Manufacturers: Maddock Pottery, McNicol China, Walker China
Distributor (Maddock): Albert Pick & Co.
Name of users:
Little Bohemia, 1722 S. Loomis St., Chicago, Illinois
Little Bohemia Lodge, Manitowish, Wisconsin
Date of examples: 1919 to 1964
Notes: The Little Bohemia restaurant at 18th and Loomis streets in Chicago had a long and checkered, headline-making history. It was founded around 1919 by James Janek Sr. and his wife Theresa. It first turns up in a 1919 newspaper article about a crime event outside of the restaurant. In April 1920, the then-owners, Joseph and Jennie Welky, traded Little Bohemia to Oscar C. Hagen for his apartment building. The three-story, 25-foot by 125-foot building at 1722 South Loomis Street is described in that article as "known to most lovers of Bohemian cookery and epicures in general as one of Chicago's famous foreign food restaurants."
A September 7, 1922, article mentions "Frank Lake, former proprietor of the Little Bohemia cafe, 1722 South Loomis Street." Lake was being accused of being involved in three gang-related killings and was in prison. A September 1926 article mentions Terry Druggan as a former owner of Little Bohemia, who was accused of holding up Little Bohemia, which was then owned by Joseph Poisi and Emil Wanatka. (For his part, Wanatka was himself charged in 1922 with the murder of Charles Pacini but was later released for insufficient evidence.)
An October 14, 1928, classified ad offered a "Very fine and rare collection of domestic, Alaskan, African heads, horns" for sale. These may have been decorations from the restaurant. In a March 2, 1930, advertisement, the restaurant was being offered for rent on account of sickness. It was described as "known from coast to coast for its good meals and service."
In John Drury's 1931 book, Dining in Chicago, Drury describes Little Bohemia as a "landmark of the west side, serving food as good as any to be found outside the Loop." Emil Wanatka is mentioned as the maitre d'hotel. Wanatka owned a 40-acre estate in Manitowish, Wisconsin. On this property he operated Little Bohemia Lodge.
In April, 1934, Wanatka and two of his employees were in the lodge when a group of gangsters entered. The gang held them at gunpoint for three days, forcing him to prepare food for them. The situation ended when the FBI staged a gun-blazing raid. Three innocent bar occupants got shot while the gangsters fled out of a second-floor window. Wanatka reported to police afterward that he was sure one of the gangsters was a guy named John Dillinger.
After Dillinger was killed outside a Chicago theater in July 1934, Wanatka opened a mini-museum in the lodge. There he displayed the clothing, guns and ammunition the gangsters had left behind back in April.
In a June 18, 1950, advertisement in the Chicago Tribune, Emil Wanatka offered his Little Bohemia Lodge, in Manitowish, Wisconsin, for sale.
A July 3, 1952,want ad for a cook is the last mention that turned up in a search of newspaper articles.
Walker China, with a 1964 date code, indicates that Little Bohemia was still operating and reordering china at that time.
Maddock Pottery produced Lamberton china crested "Little Bohemia" in red orange letters. Two orange pin lines flank the logo. A fragment of this logo was uncovered in one of the Maddock dump sites. Albert Pick & Co., Chicago, is shown as distributor on the backstamp.
McNicol China made this china crested with "Little Bohemia" in black. This version has red and green lines at the border, with a green line at the verge. Pick marketed it with their Liberty Vitrified China trademark.
Walker China produced two versions for Little Bohemia. An order date coded for 1933 contains the name in black, with two green rim lines. China made in 1957 has red and green rim lines, and a green verge line. This order included covered sugar bowls. The order date coded for 1964 has the same crest and lines.
Sources:
Chicago Tribune – Jan. 27, 1919, pg. 17, article about crime outside Little Bohemia
Chicago Tribune – April 11, 1920, owner Welky trading for apartment
Libertyville Independent – Sept. 7, 1922, pg. 8, Frank Lake, former proprietor
Decatur Daily Review – March 18, 1922, pg. 1, Wanatka charged with murder
Chicago Tribune – Sept. 16, 1926, Sep 16, Terry Druggan
Chicago Tribune – Oct. 14, 1928, pg. 144, animal heads for sale
Chicago Tribune – March 2, 1930, pg. 125, restaurant for rent
Chicago Tribune – May 25, 1930, Wisconsin estate for sale
Chicago Tribune – June 4, 1931, pg.3, bartender shot during robbery
Dining in Chicago – 1931, pg. 52-54, book by John Drury
The Capital Times – April 23, 1934 – Outlaw Holds Resort 3 Days In Wisconsin
Alton Evening Telegraph – April 24, 1934, pg.1, gang holdup of Lodge
The Journal Times – July 3, 1934, full-page ad about grand opening
Gibson City Courier – Oct. 29, 1936, October 29, pg. 8, museum at lodge
Chicago Tribune – June 18, 1950, pg. 100, Manitowish lodge for sale
Chicago Tribune – March 3, 1959, pg.25, Janek, first owner, 1919
Joe and Jean Archie collection – 1949, exterior photograph
Contributor:
Larry Paul, author