History

  Pendleton got its start as Goodwin Station in 1865 as a stop on the Oregon Trail.  The town's name was changed to Pendleton in honor of Ohio senator, George Hunt Pendleton.  In 1868 the city fathers of Pendleton absconded with county records from the City of Umatilla, thereby solidifying the claim as the county seat of Umatilla County.  Many businesses were started in the period between 1880 and 1890, making Pendleton a boom town.  Sheep, cattle, wheat and mining fueled Pendleton's economy which included many saloons and bawdy houses.  The Rainbow was established in 1893 and was first known as the "State Saloon and Banquet".  The Rainbow is Pendleton's oldest continuously open and operated bar and restaurant and the oldest doing business at the same location.

   Saloon owners sometimes acted as defacto banks, holding money for sheepherders and cowboys during the winter months, doling out their savings to last the winter.  The Chinese population came to the area to work the gold mines and many were employed by the railroad.  As the area grew, they soon became an integral albeit hidden, part of the local economy.  The Chinese operated laundries and underground opium dens and were relegated to Pendleton's seedier side. I n the early days, Pendleton was honeycombed with tunnels that ran under virtually every business.  The tunnels ran below the Rainbow and make a connection to Pendleton's unique and colorful history. I n one section of the basement below the Rainbow is a peculiar wall fitted with steel bars. Over time, most of the tunnels have been filled in.

  Today the Rainbow exhibits the most complete collection of photographs of the All-Around Cowboy from the annual Pendleton Round Up.  Each year during the Round Up, the Rainbow is the place that everyone wants to visit and be part of the controlled chaos.  St. Patrick's Day is also a major event at the Rainbow, highlights include the world's shortest St. Paddy's day parade and heaping servings or Irish stew and corned beef.  The area's best musicians provide live music and the jam sessions and dancing continue all day and well into the night.

  The Rainbow is proud to be Pendleton's oldest business, open for business in the same location for 123 years.  Rainbow patrons are young and old and come from all walks of life.  Entering the twenty first century, the Rainbow retains the ties to the past, while making a mark today as Pendleton's most unique social gathering place.