GREEN BAY – Daniel (Dan) P. Bradley’s father, John, came to America from Donagal, Ireland, in 1831, settling in Brooklyn, N.Y., first before making his way to Milwaukee County to farm.
Dan was one of John’s nine children who made the United States their native country, with most of them finding success on new soil.
Dan came to Green Bay, where he worked for the Joannes Brothers for over a decade.
John passed away in 1883 — the same year that Dan began work on a new business on the corner of South Washington and Crooks Streets.
By September 1883, Dan had built a restaurant and boarding house in the Boomtown Architectural Style, characterized by a decorative false front covering a more basic building behind it, all made from wood.
“Dan Bradley has moved into his new eating house, corner of Washington and Crooks Street, which he will call the ‘Bradley House.’ He expects to be open for business by Monday next,” a Sept. 27, 1883, Green Bay Advocate article stated.
An Oct. 1 article confirmed its opening.
In July 1885, Bradley built an addition to the hotel and two years later, with business booming, another addition was added.
An August 1900 ad announced a change in ownership and the new moniker — the “New Bradley House” — with the hotel run by Mrs. C. Horn and the restaurant run by John Wolf.
The Horns also added a steam heating system, bathroom and electricity to the hotel facility.
In 1908, liquor license records show the restaurant’s first use as a saloon, when Alex Tennis, Jr. — the son of a Belgian immigrant — applied and received a license to serve intoxicated liquors.
Tennis ran the bar for about a decade.
When prohibition hit, the bar — which became “The Derby” — went through a succession of license holders.
One could surmise that this was orchestrated to keep ahead of the law and avoid legal action, as the business was fronted as a “soda drinking parlor” during those years.
Licenses to serve non-intoxicating liquors were granted during the next years to: 1920 – Raymond V. Beth; 1921 - Hock Saloon, John Sharkey; 1922- Tony Weils; 1923- Ed Houck; 1924- Joe Forcey; January 1925 – U.C. Neveu; and July 1925 - E.J. Hebert.
However, at least twice, the establishment was caught serving liquor.
“As the result of weekend raids by state prohibition officers, E.J. Hebert, proprietor of ‘The Derby,’ 401 S. Washington Street, pleaded guilty to violation of the liquor laws in municipal court this morning and paid a fine of $200 and costs,” a Dec. 21, 1925, Press-Gazette article stated.
The following years look much the same with non-intoxicating liquor licenses going to: January 1926 – Dewey Hampton; July 1926 – Clarence B. Ruby; and 1927 – Elmer Stievo.
In October 1927, the business was raided again; this time by federal agents.
They found whisky, gin, wine and beer being served on the premises.
Stievo was given a $250 fine and was sentenced to six months in the “house of correction.”
The facility doesn’t show up on license records again until August 1930, when T.F. Hamacher applied for a non-intoxicating liquor permit.
In 1932, William “Kennedy” Bresnahan was charged with the sale of liquor at the establishment, now known as “The Club.
Bresnahan had been placed on probation for a Menominee, Mich., liquor charge months earlier.
He was sentenced to serve one year in the Detroit House of Correction.
The property was ordered padlocked by a federal judge in February 1933.
The following year, Bresnahan applied for and received a liquor license for “The Club” property.
After the prohibition years, the location has operated under many names, such as “Travis’ Place,” My World, Brandy’s, East Side Rooming House and South End Pub.
For nearly two decades, the location became known as Green Bay’s “Home of the Blues” under the ownership of Pat Coniff’s “Heroes Club.”
The last bar to call the corner of South Washington and Crooks home was Irish pub, Molly McGees.
The building was razed in 2017.
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