paper mill creek saloon history

The Papermill opened in 1907 as a general store and was eventually named for the paper mill that was then operating at what is now Samuel P. Taylor State Park. During Prohibition, the building functioned as a soda fountain/ice cream shop, but in 1937, milk shakes were tossed out in favor of alcohol. “The whole back-bar wood construction is from 1937, but the actual bar and floors and most of the building are original from 1907,” says manager Jared Litwin. Thomasina Wilson purchased the bar, then known simply as “The Lodge,” in 1967; at the time, Janis Joplin and the Holding Company were Lagunitas residents and regular patrons.