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Pickle Barrel House
Grand Marais, MI |
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The Pickle Barrel House was built in 1926. It was constructed for William Donahey and his wife Mary Dickerson Donahey. William Donahey was the creator of the Teenie Weenie comic strip characters which were used in advertising for Teenie Weenie sweet pickles. Mary Dickerson Donahey wrote many children's books. The building functioned as a summer cottage for the Donaheys for ten years. In 1937, the building was moved into town where it was used as an information booth. The large barrel is two stories and about 16 feet tall. The smaller barrel was built as a kitchen that was connected to the larger structure by a covered hallway. From 2003-2005, the barrels were restored and turned into a museum (bottom photos above). For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
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Root Beer Barrel
Douglas, MI |
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The Root Beer Barrel was built around 1946. It is about 17 feet tall. There were at least two other barrels built by the same man. They were located in Westport, IL and Olney, IL and went by the name of Wally's Root Beer Barrel. The barrel in Olney still exists but it is now hidden in a backyard. The Douglas root beer stand sold hamburgers, hot dogs, and root beer floats. It operated until the around 1977. Shortly after these photos were taken in 2011, the barrel was disassembled. It will be restored and reassembled somewhere else in town. For more, see this website.
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La Caña Restaurant
North Hollywood, CA |
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The La Caña Restaurant was originally known as the Idle Hour Café when it was built in 1941. It served as a café and tap room. The giant barrel is 23 feet tall and 38 feet wide. It is flanked by two giant tubs. The barrel's upstairs was used as an apartment by the owner. In the 1960s, the place was known as Rudy's Keg. It was renamed La Caña in 1971 and operated as a flamenco dinner theater. The building has been vacant since 1984. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
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Barrel House Liquors
Washington, DC |
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Barrel House Liquors features a half-barrel entranceway and an old, ivy-covered neon sign in the parking lot behind the store. For more, see this website.
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Kegs Drive-in
Grand Forks, ND |
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The Kegs Drive-in was originally known as The Barrel. It was part of a 1930s local chain which had seven restaurants. The stands were part of the Triple XXX root beer franchise. The first location was in Great Falls, MT. The second was in Crookston, MN. This location was the third, built in 1935. There was originally just a single barrel here which served as a walk-up stand. In 1940, this location was moved to a larger lot. In 1946, the second barrel was added. It came from a closed Barrel location in Wadena, MN. Around this time, local began referring to the restaurant as The Kegs and the name was eventually changed. The barrels are twenty feet tall. The conical roofs were added in the early 1960s. This stand still features car hops. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
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Cider Barrel
Germantown, MD |
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The Cider Barrel was built in 1922 as a roadside stand that sold locally produced cider and other produce. The barrel is 12 feet tall. The stand closed in 2003 and the trailer park behind it, the Cider Barrel Mobile Home Court, was razed. In 2004-2005, the Barrel was restored and repainted while an apartment complex was built behind it. By 2007 (bottom row of photos), a sign was installed next to the barrel. In 2012, the property owner expressed the desire to have the stand moved somewhere else. For more, see this website.
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