Wankers Corner, Oregon

Wanker's Corner (pronounced either "wohn-kers" or "waah"-nkers") is an unincorporated area centered at the intersection of Stafford Road and Borland Road in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Because this is not a recognized community, it has never had a post office, nor does it consistently appear on maps of Oregon (although the AAA map of Oregon shows it in an inset). The United States Geological Survey classifies Wankers Corner as a "locale".cite web |url=http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1128628 |title=Feature Query Results |publisher= United States Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey |accessdate=2008-04-02] cite web |url=http://geonames.usgs.gov/features.html#l |title=Feature Class Types |publisher= Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey |accessdate=2008-04-02]

The origin of the name of this landmark was explained in a post to the Usenet group "alt.folklore.urban" (from one "dino", dated May 14, 1995)::Well, Peter and the rest, I called Wanker's Country Store, and talked with one Lois Wanker (that's pronounced "Wonker," how she answered the phone), and got some info. I wrote them a long time ago, both the Wanker's Country Store and Wanker's Corner Saloon and Cafe, but never got a response, so I finally called. She was quite pleasant and friendly on the phone.

:Here is what I just learned on the phone: Lois Wanker's grandfather settled there (West Linn, Oregon area, just south of Portland) in 1895. The tavern was founded by Lois's dad in 1931. I gathered that it burned down in something like 1969 but they built a new one (I was scribbling fast and may have missed a few details). They own the store and lease the saloon (see below). I also gather that there is info about this in the Lake Oswego Library, for any friends out in the Beaver State who want to check this out, and in some Oregon Historical Society thing in Oregon City. I should comment, my earlier researches in Oregon place name books and Oregon history books revealed nothing.

:In short, it was named for a person named Wanker who settled there, presupposing that she wasn't lying to me.

:Funny thing is, I then called the saloon, and got a slightly different story... They (or at least the person with whom I talked) pronounce it "Wanker," "a" as in "at." They claimed no real relation to the store, and I had the feeling that the guy was putting me on. Lois Wanker (yeah, if that *is* her real name) at least sounded believable on the phone and I am more inclined to believe her. I should point out, the store and the saloon are right next to each other.

As of May 2007, Wanker's Corner Saloon and Cafe is located on Main Street in Wilsonville, Oregon, five or so miles south-southwest of Wanker's Corner, that is, the intersection of Stafford Road and Borland Road; the website states the establishment is a successor to the original Wanker's Corner Saloon and Cafe up the road, forced to move to larger quarters to accommodate the owner's collections of "antiques, junk, knickknacks, Americana, Australiana, movie posters, and many unidentifiable objects." Meanwhile, a tavern appears to be operating (still?) next door to the Wanker's Country Store, right at the intersection of Stafford Road and Borland Road, in a building that could well date from the 1970s.

Wanker's Corner Saloon and Cafe played up the double entendre in its name in the 1990s, and for a while offered for sale a t-shirt showing a kangaroo eating theme, while still allowing patrons to toss their empty peanut shells on the floor.

ee also

*Wanker

References

External links

* [http://www.wankerscorner.com Wanker's Corner Saloon and Cafe Web Page]