Stroll down Front Street in Prairie City, Oregon and stop at 234, a beautiful building reminiscent of a Viennese torte frosted in light milk chocolate. You will find the , name proudly announced in large black letters on the front. Bar WB is the quintessential Eastern Oregon shop and, with the Winegar family, a history to match.

In September 1985, the Winegar, Wanda and Fred, bought the building, which had four apartments upstairs and floor space below, which had historically housed a doctor’s office. They bought the property as a rental investment property. In October of 1985, Fred’s mother, Mary, opened a bakery in part of the downstairs.

Fred’s sister, Anita, did some custom knitting and ceramics, so she put some of her wares in the bakery, and his other sister, Jane, helped out in the bakery. The Winegars spent the next year remodeling the apartments. Wanda and Fred continued working their regular jobs and in August of 1986, they decided to bring in some clothing.

Their first big vendors were Lee and Wrangler, which took a large monetary investment. They offered varied lines of work clothing, but soon discovered that “women were the shoppers.” So they went to some markets, with the first one in Sacramento. The bakery continued on and Bar W B was created. The bakery was going great guns, but at age 70, Mary wanted to retire and Fred and Wanda remodeled to feature retail in 1995.

Wanda has had many memorable moments throughout her business career, but two stand out as being particularly meaningful. The first is when Cycle Oregon came through in 2011 and set up their base camp in the football field. The group was there for three to four days and Wanda and her family got to know many interesting people from throughout the state and country. The eclipse of 2017 was also a highlight. A catering truck parked by the store and the town entertained and hosted all of the travelers who ventured to Prairie City for a prime eclipse-viewing experience.

The business evolved organically with no big plan to start a clothing store. Their motto is “to provide quality clothing and footwear for the Western lifestyle.” They carry Stetson, Wrangler, Carhart, Roper, and many other brands. They also have Hooey backpacks and cute caps, as well as socks packaged in beer cans. They have clothing for infants to adults. Bar WB has many loyal customers who come back year after year and they also do mail order. Bar WB has an active Facebook page run by one of Wanda’s granddaughters. It features new products and highlights great gifts.

Looking toward the future, Wanda would like to upgrade the inside of the store with repainting and some new designs. She would also like to increase her knowledge of social media marketing and continue to grow the business for future generations, with her family expressing enthusiasm for carrying on the family tradition.

Throughout the years, Bar WB has been a family affair, with each generation contributing to the success of the business. Wanda says she is lucky to have great employees as well and currently she has two part-time helpers, one of whom is her niece. With Wanda’s enthusiasm and her extended family’s participation, Bar WB is guaranteed to be a beloved cornerstone business in Prairie City and throughout the region.