MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — “LGBTQ people have always been here, and they've been part of Wisconsin since before there was a Wisconsin,” said Michail Takach, Board Chair, Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project.
Right now, Walker’s Point is full of businesses, apartment buildings and restaurants.
But less than 100 years ago, it was also home to one of Milwaukee’s most vibrant communities and the home of the sailor bar.
“This was a space where they could be who they were, and it was somewhat tolerated in these spaces,” said Takach.
Near the corner of 2nd and Florida is where one of those spaces used to stand: Sailor Ann's.
“These were places where people were coming in and drinking and fighting and using coarse language and really being kind of crude,” said Takach.
In many ways, the sailor bar is considered the ancestor of today's gay bar.
“They were not seen as very socially acceptable places. So, it was easy for people who were not socially acceptable themselves to hang out here,” said Takach.
Michail Takach is the Board Chair and curator for the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project.
He says most of the sailor bars were located in Walker's Point where I-794 currently sits.
“It wasn't expected. It wasn't seen, even when it was right in front of people,” said Takach.
Takach says business owners had to be careful and wary of who they welcomed in.
“Serving somebody who was even suspected of being gay or lesbian was illegal and shop owners could lose their licenses and they could lose their reputation,” said Takach.
Operating her bar like a speakeasy during the 1920s and 30s, Ann Gravelyn let the place lean into its fame as one of the roughest spots in town in order to give people a chance to feel safe.
“No one expected this activity to be happening and it was perfect. They had a cover story,” said Takach.
As the city grew and changed, so did the bars' popularity and presence.
By the mid-1960s, any trace of staples like Sailor Ann’s, Dirty Helen's, and Anchor Inn were wiped out.
“You can erase things but can't erase the history; the history is still there. It's waiting to be unearthed. It's waiting to be celebrated. It's waiting to be elevated,” said Takach.
Takach says their mission in sharing these treasures is to ensure future generations remember who came before them.
“History will remember them for being the pioneers in the space,” said Takach.
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