The French Quarter opened in 1966, and was owned or at least licensed by Milton Rickun (according to City Directories).

(Some say the bar was owned by Wally Whetham- but after his bankruptcy in 1966, he likely couldn’t own another bar. We know he worked at the Pirates Den in 1966 and 1967, and he may have worked at the French Quarter as well, leading to the rumor.)

Contributor 'Flash G.' shared this story about the French Quarter:

I am not old enough to remember much about the French Quarter- but I do know that Spike the Dyke was a regular. The bartender warned a dude who was hitting on her: "Don't fuck with Spike." He tried again. "Don't fuck with me, man", she warned him. He kept it up. She shot him in the foot. Cops came: "what happened here?" Bartender said, "He was fucking with Spike." The cop looked down at the guy and said, "Didn't anybody TELL you not to fuck with Spike?"

The French Quarter is believed to have closed in 1969.

(French Quarter was previously the Dentice family tavern and then the “Black Fox” in the 1970 directory which may have been a Black lesbian bar; we are researching this. Contributor 'Bunny' talked about it in passing, and at a women’s history event in May 2017, multiple women mentioned being taken there on first dates.)

A story about the building's last tenant and the building's history appeared on the Urban Milwaukee web site, just before the building, then The Curve tavern, was demolished. An unattractive condo buiulding now sits on the site.

More information about this business is welcomed from anyone who can contribute it.