The Creekside Tavern opened in 1962 as a roadside bar serving the mill workers and families of Harlan's Creek. The original building — timber frame, two rooms, a jukebox that only played Johnny Cash regardless of your selection — sat on the same spot we occupy today, seven steps from the bank of Caldwell Creek.

For twenty-five years, the Creekside was where Harlan's Creek went after work, after church, after funerals, and after anything else that required a drink and the company of people who understood. If you grew up here, you've been here. If you moved here, this is how you know you've arrived.

We closed for extensive renovations in 1988 and reopened in 1992 under current ownership. Records from that period are not retained on site. The building you're sitting in now was constructed in 1992 on the original foundation. Some of the original timber was incorporated into the back bar. We believe this to be true. No one has verified it.

Since reopening, the Creekside has been home to live music, community events, Wednesday trivia, and the sort of conversations that benefit from a quiet room and a good pour. We've hosted three generations of Harlan's Creek and a fair number of people passing through who ended up staying longer than they planned. Some of them are still here. We consider that a compliment.

The Creekside Tavern has been owned and operated by Del Rourke since 1994. Del has not, to anyone's knowledge, changed the jukebox — which still occasionally plays Johnny Cash regardless of your selection. We've stopped trying to fix it.