3: Olympia Tavern - 1920, 465 Northwest Chehalis Avenue

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The Shire was established in February 2003, in a historic downtown Chehalis building which originally housed the Olympia Tavern. The Olympia was founded around 1900 by Leopold Schmidt, the forefather of the Olympia Brewing Company. For decades, the Olympia was a satellite tavern which served to market Olympia beer products. Back then, as was the custom, the Olympia was a gentlemen’s club catering to the working class. The daily menu consisted of billiards, card games, and beer. Though the ownership has changed throughout the years, the name remained the same until the late 1980s when a group of investors purchased the building and renamed it Guido’s. The Shire houses a bar that is one of two remaining in Chehalis that were shipped around the horn, from Massachusetts around South America, then up the west coast.