10/22/2026
๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฉ: ๐ผ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐พ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃโ๐จ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฝ๐ช๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐
For over half a century, the intersection of Allen and Front Streets served as the social heartbeat of downtown Clinton. Standing prominently on the west side of Allen Street, the Pabst Building was more than just a commercial structureโit was a bustling hub of community life, good food, and local camaraderie. Though lost to a tragic fire decades ago, the legacy of the building and the interconnected businesses within it remains a fond chapter in Clinton's local history.
The Pabst Brewing Company built or owned "tied house" saloons across Wisconsin and the Midwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These company-backed taverns guaranteed a market for their b**r and featured distinct German-American architecture and branding before Prohibition closed them in 1919.
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐. ๐๐๐3)
The story of the Pabst Building began with the removal of a remnant from Clinton's early days. Around 1913, the Commercial House, a dilapidated 19th-century hotel that had outlived its prime, was torn down to make way for modern enterprise. Recognizing the value of the prime downtown corner lot, the Pabst Brewing Company purchased the property and erected a sturdy new commercial building. Completed around 1913, the structure was immediately dubbed the "Pabst Building" by local residentsโa name that would stick for generations. The ground floor was divided into two separate storefronts on the north and the south. The upstairs was rented out as residential flats.
One of the earliest businesses to call the new building home was a saloon operated by Patrick Garvin, establishing the corner's long-standing tradition as a gathering place right after Pabst completed construction. With the onset of prohibition in 1919, the business converted to cigar manufacturing and sales.
The north side of the building in 1914 was occupied by the confectionery & cigar store David T. B***r, who moved from his previous location just up Allen St. in the Mayhew building. Within a couple of years, Paul Hastings took over the business. Paulโs Place became known for its ice cream and the popcorn wagon, which moved out to the street on summer evenings.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐: ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
The building eventually passed into the ownership of William Hamlin, a well-known jeweler from nearby Beloit. Under Hamlin's ownership, the Pabst Building evolved into a unique, dual-business landmark housing two of Clintonโs most beloved downtown establishments: The Clinton Tavern and The Country Kitchen Restaurant.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง
Opened in 1933 by Glenn Crabtree and John Korth, the Clinton Tavern quickly became a neighborhood fixture. In July 1946, Bob Ruston entered the picture by purchasing Crabtree's partnership. A decade later, in 1956, Ruston bought out Korth to become the sole proprietor. Under Ruston's leadership, the tavern thrived under its famous and welcoming local slogan: "Clinton Tavern on the Corner Where Friends Meet."
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ
Operating right next door to the tavern, the Country Kitchen Restaurant was a staple for local diners.
Joe and Caroline Pye ran a restaurant in this location in the 1930s. The business, always a restaurant, had changed hands several times. There was Cash and Sena Jackson, "Maโ Brown, who later became Mrs. Morris Boyce, a man by the name of Rice, a young widow from over near Brodhead who later moved to Deerfield, Fred and Jennie Whtmore, Della and Herb Butts, and then Ernie and Lois Kroeze in 1968.
The restaurant was officially named by Della Butts, who ran the establishment for many years. It was Della who instituted the legendary Friday evening fish dinnerโa weekly tradition that became immensely popular with area residents. The practice was fondly maintained in later years by the Kroezes.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ-๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ
What truly set the Pabst Building apart was the unique architectural harmony between its two main tenants. A special service pass-through window was built directly into the interior wall separating the Country Kitchen and the Clinton Tavern. This clever feature allowed tavern patrons to order fresh, warm meals from the restaurant and have them served directly into the tavern without ever having to step outside.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
The vibrant era of the Pabst Building came to a sudden and catastrophic end on May 2, 1970. A massive fire broke out at the neighboring Reeder Hardware store. The flames quickly spread, engulfing the Hamlin/Pabst building. Despite the best efforts of local firefighters, the devastating downtown blaze destroyed both the Country Kitchen Restaurant and the Clinton Tavern.
While the historic Pabst Building was lost, the spirit of the corner business refused to burn out. In July 1970, just two months after the disaster, Bob Ruston successfully relocated and opened the "New Clinton Tavern" at 410 Front Street, ensuring that the decades-long tradition of a downtown space "where friends meet" would carry on. The Country (Clinton) Kitchen was reestablished up the block on the east side at 239 Allen St.
