Peoria Illinoisan

I’ve heard stories for years about this place and recently there’s been some of chatter on my other site Name This Peoria Landmark regarding a prohibition era bar dug into some sort of mine shaft. I’ve heard there was a foundation. I’ve heard it was in a mine shaft. I’ve heard there were steps. I’ve heard it was in Glen Oak Park. Basically, no-one knew what was there and everyone had a different story. I have searched for it once, but went back on a whim with my friend Chef Kevin a few weekends ago.  As luck would have it, a nearby homeowner was tending to his yard and although he didn’t know much about the place, he did know where it was. It’s on Abington Hill, in the woods roughly across the street from Glen Oak Lagoon.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed to find a small brush covered block and mortared wall, so I took the next step and went down to the reference desk at the Library. After speaking with three different people about this, a nice young lady behind the desk said “are you talking about The Alps?”  I didn’t know it had a name because I didn’t think it was a legitimate business. From the stories I heard, it was a secret underground speakeasy.

I sat down to look over the newspaper clippings and BINGO. The bar was located a bit down the hill and it was indeed located underground in some sort of dug out space. It opened sometime between the 1870’s & 1890’s (there are conflicting stories) and closed in 1919 due to prohibition. Local historian Norm Kelly confirmed this in a phone conversation with me and expressed his desire to squelch the rumors that this was a “speakeasy”.

Journal Star, July 22, 1974:

Today, trees and undergrowth obscure the view from the street, and the only visible remnant of a long-gone Peoria landmark is a crumbling sidewalk.

That walk once led to the Alps Beer Garden, a “picnic and pleasure resort” at the corner of Frye and Pacific avenues.

The beer garden spread over five acres and included a small park with avenues of trees, a bandstand and dancing platform, a bowling alley and shooting gallery.

Its major attraction however, was a tavern and cafe in a grotto, said to be a favorite haunt of the world famous midget, Gen. Tom Thumb, who played pool there when he appeared in Peoria with the original Barnum & Bailey Circus.

An earlier but undated letter to the Journal Star referenced in the ‘74 article says this:

Next to the pavillion was a bowling alley and shooting gallery. The big attraction was at the end of the main avenue and was described as a mammoth cave or grotto. It was 25 feet deep, 150 feet long, 20 feet wide and of equal height. The exterior was lighted and it was furnished as a cafe. The sides and roof were of hewn rock and painted and decorated. It said this cave had bright electric lights and artistic decorations.

Back to the 1974 article…

The cave itself has been closed for years; the city reportedly had it filled in to prevent youngsters from being trapped. However said Mrs. D’elia {former property owner}, the cave was opened a few years ago, and several persons explored it briefly.

One of those who did was Robert Hayden, who operates a grocery store on Adams Street. Hayden, who said that he had heard about the cave for years and explored it out of curiosity, recalled that its interior was “as solid as the day it was built.”

“As I recall, it was very spacious, about 30 feet across and 100 feet long, all in good shape,” he said. They found only a few bottles of beer, he said.

A photo caption dated July 30, 1929 recalling the “good old days” says:

A favorite haunt of the bibulous Peorians in the “good old days” was this underground cave, which was located in what was then known as the Alps park, situated in the 500 block of Pacific avenue. In this cave was established a flourishing bar serving thirsty Peorians while they were being entertained by vaudeville acts from the underground theater, another feature of the cave which is now but a dim memory.

Old newspaper clippings also say that the bowling alley was transferred to The Alps from St. Louis around the year 1900 and at some point removed and reinstalled at Walt’s Bowling Alley in Brimfield, of which I believe is now closed. Other references I found confrim that it was a trolley line stop and popular gathering place for meetings and social events. With any luck, someone will fill in more details of this interesting and unique place that has been overlooked by Peoria’s history books and lost in Peoria’s rich history.

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