CA Vtg SUTTER'S MILL SALOON matchbook 1st location Geary Street SF 1965 - 1967


  • Topic: Gay Bar
  • Contains Matches: 14 remaining unstruck matches.
  • Striker Attached: Yes
  • This is a previously owned rear  striker matchbook in its original state. It is in very good condition. The striker has been struck. Contains 14 unstruck matches.
  • Front: Words SUTTER'S MILL A SALOON done as a circular graphic (see images)
  • Color: Maroon text and graphics on light brown/tan background (see images)
  • Side: [phone number]
  • Back: FINE SPIRITS & VICTUALS 30 KEARNY SAN FRANCISCO ENTRANCE TO MAIDEN LANE SINCE 1965
  • Inside: 14 remaining unstruck matches.
  • History: As described in the ONE archive, “Oil Can Harry’s was a place customers could call their own regardless of interest in country-western, rodeo, disco, or leather. Oil Can Harry’s provided a secure space for queer patrons to mingle, dance, perform, and fundraise throughout some of the most formative periods of LGBTQ+ history.” Oil Can Harry’s opening in 1968 was part of a shift in the gay liberation movement towards cultivating a politicized gay consciousness and building gay institutions. Throughout its history Oil Can Harry’s played an important role for L.A.’s LGBTQ+ community. The bar protected its patrons during police raids by sounding a secret alarm signaling to same-sex dance partners to switch and mask as heterosexual couples. During the AIDS epidemic, Oil Can Harry’s hosted countless fundraisers for AIDS awareness and relief. Drag shows, garage sales, even car washes were used to raise funds to cover medical assistance, home supplies, and transportation costs for those in need. Unfortunately, it closed in 2021, but the building was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument in April 2022. [Los Angeles Conservancy]
  • "The first Sutter's Mill opened in 1965 on Kearny Street. In 1967 the business moved to Bush Street, where it remained for 13 years. Kearny Street became home to the bar again until it lost its lease and opened at 77 Battery Street. There it remained, all 12,000 square feet of fun, until the operation of such a large space became more of a liability than an asset." ... "I worked down town in 1967 and '68, and the first Sutter's Mill opened on Kearny between Bush and Pine. I would drop in for lunch. It was packed with "ticker tape queens" from the financial district. San Francisco had a huge gay work force in the financial district and the shopping district around Union Square just a few blocks away. Railroad companies, transportation companies, department stores and major corporations headquartered in the city were all big employers. Once the gay bar boom started in the '70s, it was a natural business opportunity to capture the lunchtime business crowd." [Bay Area Reporter, BARchive: Sutter's Mill and Ginger's Trois - San Francisco's Historic Bars by Michael Flanagan Sunday August 30, 2015]


In an effort to avoid any misunderstandings, please note the following:

  • Buyer will pay shipping and handling.
  • Multiple items may be combined into a single order to save on shipping.
  • I ship products in the U. S. and internationally. 
  • ALL local shipping is done via USPS scanned and tracked mail provided by eBay. Unfortunately, I cannot ship via regular USPS first class mail.
  • ALL internationally shipping is done via the Bay Global Shipping Program. Unfortunately, I cannot ship via regular USPS international first class mail.
  • Winning bidders should contact me within 3 days following the end of the auction. 
  • Payment is required within 3 days of the end of the auction unless specific arrangements are made. If you have not contacted me, made arrangements, or remitted payment as requested above, I reserve the right to re-list the item and leave appropriate feedback. 
  • Please ask any questions before bidding; all sales are final.
  • I ship at least twice a week and will promptly ship your item and post positive feedback for you once payment is received.
  • The listed items are described as accurately as possible.

Thank you so much and good luck!