FOLIO
Words by Dennis Taylor
I moved to Jacksonville in 1976, and in February 1978, opened a gay bar, The Junction, on King Street. I would like to think I was a pioneer of what King st has become.
Mayflower Hotel was a mixed bar where gay people hung out. Earlier, the FBI found Smitty’s Beach Club on First Avenue in Jacksonville Beach was “frequented by prostitutes on holiday and queers,” and according to an April 11, 1958, report, the Mayfair Bar on Beach Boulevard was a “hangout for queers.” A subsequent report in November 1958 further identified Millie’s Bar in Jacksonville as “frequented by prostitutes and sex perverts.”
I the late ’70s I remember a mixed downtown bar called the “The Downtown Bar” (“The New French Quarter”). The bar war managed by a large lady named Polly, a lesbian who took no shit from anyone. The bar was known for its drag shows. I believe there was a downtown dive bar called the R&R lounge, where downtown drunks and unemployed young men hung out. There was another mixed bar downtown called Howard’s at the foot of the Main Street Bridge. The Onyx Bar on East Bay Street was also known as a gay hangout.
I believe The Little Dude opened in 1972 and wasowned and operated by Jo and Jackie on College at Willowbranch. It was one of the first openly gay bars in Jacksonville primarily frequent by lesbians. Of interest, The famous “Bo” later of Jacksonville Beach fame was a Little Dude bartender. Years later The Little Dude was renamed The Norm, owned and operated by Cindy Norman. The bar has been a Riverside lesbian institution every since I can remember.
I am told Bo left the”dude” oo become a manager (so called owner) of a Bar on Beach Boulevard Bar owned by a man named Chuck Malley.. That must have been in the 70’s, before my time. Sometime in the 70’s Bo closed the Arlington bar and opened a bar at the beach on First Street called Bo’s. Bo’s was “the” bar to go to on Sundays, all other bars in Jacksonville were closed on Sundays by blue laws. ( thanks to the Jaguars that law was changed) Bo later moved the bar to Fifth Street and renamed it Bo’s Coral Reef.
***(LPB Note: I seem to recall that Bo moved way out south on Philips Highway for a short while before going to the beach. There was another bar at the beach, the Tides Inn, only a block or so from the Coral Reef. Another popular bar of the early 70s was the Knight Out, on Atlantic The Knight Out was a large beer and wine bar with the usual dancing, dj, and shows. It was run by Mark Riley and his partner [can’t remember his name]. They began publishing a local gay magazine “David”which was available free in most area bars. Unfortunately, the lease expired around 1976
In 1976 “Brothers” was “the” gay bar in Jacksonville. At Edison and May streets in the Brooklyn neighborhood. The bar was owned by Bill Nickels and Richard Stewart. Brothers was a popular and cavernous beer and wine bar, with a disc jockey booth, a large island bar, and dance floor. During the day the bar was a popular restaurant with an interesting and quiet atmosphere, quite unlike its nightly transformation. After The Junction opened, The Phoenix moved to San Marco and Monroe opened several bars Brothers just seem to peter and closed. The bar was later to become the Third Dimension than Incahoots.
Sometime around 1976-77, Chuck Malley opened a nice beer and wine bar in Arlington called “Mary’s Back Door” operated by Mary Grimes. The bar was popular for a while, with a dance floor and shows.
In 1978 Dennis Taylor and his brother Ron opened a bar on King Street called The Junction, pioneers of an area now known for its night life. Ron moved to Ft Lauderdale, and Dennis operated the bar for about 7 ½ years. It was a known as “the” gay happy hour bar and a cool place to have a beer before or after going to the disco or The Phoenix. The business went through several owners, finally becoming The Art Bar after twenty-two years as the Junction. Dennis sold the building to representatives of the bank across the street, and they closed the bar two years later.
The Park Place was a dive bar in a store front on Park Street that survived on Junction customers who wanted liquor. It was owned by Art Eisen, who didn’t care for gays and said so, but loved their money. The Park Street landlord died, and the new landlord forced them out by raising the rent to an unreasonable amount. After Art let it be known around town that he didn’t like gays the Park Place business went into the ash can. Art bought a building at King and Post nearby and moved his liquor license there. He then called David and Allen owners, and the rest is history.
Ben and Tony opened The Phoenix on Phoenix Avenue at 15th Street east of Springfield in 1977.The Phoenix was known as a man’s bar, popular with manly men — think leather. Ben and Tony closed the Phoenix location and re-opened in San Marco, where they enjoyed several fun years operating somewhat like a private club.. I have seen them throw people out because they didn’t like their cologne (DLT).
Sometime after the Dude opened in 1972, Monroe Midyette opened the French Quarter. My understanding is Monroe’s father had been the primary owner of liquor licenses in downtown Jacksonville. When his father died, Monroe and his mother ended up with several liquor licenses. Monroe was a master at creating excitement when opening disco bars, and his mom sat at the front door collecting the door charges. I remember a bar that was briefly open in the revolving top of the Universal-Marion building on Main at Church, now owned by JEA. He had another called The Producers in the Philips Highway Mall that lasted a bit longer. Monroe hit on a winner when he opened the Old Plantation downtown on West Bay at Jefferson. OP Club Jax was a chain owned by the mob. They had locations in Tampa, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, it’s primary license holder was Bob Fournier. It is reported that Monroe ran afoul of the law somehow, and Don Strickland who was the manager ended up with the business, backed by Tom Hills. I believe that was when there was a name change to Third Dimension, 3-D. The city acquired the building through eminent domain; Tom and Don moved the bar to the old Brothers building on May Street. Don sold the business years ago to Stacy, and it became InCahoots.
1980’s..College Station a once popular lounge on Edgewood in the Murray Hill. A fun place to see shows, dance and cruise.
MetroMetro Started by Monroe, sold to James Brown, willed to Michael Burton, acquired by Jerry Rosenburg. The Metro in Riverside by the railroad tracks on Willowbranch, is spacious, with several different bars and dance areas. It draws a cross-section of local people, mainly on weekends. Now closed.
CLOSED BARS:
HMS (Cecil’s): a real dive bar on East 21st Street near Talleyrand. Cecil was the main attraction, a lovable old loudmouth. Beer, wine and fun on Sundays with cookouts. The bar lasted a couple years.
Eagle: Daddy Mack San Marco leather bar wannabe, dancing boys, food
Club 57: Chuck Malley opened it briefly in 1977 in Arlington.
616: On Park Street near Rosselle in Riverside. Cheap beer, nice back patio, bear strippers lasted several years and was a fun place to go.
The Pearl (the old Art Bar): mixed crowd, dancing
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