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For the nightclub of the same name in New York City, see Cotton Club.

Sammy Davis Jr. in 1966- the era in which he performed at The Cotton Club

The Cotton Club was a nightclub located in North Portland, Oregon. Located at 2125 N. Vancouver Avenue (and N. Tillamook Street), the club gained attention during the 1960s as the "only nightclub on the West Coast with wall-to-wall soul." Celebrities such as Cab Calloway, Sammy Davis, Jr., Cass Elliot, the Kingston Trio, Joe Louis, and Archie Moore would visit the nightclub when they were in town.

Background

The Cotton Club was located within the the Albina area of North Portland, which at the time hosted many black owned businesses. Many African-Americans had settled in the area due to the 1948 flood in Vanport and because construction for Interstate 5 and the Memorial Coliseum had uprooted a number of black-owned business. By the time Knauls opened the Cotton Club, the area had many thriving businesses that included the Blue Ribbon Barbecue, Lew’s Men’s Shop, and the House of Fortune Cafe.

History

Prior to Knauls's purchase of the Cotton Club, the location was an unpopular and rundown nightclub that was owned by a man named Mr. Thompson. Knauls discovered the club during a visit to Portland, during which time he discovered that Thompson was willing to sell the location. He purchased and renovated the club using a $50,000 loan and his savings of $17,000, which he had put together by working up to three jobs at a time. Knauls noted that he had initially wanted to open a nightclub in Seattle and that he chose Portland as "the rest of my family had moved out to Seattle -- and they’re very religious so I didn’t want to open a nightclub near them."

The Cotton Club was named after the nightclub of the same name in Harlem, New York and was part of the Chitiln’ Circuit, which was a network of venues on the West Coast that were safe for African American performers to play their music. Many of the celebrities that came to the Portland area to perform would finish their evening at the Cotton Club. In addition to being a popular spot for celebrities on the Chitlin’s Circuit, the club gained traction among white community after being featured in the column “Baker’s Dozen” written by Doug Baker of the Oregon Journal. The club was successful for about seven years until its doors closed in 1970.

Paul Knauls

Paul Knauls was born in Huntington, Arkansas in 1931 and during his teens, worked as a bell-boy at a country club. During this time he asked one of the club members how he could "get lots of money like you", to which he was told that he should own a business. This, along with a pre-existing desire for a business career, caused Knauls to have a lifelong desire to own a business. Knauls went into the military in 1949, 17 days after graduating from high school. He became the first African-American to be stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington and was honorably discharged after 3 and a half years later. Knauls later held several jobs such as typewriter repairman, dishwasher, and ski instructor and later moved to Portland in order to purchase the Cotton Club.

He has owned several businesses, as he purchased many nightclubs and other establishments during his time owning the Cotton Club, during which time he married his wife Geneva Knauls. In 1991 he and his wife opened Geneva’s Shear Perfection and Beauty, with the Portland Observer noting that it was opened on the then newly renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and has He has served on various boards and coalitions.

Knauls has been dubbed "The Mayor of North Portland". He first gained the title after sitting in the front row of several NBA games, starting during the Trail Blazer's 1974-75 season. At this point in time it was unusual for black persons to sit in the front row at games and one of Knauls's friends would jokingly refer to him as the Mayor of Portland when people asked his identity. Knauls is seen as an icon of the Portland black community and music scene and in 2019, was named to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Notable Performers

• Sammy Davis Jr. and Cab Calloway
• Duke Ellington
• Mel Brown, who went on to be the drummer for Diana Ross
• Calvin Walker, The Sander’s Brothers, Seven Souls, and Sunday’s Child were all involved with the cotton club early in their musical careers
• Ron Steen
• Renn Woods

See also

• Music of Oregon
• Albina, Oregon

External links and sources

[[Category:African-American cultural history]] [[Category:Defunct nightclubs in Portland, Oregon]] {{coord|45.538621|-122.668024|type:landmark_region:US-OR_source:googlemaps|display=title}}{{music-venue-stub}}