Wildcats Longbranch Saloon building dates to 1850s

In the early history of Manitowoc County, Branch, originally named Lenaville, boasted many businesses and amusement places. Some of the earliest businesses included a shingle mill and logging camp, grist mill, brewery, two sawmills, and two blacksmith shops in the early 1850s.

The name change from Lenaville to Branch occurred in 1872 with the first train passing through. Railroad construction had previously been put on hold during the Civil War. The station was built in 1872. Seven passenger trains and a freight train passed through Branch daily.

One of the bustling businesses was located at 4008 Village Drive and was owned by Mary Hollar — a general store, shoe repair shop, and tavern, which would eventually bear the name Longbranch. Joe Carbon’s blacksmith shop was directly across the street, which he opened when he was 25 years old and ran until 1966.

Hollar’s business and building were sold to Frank Schaeffer in the 1870s. The shoe repair shop was eventually closed, as Schaeffer chose to focus on the store and tavern business. In 1893, Schaeffer attended the World’s Fair in Chicago, where he purchased the back bar that remains in the tavern to this day.

The bar was first housed in the Pabst Pavilion at the World’s Fair and was handcrafted by the McDermott Company for display throughout the six-month run of the fair. Schaeffer purchased the bar and had it shipped back to Branch via train, where it was pieced back together and installed.

Schaffer also built a dance hall north of the tavern, and with Frank Meisnest, a store-tavern-hotel complex on the west side of Branch.

In the 1920s, Schaeffer passed the store and tavern down to his son, Ben, who closed the general store and ran the business solely as a tavern. Ben Schaeffer ran the tavern until 1965, when he sold it to Al and Grace Hartman, who renamed the business Hartman’s Longbranch. The Hartman’s carried on the tradition of the establishment being a social gathering place, known for being a local watering hole where patrons could enjoy a burger and fries for lunch.

In 1982, Sharon (daughter of Al and Grace Hartman) and Wayne Stelzer operated the establishment as the Longbranch Saloon (at one point it was renamed Fox’s Longbranch Saloon). The dining aspect of the business was their focus, as they worked to serve homemade dishes not typically found on other restaurant menus.

In the early 1990s, Sharon and Wayne’s son, John, along with his wife, Nicole, and cousin, Dave, ran it for a few years. They upped the service to seven days a week. Upon deciding not to continue with the business, Sharon and Wayne continued to operate the establishment on Thursday and Friday evenings and a Sunday breakfast.

The Stelzers sold the establishment in June 2014 to Lisa Mueller. Lisa reopened the building in October 2014, naming it Wildcats Longbranch Saloon. October marks the five-year anniversary as Wildcats.