The Three Taverns of River Street

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The Montgomery area once had its share of roadhouses and speakeasies. 

An old newspaper story describes Aurora and several nearby towns as “the base of operations for a gigantic alky ring, whose profits since 1927 have amounted to over $10,000,000.”

The story was an account of an arson fire that destroyed the old Rufus Gray homestead on Cannonball Trail in rural Montgomery. It was located just over the Kendall County line, across from the homes of Guy and Art Phillips. The newspaper clipping found in the Montgomery Historical Preservation archives is undated, but the event probably happened sometime between 1927 and 1933.

The fire was the result of rivalry between two bootlegging factions in this area. The sturdy 100-year-old building had just been remodeled at great expense. The proprietors furnished it with elegant furniture, including a new grand piano. New draperies were installed and elaborate livery had been purchased for the attendants. An orchestra had been booked and a long bar had been set up in the rear of the building.

At 4 o’clock, on the morning of the grand opening, the night watchman was startled to hear the tinkle of shattering glass. In no time, he began to smell smoke. He discovered the floor soaked in gasoline as he fled out the front door to call for help. When he reached the door, he spotted two men driving away in a high-powered automobile.

Someone recalled that rivals of the proprietors had boasted, “That joint will never open.” There is very little in the Kendall County court records about the Prohibition era. Although there are reports in the press about the illegal activity, the records do not reflect any consequences. There is nothing in the grand jury records about the arson fire, although the Kendall County Prosecutor investigated and announced that indictments would be requested. 

In an earlier report in 1923, the Kendall County Record described a “road house robbery.” A Lisbon man was robbed and beaten by three Aurora men following a stop at “Hunky Mary’s” roadhouse near Montgomery. 

The stories about mob activity around Oswego and Joliet have been backed up by news accounts in local newspapers, although some facts changed in the retelling. One story is that an Oswego doctor was on friendly terms with the gangsters, and would patch their wounds and stitch them up, even allowing them to recover at his home, without reporting to the authorities. 

In the waning days of prohibition, the Shannon brothers were operating a pool hall and restaurant on the corner of Mill and River streets. 

One afternoon, a suspicious-looking black sedan pulled up outside and several ladies got out. They were dolled up in the latest fashion and came into the pool hall flashing rolls of big bills. They seemed to be on a mission, and looking for booze. They created quite a stir, and left empty handed, heading east across the bridge.

There was a roadhouse near the dam in Montgomery in those days, and Ernie thought they were headed there. Later he learned that a Chicago gangster named John “Red” Hamilton had been killed and buried along Route 25 between Montgomery and Oswego. Looking back, he thought the ladies might have been heading for a rendezvous with the mob. 

The FBI dug up Hamilton’s body and a sensational trial followed. Hamilton was part of the Dillinger gang, who were rumored to frequent the area. 

Prohibition ended in December of 1933, and the Pabst Blue Ribbon distributor loaned Ernie the money to buy a liquor license. Shannon Brothers Tavern was born. It was an instant hit. The brothers were well liked and respected. It soon became a favorite stopping off place for workmen from the surrounding factories. On Friday nights the tavern did a brisk check cashing business, and the fish fries quickly sold out.

In 1935, the brothers purchased a magnificent bar from a company in Chicago. The purchase price of $550 would be equal to $9,082.00 in today’s dollars. It is doubtful that it could be duplicated for anything close to that figure today. A twin bar, built by the same company, is located at the Bristol Tap in nearby Bristol, Illinois.

Shannon’s was a workingman’s bar, where the bartenders knew their patrons, and their families. They were generous in helping out a man who was having a hard time. They knew which factories were hiring, and if they could steer the right man to the right place, they had a friend for life. They remodeled the upstairs apartments into sleeping rooms to accommodate the pipeline workers, and other newcomers who needed a room. 

In the days before home freezers, Thanksgiving turkey raffles were held in the tavern with live birds that were kept in a cage in the basement. Occasionally some over-served “lucky winner” would accidentally release his bird in the tavern and create a big commotion as the poor bird flopped around trying to escape. The place went wild while everybody chased the bird.

After the war, business was booming. Returning soldiers met at the tavern. Eventually they needed a meeting place of their own, and built their own little building to hold VFW meetings.

This seemed like a fine idea to Ernie, and he supported their efforts to get a liquor license. He vouched for their integrity and helped them any way he could.  He did not see them as a potential business threat. Eventually they expanded and built a new building as the bar trade and Friday night fish fries grew. Things changed. They became friendly competitors. One of Ernie’s brothers, Fritz began tending bar there. 

In September of 1964, the friendly little pub was the scene of a wild shootout. The newspaper headlines of the day read: "Montgomery holdup leaves four wounded."  To quote the article:  

“Two bandits wearing smoked glasses held up Shannon’s Tavern in Montgomery Friday night and shot four patrons.”

John Tschannen, the bartender, was held at gunpoint and forced to open the safe. When he protested that he did not know the combination, one gunman held a gun to his head, cocked the trigger, and told him he had one chance to open the safe. He complied.

Roger Bolden, 23, of Aurora, who was lying on the floor near the bar, pulled a knife out of his shirt and threw it at the second gunman. It missed, and one of the robbers shot Bolden. The gunman began firing at the other patrons. Bolden was taken to Copley Hospital and admitted. The others were treated and released.

A patron in the adjacent restaurant slipped out the side door and called police. Meanwhile, a quick-thinking man from the Mill Tavern ran across the street and removed the keys from the get-away car. As the robber, unable to flee, jumped out of the car, the police arrived and told him to surrender. 

Instead, he opened fire on them. A second robber appeared, carrying a shotgun and four metal boxes taken in the robbery. He dropped the shotgun and started running. The police opened fire, and he was hit, the bullet grazing his eyebrow.

The robbers, pursued by the police, fled through a parking lot full of cars, and crossed the bridge. The police launched a search along the Fox River, but were unable to find them. Two metal boxes were found behind a gas station on South East River Road.    

They were apprehended several weeks later after another robbery of the St. Charles Country Club. One of the robbers was shot because he had been loose in talking of the gang’s activities, and was flirtatious with a girlfriend of another gang member.

Shannon’s has been out of business for some time, and recently the Mill Tavern closed. The South Shore Inn went out of business long ago. That leaves only the VFW remaining on the two-block strip where three flourishing bars once opened their doors to loyal customers.