In the late 1930s, Washington restaurants could serve beer and wine but no mixed drinks by the glass unless patrons supplied their own bottles of liquor. Liquor laws tended to be less strict outside city limits. This stimulated the growth of country bottle clubs and roadhouses which catered to those willing to drive out of town for a drink. In 1948, state law changed to permit the sale of liquor by the drink.

This photo, taken around 1937, shows The Ranch, a restaurant and nightclub on the Pacific Highway (U.S. 99). The Ranch was located near the corner of Highway 99 and 220th Street, about eight miles north of Seattle's city limits. Guests could sip a legal drink while they dined and danced to live music.

Sign in image: The Ranch - Dine & Dance.
Handwritten on sleeve: The Ranch Ext.