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| An apparition on State Street behind the 100 North Main Apartments. |
That battered, green saloon went up in 1887. It was swank in its day. The design embodied the fashionable German Renaissance Revival style. The soaring Dutch gable gave it extra juice.
The place was a saloon from the start. The first saloonkeeper there was Henry E. Hiller, an alderman from the old 2nd Ward covering the lower east side north of the river. Hiller seems not to have cared for saloon life. He moved out after a couple of years and became an Oshkosh cop.
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| Henry E. Hiller, 1902. |
And then the real fun began. In the early 1900s, a brothel was established on the second floor. It was presided over by Mrs. Pauline Rose. Trade was brisk until she and her three inmates were carted off to jail in 1915. When Prohibition began in 1920, the saloon became a speakeasy. Twice the place was raided by feds.
Prohibition ended in 1933. The outlaw disposition did not. In 1935 what was then called the Eagle Front Tavern was busted again for selling bootleg liquor. Everyone else was selling the bonded stuff.
The years came and went and with them came scores of ownership and name changes. Mayhem was the unifying theme. There were brawls, burglaries, fires, and an abundance of underage drinkers to carry the torch forward.
The bar was called the Alamo in 1976 when the city tried to shut it down. That attempt failed. But the day was coming. The last bar there was the aptly named Last Chance Tavern.
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| The Last Chance. A centenarian in the summer of 1988 (photo courtesy of Dan Radig). |
The Last Chance was snuffed after the city purchased the property in 1989. The old saloon was demolished a few months later. The site of all that untoward history was pounded down and sealed over with asphalt.
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| The west side of State St. just north of Ceape as it appears today. |
Historical markers don't get posted at places like this. If they did, places like this would hold far more interest.
What about Rebel's?
ReplyDeleteI hung out there in the early 80's. Main Street Bar was behind it facing main Street. The floors were crooked. A lot of men from a rooming house near by hung out in there. It was a dive bar obviously with a lot of history!
ReplyDeleteI bartender there in the early 80s, was the sugar shack !
DeleteLet’s get historical markers on any remaining places like this! It would be a fun project. You have so many of them researched already. Just a little plaque isn’t too expensive. We could do a fundraiser.
ReplyDeleteYour comment on the building being pounded down and sealed with asphalt is so spot on. It’s like the city is trying to erase its history and hides behind the cost for upkeep. Seriously! If the city approached its constituents with your research and enthusiasm, people would rally to help save these places!
Unfortunately, by the time the City bought and demolished it, the building was beyond repair. One night, the chrome leg of a classic backless barstool went right through the floor!
DeleteThis was my grandparents bar for many years I lived up stairs with them
ReplyDeleteAs I recall it was also KUKs Overflow
ReplyDeleteDon't remember the year maybe in the late 70's early 80's. The upper unit housed the strippers from the Red Carpet Bar on Main St. One of them used a Boa snake in her act. It got loose and they were unable to find it. A few strippers later one of the girl's is in the bathroom and the snake comes out of a drain. They call the police it just happen one of the officer's on duty has a pet business and goes and gets the snake it was a big one.
ReplyDeleteThere was another strip club on Main Street. I believe it was in that same block. It was called the Tom Kat Lounge.
DeleteToo bad it's not there anymore. Hopefully the city doesn't get rid of buildings like this later on.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have information on the deck tavern. I heard some popular bands played there. Always got checked for ID and got kicked out
ReplyDeleteThe Deck was a fun and rowdy place. I don't recall whether they always opened early, but one St. Patrick's Day, they opened at 7:30 am and by noon people were dancing on the tables! I was there!
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