G AY H I STO RY 1 0 1
DECEMBER 2023
HISTORY EMBRACE MAGAZINE
70
This is It! Milwaukee — the oldest gay bar in the Midwest — still operating after 55 years. TEXT BY ART SMITH P H OTOS BY W I SC O N S I N G AY H I STO RY.O RG A N D G E O RG E SC H N E I D E R
T
ens of thousands of gay spaces have served our vibrant community in the past 100 years. Some have vanished quickly; others have endured for decades. This is the story of one that has passed the test of time and is still going strong.
THIS IS IT! 418 E. Wells St., Milwaukee WI August 1968 - present Built as a commercial space in 1915, the narrow storefront operated as a mortuary school, a hair salon, a Dunlop tire store, and bank offices during its first two decades. In 1936 Fred Leud-
