Mineola's mystery solved as 65-year-old wall comes down

After the smoke had cleared and the tools were put away, a historic bar that had been buried behind an old makeshift wall for more than 65 years saw daylight for the first time.

The wall along the northern wall was torn down as promised at the Mineola Hotel and Lounge on 91 Cora Avenue in Fox Lake during a packed house Saturday night

It took about 90 minutes for Pete Jakstas Jr., to cut through two false walls, tear out plywood and dry wall, and rip out wall paper left over from the early 1940's to reveal the back bar of the original Mineola bar.

The top of the old bar had been removed long ago, Mineola owner Pete Jakstas Sr. said. The fake wall was put in front of the ceremonial back bar, and bartenders often lined bottles on it.

Jakstas said he was relieved to not only see the ceremonial piece in such great shape, but was happy something was behind the wall to begin with.

"When the first piece was removed and nothing was there, I was scared to death," he said. "But, when I saw the mirror, I was relieved. I'm glad the bar is not only there, but it's in such great shape."

Jakstas cautioned before Saturday's event this could have become another "Al Capone's Vault" adventure, similar to April 1986 when TV personality Geraldo Rivera hyped the opening of a vault once owned by Al Capone only to find it empty except for a few bottles.

But, Jakstas, a history buff and closet antique lover, hit pay dirt in his own eyes.

The two black columns located on the far left and right of the old bar show the history of the 125-year-old structure. The left side of the bar remains firmly in tact, while the right side shows a little damage from the years.

But, the scroll work on the columns as well and giant mirror sill advertising cold drinks seemed to make the unveiling worth it.

He said the back bar needs a thorough cleaning, but will look incredible when its all done.

"It was exciting," said Mary Pierce, who was invited to the unveiling Saturday. "I think its exciting to see what's behind the wall. It's historic."

Jakstas decided to knock down the wall about three weeks ago and created a private party around its unveiling.

Jakstas said his father built the false wall in 1943 when the tavern was redesigned into its current floor plan. He also said he has always wondered what was behind the wall and claimed to never take a peek behind the wall.

The public is allowed to view the artifact behind the wall starting noon Sunday, he said. Built in 1884, the Mineola is one of the largest wood structures in Illinois and was once a weekend vacation resort for mobsters and wealthy Chicago businessmen, Jakstas said. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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