History of Club Forest

The story of Club Forest begins in 1927, when the original owners, Helen and Mac McCabe, moved to the area from Chicago and established Club Forest initially as a brothel.

Located in the unincorporated community of Meehan (Town of Plover), one of Club Forest's original employees, Melvin, would be in charge of bringing girls to the establishment that had gotten off at the Meehan Station from Chicago.

With the bar frequented by such guests as Al Capone and John Dillinger, Melvin was the caregiver for the brothel girls, a task that ultimately claimed his life.

One evening, a customer was rough towards one of the girls and when Melvin interfered, the customer shot and killed him - rumor has it that Melvin still is at Club Forest keeping watch over the girls.

It's been nearly 100 years from the original opening of Club Forest and the business has changed to a family-friendly bar and eatery, but some of the remnants its beginnings remain.

The basement is a maze of staircases that ultimately lead nowhere, which some speculate led to underground tunnels to under the tracks in the past - the innocent looking "Packer Shack" is the last of the five buildings where the girls provided "entertainment".

And, of course, Melvin watches over the girls and lets the staff know he's present by occasionally turning machines, such as the jukebox, on and off.

We hope you come and visit Club Forest and enjoy a bit of history along with a delicious meal and an ice cold beverage.