Established in Healdsburg, California on June 26, 1886 Mr. Louis Jaffe purchased the Pridham Vineyards (re-naming it the Wine Creek Winery) which comprised of 264 acres of wine and brandy grapes. The Jaffe Liquor Co. began business in Seattle on August 4, 1889, just months after the great fire had swept the city. Circumstances forced Jaffe to set up at a location on what was then known as Old Mill Street just above Third Avenue South in a 15x70 ft tent. It was around 1893 that the firm began to show up in city listings and its business was closely tied in with the Imperial Liquor Company whose owner was Joseph L. Jaffe. Throughout its existence it was both a retail and wholesale establishment located at 115-117 Second Avenue South. Jaffe & Co. also owned a saloon in Spokane and a retail/wholesale location from 1892-1915 which closed due to Prohibition.
Jacob Aronson started in the wholesale liquor business in Seattle in 1900. He first located at 109 Columbia Street and in mid-1903 moved to 104 First Avenue South and then expanded the business to a second store at 1510 Second Street in late 1909. He continued to wholesale liquor in Seattle until Prohibition in 1915. In addition, he had a retail liquor store from 1911 until 1915 located at 308 & 310 Pike Street when he bought out the Murphy Wine and Liquor Company.
Charles Rowland began working in 1900 at the California Wine House with Mrs. Clare Williams and they had 2 stores at 1150 Pacific Ave. and 1149 Commerce St. until 1912 when he and John McLeod opened the National Wine and Liquor Co. at 1518 Pacific Ave. This business closed in 1915 due to Prohibition.
Thomas G. Thompson applied for a liquor license and started the Bodega Bar in North Yakima in April 1907. It was located at 16 North First St and was in business until July 1912 when the Yakima City Commission revoked Thompson's liquor license of the Bodega Bar at which time he was fined $739.25 for the unearned portion of his license fee.
D. M. Mangone owned the Palace Bar and Hotel in Newport, Wa., an article in the local "Newport Miner" newspaper reported that the hotel had been robbed under his ownership on February 25, 1909. The town had a major fire on July 12, 1909 and by the hard work of the townspeople the hospital and Palace Hotel were saved. Mangone placed the hotel up for sale on November 11, 1909 and it was eventually sold to A. H. Dawson who also owned the Martin Hotel in town. Mangone applied for a liquor license on January 20, 1911 and opened up the City Bar in the old Ries Building which he had extensively remodeled. The City Bar sold wholesale & retail beers, wines and liquors and was owned by Mangone until he sold it to W. H Schroyer of Ritzville on December 5, 1912. It was noted that Mangone and his wife would be gone for several months after the sale and might return to Newport if he were to find a business venture that appealed to him. There is no record that he ever returned to Newport.
John R. Rogers opened the Our House Saloon on 2nd & Washington St. in Seattle sometime in 1889 and remained in business there until 1901 when he sold the business for an enormous amount of money and became the manager of The Seattle Hotel. Rogers was arrested in San Francisco in November of 1909 on a variety of charges including robbing a saloon, holding a fake identification card (James R. Rogers) and claiming that he owned the "J. R. Rogers Wholesale Wine and Spirit Company in Seattle whose address was located at 1123 First Ave. in Seattle - the same address as the Keystone Liquor Co. at the time. Rogers was thought to had been traveling the world when he was arrested in San Francisco. Police claimed that he may have had lost his mental powers and had gone crazy. He remained in San Francisco for a few years then drifted out of sight.
The "Our House" at 151 Washington St. was always listed as either a wine house, saloon or cafe except for the year 1907 when they were listed as a wholesale liquor operation. Joseph Bacher and Louis Grimminger operated the business until closed by Prohibition in 1915.