Amelio’s On The River

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Amelio’s on the River – 431 S. 5th St.

Inside this building there remains a sign of the worst disaster in the history of Logansport – the Great Flood of 1913.  By March 27th, at the height of the flood, nearly a third of Logansport was under water and all but one of its bridges were destroyed. Inside, a bronze plaque indicates the high water mark of 6 feet 3 inches.

Amelio’s first opened as a saloon in 1871, making it the city’s longest continually operating business. Part of an Italian neighborhood close to the Wabash River, canal, highway & railroad, it has been a restaurant or bar in continuous operation since its founding.

From 1919 to 1933, during Prohibition, the proprietors of the former saloon sold soft drinks instead of alcoholic beverages.  In January 1924 Nicholas Amelio began operating the establishment as Nick’s Place.  He purchased the bar in 1939.  A picture of the saloon at that time hangs by the entrance to the main bar.

In 1958 Amelio’s son Francis, who had assumed ownership, renamed the restaurant and tavern Amelio’s.  In 1982 Amelio’s sold the business, and the following year, Tom and Loretta Keplar purchased the tavern, which they continued to operate as Amelio’s until 2008 when Larry Isaacs took possession and renamed the tavern Amelio’s and Ike’s.

Paul and Deborah Ulerick purchased the historic bar and restaurant in January 2015 and renamed the old bar once again, this time to “Amelio’s on the River,” reflects its history and long-time location on the banks of the Wabash.  An article from the Pharos-Tribune newspaper regarding the purchase proudly hangs in the main bar.

Amelio’s is famous for its meatballs and steaks and has been for over 100 years, with fans from around the world

And lastly, don’t miss the bronze plaque inside the tavern that indicates the high-water mark from the Great Flood of 1913.  It will take more than that to stop Amelio’s!

Major national political figures have campaigned in Logansport, especially during the era of the “whistle-stop.”  In 1948 President Harry Truman spoke to 20,000 people at Fifth and Melbourne streets from the rear platform of a train after being introduced by Logansport native Frank McHale, while Richard Nixon, as vice-presidential nominee, spoke to a crowd at the same location in 1952.  Senator Robert F. (Bobby) Kennedy campaigned in Logansport in 1968. Forty years later, former president Bill Clinton spoke at Lincoln Middle School in the Spring of 2008 during a campaign visit for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Pop Up Art and History Trail is presented by the Cass County Visitors Bureau in partnership with Logan’s Landing, the Cass County Historical Society, the City of Logansport and Cass County Communication Network (published by Existential Media LLC) as a way to encourage residents and visitors to learn more about our community’s history and local attractions.

The Pop Up Art and History trail was funded through a Quick-Impact Placebased Grant from the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

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