Ferguson's Calypso Room, Longview, WA

Anybody heard of this place? I can find nothing on it, but found some killer mugs from there.

Well there I go UB, thank you so very much. I'll post pictures of the mugs as soon as I can.

BB, The postcard is for sale here.

Here's pictures of da mugs:

I love how straight the restaurant and its servers look compared to the risque mug. I can spot ONE African mask way in the back on the right. I assume the Calypso Lounge had a little more theme decor.

Bongo, if yours is from the Calypso Room, where is SHE from? :) :

Mine just says KRB on the bottom. Looks professionally painted.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-05-24 09:25 ]

Like the white painted "thatch" on the 2nd mug! LOL We are such puritans!

On 2009-05-24 10:09, beadtiki wrote:
Like the white painted "thatch" on the 2nd mug! LOL We are such puritans!

Hilarious! Shall we call these "Severed Torso" mugs?

FERGUSONS CALYPSO ROOM. YES, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW? I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RESTAURANT, THE ARTIST OF THE MUG, AND WOMAN IN THE POSTCARD. SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING WOMEN I KNOW AND I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO CALL HER GRANDMA BY ASSOCIATION OF MARRYING HER GRANDSON. WHERE DID YOU GET THE MUG? I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW HER THIS POST I CAME ACROSS AND THE PHOTOS. SHE WILL GET A KICK OUT OF IT.

Tina! We've been looking for you! I found four of the torso mugs in a garage sale in Mishawaka, Indiana a year or two ago. I've since spread them out to mug collectors. The first question I have is, what did the calypso room look like, do you have any pictures and what drink was served in these mugs? (Yes... three first questions.)

Found this

Hello!

I don't even know where to begin about Ferguson's and the history. It really should be written into a book because there are so many crazy stories I have heard. Grandma is almost 90 and has only started slowing down in the last couple years but before that, lived life to it’s fullest. She is one of the most talented, interesting, classy women that I have ever met and I have so much love and admiration for her. She has a vivacious, magnetic personality that draws people to her and makes you feel good being around her. She made Ferguson's a fun place to gather for all. Anyone that owns her artwork is very fortunate to have it in their possession and I feel they deserve to know a little bit about the amazing woman that created them.

It is really quite impressive how she put her ideas into motion marketing the restaurant. She always had something going on to keep the calypso room alive with parties, contests, and promos. As a child, my family would go the restaurant and she had this huge treasure chest that she handcrafted full of little toys and trinkets. They were little cheap toys similar to what is in a pinata, but kids loved them and it brought alot of families. She gave the restaurant away shortly after I reached drinking age so I had only been in the lounge a couple time, but it was very comfortable, festive atmosphere. She was a very smart business woman with a bit of a wild streak and surprisingly was able to get away with it, even in the earlier days. She pushed the limits but was able to carry it off with finesse and is one of the most respected women in the community today.

Ferguson's had a lot of regulars which gave it the "Cheers" feeling with a calypso atmosphere. Throughout the years it was updated and renovated to keep up with the times. I have included a few photos. There is much more to this story. I could probably write a book but I’m giving you the basics.

Ferguson's began as a car hop in the 40's and was called "XXX Drive In" when she and her husband, Jack Ferguson first built it. In the 50's they renovated it to calypso theme and changed the name to Ferguson's. There was a section for family dining (diner style), a banquet room for larger groups, and the calypso lounge. Jack Ferguson died in a plane crash in the early 60's and shortly after she remarried the love of her her life, Phillip Wertheimer. His family co-founded Longview Fibre paper mill, which is major employer of this mill town. After Phil's passing in the early 90's she decided she was ready to give it up and travel. When she was approached by 2 businessmen wanting to buy it she turned down their offer and was told, "your crazy lady, you will be lucky to get 200,000 for it." She said, "I'll give it away first." So the next day she donated it to Longview Community College. She's an independent, proud woman that has nothing to prove to anyone but herself

Ferguson's sat on a prime piece of land that borders both Longview and Kelso. About 5 years ago, LCC wanted to build a new student center and so they made a trade agreement with Mc Donalds for the land because Mc Donalds was adjacent to the college. Ferguson’s land had easy accessibility with good traffic flow and was good for increased business for Mc Donalds. I'm not sure the exact details but have heard that in addition to the land trade Mc Donalds gave LCC 900.000 for the deal. It was sad to see Ferguson’s torn down and see Mc Donalds in it place.

Now to answer your other questions. The drink in the mug was called "The Ospylac," (calypso backwards.) There was no real recipe, just some sort of fruity juice with vodka (because it was cheap she said.) There were also matching ashtrays but they were always being stolen. She did all sorts of artwork so who knows what went where. I have some of her paintings that I treasure.

I hope this answers some of your questions. If not, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help out.

[ Edited by: TINAC33 2010-11-28 19:34 ]

[ Edited by: Bora Boris - Cleaned up some "edited by's" - 2010-11-29 19:52 ]

Great history Tina! You SHOULD write a book. It sounds like you had one amazing lady in your family! I know of a XXX drive-in in West Lafayette, Indiana, where the XXX refers to the original root beer made on site. I still own one of the "ospylac" torso mugs and treasure it. Did your grandmother paint the mural in the back of the lounge?

[ Edited by: Bongo Bungalow 2010-11-29 03:35 ]

News from my own backyard - awesome story! I hope your grandmother enjoys this look back in time! Thanks for sharing.

Absolutely fantastic photographic artifacts. How great it is to hear from someone with a family connection and first hand knowledge of the place.

Here's another photo taken inside of Ferguson's. Note how "risque" the mural is (behind the "straight" lady) in the photo. LOL

[ Edited by: TINAC33 2010-12-20 01:44 ]

[ Edited by: TINAC33 2010-12-20 01:44 ]

That is fantastic! We want more, please!

I have a couple of questions: Do you know what the connotation of the "XXX" name for the drive-in was? It couldn't have been related to something free-spirited like the mural at Fergusson's above, since that kind of "rating" did not exist in the 40s. It could not have been alcohol-related either, since it was a drive-in....?

Also, reading your story again, when did Fergusson's close exactly? - and did it sit there untouched til McDonald's tore it down 5 years ago?

Big Bro, The XXX was (is) a brand of Root Beer that opened many "Thirst Stations" and Drive-Ins starting in the 20's. Two are still in operation in Issaquah, Washington and Lafayette, Indiana. Here is a link...www.triplexrootbeer.com

Thanks! From "dangerous vices" to the most harmless child's drink -who would have thunk!

According to the Oregonian the Calypso Room had a bowling team. The Calypso Five were mentioned in 1959 and 1968!

Grandma will be here this weekend so I will ask her. She wants me to re-album her old photos for her after the holidays so I should have some good ones for you then. One exciting story that I will share with you in regards to the photo of her in the bathing suit with the 2 men. The one on the right was Jack Ferguson, her husband. The one on the left is Phillip Wertheimer, to whom she married after Jack died in the plane crash. Phil was the the love of her life and neighbor at the time. His wife Evelyn took this photo. Grandma and Phil carried on an 11 year love affair before they were married in 1963 and they were happily married until he died in 1990.

And you were correct about the XXX, it referred to root beer. Somewhere in existence there are both XXX and Fergusons root beer mugs.

[ Edited by: TINAC33 2010-12-21 12:42 ]

This thread was such a fantastic read! I'd certainly love to find one of those torso mugs! I was fortunate enough to find this recently, and thought I'd share:

I have had so many people requesting more information and telling me how much she touched their lives. This woman had more life at 80 then some women in their 20's. Grandma passed in October. I was so happy to share this blog with her before she left. She said she wished her friend Martha were alive to see it. Martha helped her make the mugs as well as other ceramics. It is nice to share this with you but it is only a tiny piece of an incredible puzzle. She was very generous and has left us a precious gift that we have not even touched as we want to savor it. She kept diaries for the last 40 years and wrote in it daily. She has promised my husband and I that when she is gone, we will reveal a big secret to us and it is a "bombshell" that we will not believe. Everyone is hounding us to read and disclose but it's like one last present that is sacred to us.

I have some new stuff for you to enjoy though. I just need to get it downloaded. Stay tuned.

How cool, Tina! Well, add us to the "Everyone" in waiting to find out more!

This is some hip urban archaeolgy! Thank you for sharing.

This was an actual menu at the restaurant

[ Edited by: TINAC33 2012-02-14 00:48 ]

These were actiual matches from the restaurant

Apparently the mugs, vases, and ashtrays weren't the only things to disappear. This mosaic tile wall hanging actually came bsck to er 30 years later.

Grandma died in on October of 2011.I am so proud she got to see this blog before she passed on. There is much more to this story and I look forwarwrd to sharing with you.

Here's a bit for now but the saga will go on.

[ Edited by: TINAC33 2012-02-14 02:03 ]

Thank you for sharing your ephemera here, that menu on the previous page is the bee's knees! And how great about the mosaic!

More artwork by Grandma. I should have some more fun stuff to show you as we begin the process. I am happy to share a piece of her life with you.

I would call this "Calypso Modern" :)

Well then "Calypso Modern" it shall be!

Time for a bump on this thread. I picked up two different matchbooks from the Calypso Room.

The address changes from 729 Ocean Beach to 8290 Ocean Beach. Same phone number though?

Cool old place and great to see the input from the family.

DC

Wow. What an find this forum thread is. My dad, me, and many other members of my family worked at Ferguson's over the years, beginning in the late-60s/early 70s and all the way until the place sadly had to close (I think). Tina, your photos are amazing!

I'm going to have to dig through some old photos and see what I can find--all I have at the moment is this, in which I'm standing in front of the dining room sink. I was bussing tables that night, I think, though I eventually went to mostly dishwashing. Better hours.

PS - I, er, may have ended up with one of the old Mexican-food plates, and still use it all the time. Nothing with any identifying marks, just a personal souvenir. :)