Oregon House first advertised in the August 1976 issue of the GPU News, and the August 1976 issue of the local "GLIB Guide" describes the business as follows: "The first of the new bars, the Oregon House, opened on the growing gay bar block of south Second Street. The Oregon House features a lobby, and the entire bar is paved in shag carpeting. Recently a dance floor was opened, called the Loading Dock. It's no disco, but is interesting. The Oregon House may expand upstairs in the future." The Guide in the same issue sums it up: "If you like shag carpeting, paneling and tasteful decor. May expand upstairs in the future. New."

This business did appear in the 1978 issue of the Damron Guide, but no other national guides list it.

LGBT researcher Michail Takach gave the following insight into the early history of this location, and the Oregon House as a 'gay bar', in the following posting in Facebook in 2022:

March 1955: After World War II, many Fifth Ward buildings were vacated as commerce shifted from rail to air. The former "Marine District," as it was known, was already in pretty rough shape. It's hard to imagine nowadays, but the area had a reputation for being "roughneck" long before the gay bars. Check out the ad for Oregon Inn (235 S. 2nd St.) inviting people to come down and "check out Skid Row!". (That ad is shown to the right.)

In July 1976, Sam Mazur opened the Oregon House here. As the story goes, he was offered this blighted city property for $1 in exchange for the Royal Hotel (435 W. Michigan St.) Oregon House was the first of many LGBTQ businesses to open here, including Phoenix, DejaVu and Dish.

This space was occupied by at least six LGBT businesses over the years:

Oregon House (1976-1978)
Phoenix (1978-1993)
Deja-Vu a lesbian bar (1993-1994)
Dish a mixed lesbian/gay bar (1997-2003)
B-Side a bar "above Barossa" used by Miltown Kings for events (2004-2005)
Ginger a mostly lesbian restaurant/ bar (2008-2015)

More information about this business is welcomed from anyone who can contribute it.