The Marine Tap - A Historic Chicago Bar

My Great-Grandfather, Arthur Wadman, was born in 1902.  Shortly after Prohibition ended in December of 1933, he opened a bar on the South Side of Chicago called Marine Tap Room.  He purchased the building from a failing travel agency, as folks just weren’t vacationing much during the Great Depression. 

The History

We believe that the bar was opened some time in 1934, although it could have been as late as 1937.  The photo below is most likely from 1937 due to the date on the Grand Opening sign, but it is believed that the bar was opened a few years prior to that.

The Marine Tap was located at 819 W 59^th Street, just off 59^th and Halsted, in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.  Luckily, there are some old photos still in existence.  In one, Art can be seen manning the bar next to a (presumably) tongue-in-cheek sign boldly stating, 'POSITIVELY NO DANCING ALLOWED’. Marine Tap catered to military folk, hence the name.  At least, that is what we think.

The Family

My Grandmother Lorraine, Art’s daughter, passed away in 2023 at age 93.  During the days of the Marine Tap, they all lived in an apartment upstairs above the saloon.  In later years, she would often reminisce about the 'PBR nightlight' that hung outside her bedroom window, and the muffled noises from the rowdy barflies below that kept her up at night as a child.

Bartending must have been a bit of a challenge for Art, since he was born with only one arm. Well, about one and a half, actually. His right arm was missing just past the elbow, as you can see in the photos. Despite this, he played competitive baseball and semi-pro football in his younger days. Art died in 1961, long before I was born. 

Short Lived

We believe my family sold the bar around 1943, and we are not quite sure if it stayed open after that.  The building still stands, but no tavern exists where the Marine Tap once did.  In fact, it appears to be abandoned.

I thought it would be cool to make a design that reflects the history and the mystery of Post-Prohibition Chicago, and the tavern that my Great-Grandparents once owned.

You can click the links below to purchase a frosted pint glass, t-shirt, or sweatshirt to proudly be part of this small piece of Chicago history.

Do you have any stories about old Chicago bars, taverns, or just some interesting Chicago history?  We would love to hear them. 

Here are a few more photos that we uncovered.