January 1974: at the height of gay liberation, River Queen operators open a "self service" bathhouse of their own: Club Health Spa (225 E. St. Paul Ave.) Clients collect keys at the River Queen bar across the street. #lgbthistory (1/)

The Club Health Spa advertised itself as "the Midwest's most elaborate bath, featuring private rooms, lockers, steam room, exercise room, TV lounge, game room, dancing, food and drink, and a sun room." Most remarkable, all of this was housed in a quiet, midblock building. (2/)

Club Health Spa was an profitable pioneer in the bathhouse scene, even ahead of Club Baths (704 W. Wisconsin) and Broadway Health Spa (158 N. Broadway.) But the River Queen was experiencing intense police harassment, which wound up closing both the bathhouse and the bar. (3/)

A formal police inquest launched in 1976, but ultimately no officers were charged. River Queen reopened as the Side Door disco later that year, followed by Sharon's Jazz Club in 1977. The S.S. River Queen briefly returned in 1978, followed by Jocks in 1979. Nothing lasted. (4/)

It's impossible to believe now, but in 1976, the Milwaukee Common Council discussed designating the Historic Third Ward as a "combat zone" filled with "red light" businesses. Thankfully, influential residents spoke out and ultimately created today's @ThirdWardMKE. (5/)

Looking back, it's inspiring that the River Queen (1969-1976,) the Wreck Room (1972-1996,) the Factory Disco (1973-1982) and the M&M Club (1976-2006) were able to form Milwaukee's third (and most warmly remembered) "fruit loop" by the mid-70s. We were all #borntoolate! (6/)

The River Queen was located in the Cross Keys Hotel (400 N. Water St.) a historic landmark that was never respected as such. The Cross Keys (built 1843) housed many founding fathers when they first arrived. It was one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, structures in the city. (7/)

Aside from historian H.Russell Zimmerman, few cared about the hotel's historic value. It was remembered as the Crystal Palace, a jovial singalong piano bar (and gay haven) of the 1960s. Oddly, it avoided demolition during 794, unlike The Black Nite directly across the river. (8/)

Cross Keys was old, abused, neglected and, like many contemporaries, "one sneeze from falling into the river." On Nov. 28, 1979, it burnt beyond repair, and was razed in May 1980 after 127 years on the corner. The rumors of the River Queen's resurrections finally ended. (9/)

The fire started on the first floor, consumed $200,000 in damages, and took 100 firefighters to extinguish. The famous River Queen mural was destroyed. No cause was ever determined. The corner of Water & St. Paul sat empty until the @MKEPublicMarket opened May 2005. (10/)

Forty-six years later, we're certain no trace of the Club Health Spa remains anywhere within 225 E. St. Paul Ave. The building now houses a @ColectivoCoffee on the ground floor and various offices on upper floors, its owners unaware of its long-ago role in #lgbthistory. (/11)

For more information about the legendary Cross Keys Hotel, including the infamous River Queen years, visit https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/theriverqueenhistory. #lgbthistory