Citizen Kane’s, located at the corner of Lathrop Avenue and Madison Street, had a long history of taverns before it was demolished in 1979 to make way for the village parking space it is today: Big Sixes, The Spot, Mickey’s Lounge, Bartholomew’s, and finally Citizen Kane’s over the years.
In September of 1968, the Forest Park Village Council was “enlivened with a discussion” to grant a permit at Bartholomew’s for 1. Dance band and dancing certain nights; 2. Old-time movies to be shown on the wall certain nights and 3. Dixieland band once a week.
After much discussion, apprehension and fear of setting a precedent, the council passed the motion to allow dancing, subject to approval by the fire chief. In just under a year, by August 1969, the entertainment license was revoked after a series of complaints about “noise and carousing on the streets in the vicinity until the wee hours of the night.”
When the license was revoked, Mayor Witt, stated that he “would not tolerate any honky-tonks that attracted undesirable characters,” adding that Madison Street would not become a “Glitter Gulch” as long as he was mayor.
Jill Wagner
