The Bomber, a former gas station and restaurant best known for the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber that once loomed above its Milwaukie building, has closed for good, according to the business’ voicemail. Nicknamed “Lacey Lady,” the airplane was one of the Portland area’s signature roadside attractions for nearly 70 years. The B-17 was removed from its longtime perch along Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard for restoration in 2014. According to The Bomber lore, Art Lacey purchased the plane on a whim from an Oklahoma Air Force base after World War II, then flew it back to Oregon to act as a shelter for an independent gas station. The plane also brought customers in for burgers at the Lacey’s Bomber Restaurant. The gas station closed in 1991. In 1996, Art and wife Birdine Lacey’s family began working to restore the plane, forming the nonprofit B-17 Alliance to raise funds for the effort, with the goal of getting the plane back into flying condition. Art Lacey died in 2000. Birdine followed in 2008. According to a voice mail message, The Bomber hopes to continue its catering service in the future. https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2...lls-it-quits-after-73-years-in-milwaukie.html
I once crawled through that aircraft, especially the cockpit, when I was a tot. I don't recall if we ate int eh restaurant or not but I do recally my father buying gas there. My dad flew in a B-17 during WWII.
Crap!!! We were gonna eat there after things lifted. never been there. But Wife and I have been wanting to since we saw it last year. Bummer.
You should have a go at it. I remember it as we just left Gene and Joe's hamburger joint on 99E, now Tebo's. https://www.stumptownblogger.com/2016/09/gene-joes.html
Compared with other fat people I'm only just a little over the average fat person's weight. Okay, I can win a game of teeter totter over just about anyone but does that make me fat. Here's the amazing part, in 1998 I weighed a whopping 180 lbs. during my early 50s. Now, it's more like 1,800 lbs.
The picture shows that Texaco employees once wore white uniforms. The Texas ruling class still likes to require formal clothes in various companies. For decades, Texaco ads showed gas station guys in white, long after their pump hosers around the country had stopped complying. (The only raison d'etre of an old person is to record history that you won't find on the internet.)
Worked at the Bomber in HS and I had to wear white overalls. Art Lacey ran a tight ship. I remember going into the restaurant and seeing all the Portland wrestlers playing cards and shooting the s... Most of them stayed/loved at the motel that was there. Had some great times up in that plane too!
