the structure in 1860 to house a general store. He happened to be the first Oregon State Treasurer, so the building also served as Oregon's Treasury for a while.

Herbert Hoover and Murray Wade?

I spotted this framed telegram near the photos. It was a birthday greeting from President Herbert Hoover to his boyhood friend Murray Wade. That got me curious.

I Googled for more info and learned that Hoover spent some of his teen years in Salem. He became friends with Murray, whose father's store had moved into the Treasury Building. They used to play on the roof and some say Hoover carved his initials into the side of the building. I should have looked!

Wash Room

Before our food arrived, I made a visit to the Wash Room. I guess it's possible that there was a bathroom when Boon's Treasury was built. But I'm guessing not. Thomas Crapper designed the first flush toilet in the 1860's. I kind of liked the old-time-y stall doors! 

I liked the framed announcement, in the Ladies Room. The Countrypolitans Return to Rose City! Hmm?  This cowgirl with her raised arm looked much friendlier than Lady Liberty, back at our booth.

Food Time

I happily sipped my coffee until our food arrived. We'd gotten on the road before I'd had a chance to partake of caffeine. Don ordered his favorite, Grilled Tuna Sandwich with Tots. He was happy.

I was thrilled with my soup and salad combo. My House Salad seemed extra huge. It was packed with fresh veggies and the blue cheese was tasty.

My soup was a hit. Tomato and Artichoke Soup! It reminded me of an Italian Minestrone soup, that I've been longing for. It was a perfect mini feast before we hit the road.

Ghosts?

The restaurant wasn't nearly as quiet by the time we finished up our meal. A few diners had arrived. But it wasn't loud enough to miss the soft, but rapid thumping that I heard above my head. "Do we have any child ghosts in this building?" I asked Heidi.

Heidi paused to listen, then laughed. She told me the space above had just recently opened as an Airbnb rental. I pictured a toddler having a very fun time. I also pictured the toddler having a hard time sleeping at bedtime, if Boon's was noisy. 

Off We Go

We thanked Heidi for a giving us a great and yummy break on our trip. We headed off and enjoyed the rest of our snowy drive to the coast.

We arrived at Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast by 3:30. You can barely see the white Keepers House on the hill. The lighthouse is out of sight.

I would recommend the combo of Boon's and Heceta to anyone, rain, shine or snow! A Dining Adventure plus a Notable Night!
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