Places
Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project Fundraiser
If you appreciate the History Project's work, we hope you'll support the second fundraiser in our 29-year history!
We are a self-funded, independent, all-volunteer, non-profit team -- and we provide most services FREE to the community.
Bar Cruising | Dive Bar
731 N 4th St
Milwaukee, WI 53203
State Region
Southeast WI
Neighborhood
Westtown
Year Opened: 1941
Year Closed: 1944
Exact Date Opened: Unknown
Exact Date Closed: Unknown
Clientele Primarily Identified As
Gay
Sally's Cocktail Bar, a WWII Milwaukee bar popular with gay men, gay hustlers, prostitutes, and servicemen, was called a "moral hell hole" by police and cited by military and health officials as a known venereal disease hotspot. (Although unaccompanied women were targeted, it's unclear whether the superspreaders were male or female.) Owner Peter Antross lost his license in 1944, but the Common Council reneged if he changed the "offensive" name. (At the time, "Sally" was slang for an effeminate man.) Antross chose The Gaytime Bar, and the Council, seemingly unaware of the sarcasm, reinstated his license.
INPUT ALWAYS WELCOME!
We are always looking for photos of the exterior and interiors of Bars and other Places, as well as information about ownership, activities and opening and closing background info about Places. We welcome your input and photos!
INPUT ALWAYS WELCOME!
We are always looking for photos of the exterior and interiors of Bars and other Places, as well as information about ownership, activities and opening and closing background info about Places. We welcome your input and photos!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
© 2025 Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project. All Rights Reserved.