Obilio's

The home of Oblio's Lounge traces its history back to 1884 with the construction of this building designed by William Waters. It was known as The Schlitz Beer Hall and was owned by Schlitz Brewing Company. The saloon was one of the few in Oshkosh serving beer that wasn't produced at any of the city's five breweries. The Schlitz Beer Hall was a high-end establishment, but not without its share of troubles. A drinking contest staged here in 1897 resulted in the death of a man. In the decade that followed, the saloon became the haunt of gamblers and a hard-drinking "sporting" crowd that would loiter at the front door to harass passersby and especially the police.

With the start of Prohibition in 1920, the saloon transitioned into a speakeasy and in the summer of 1921 became the target of the first large-scale raid on Oshkosh by Federal Agents. Prohibition ended in 1933 and a new tavern opened here three years later. The art-deco bar and backbar seen in the main barroom at Oblio's were built in 1936 by Robert Brand and Sons, an Oshkosh firm that produced saloon fixtures that are still in use in taverns throughout the city.