303 Dodge Street (Racine, Wisconsin)

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303 Dodge Street
Map
General information
TypeRestaurant
Location303 Dodge Street
Racine, Wisconsin
Coordinates42°44′03″N 87°47′02″W / 42.73422°N 87.78385°W / 42.73422; -87.78385Coordinates: 42°44′03″N 87°47′02″W / 42.73422°N 87.78385°W / 42.73422; -87.78385
Construction started1965[1]
OwnerWilliam and Charlotte Pugh (revocable trust)[1]

303 Dodge Street is a restaurant building along the northern bank of the Root River in Racine, Wisconsin. Formerly an automobile service and gas station, the building's address was originally 1001 North Main Street. After the Main Street Bridge was replaced in 1996, the property was no longer easily accessible from Main Street, so the address was changed and the gas station was converted into a restaurant building. Like the neighboring restaurant building at 209 Dodge Street and the nearby Pugh Marina, the building is owned by the Pugh family.

History[edit | edit source]

Theodore Bidwell applied for a license to operate a gasoline filling station at 1001 North Main Street in February 1942.[2] Wiese Auto Sales, a car dealership based across the street at 1101 North Main Street, used the area as part of its business in the mid-1940s.[3] The Pugh Oil Company applied for another license to operate a gasoline filling station at the same site in September 1949.[4] L. A. Richards[5] operated a filling station, Richards Super Service, at the location around 1950.[6]

Stan R. Trucker applied for another license at the same address in September 1951,[7] with which he operated what became known as Stan's Super Service Station,[8] later Stan's Pugh Station. The filling station building, which is still standing and used today as part of the restaurant building, was built in 1965.[1]

The Landing (1983–1996)[edit | edit source]

The next operator of the filling station, Dale Coleman, added Captain Dale's, a sporting goods shop, to the property. Coleman leased the property from Pugh Coal Company on a month-to-month basis, until Pugh broke the lease. Coleman sued Pugh over the lease breakage in January 1983.[9] Later that year, Pugh had a dispute with the city of Racine, over the city's use of another leased Pugh property to house its water safety patrol. In response, Richard Pugh suggested housing the patrol in the building at 1001 North Main Street, on which he had already been planning to build an addition.[10]

Pugh converted the building into The Landing, a combined automobile filling and service station, convenience and sporting goods store, and boat chartering service in 1983.[11] On the morning of January 15, 1987, a gasoline pump caught fire after a motorist accidentally attempted to drive away with the nozzle still attached to his car, requiring the nearby Main Street Bridge to be temporarily closed.[12]

The Landing closed on June 3, 1996, in anticipation of the demolition and replacement of the Main Street Bridge, immediately south of the building. Because the new bridge was designed to be higher than the old one, reducing the need for it to be opened for boat traffic, Main Street in front of the building was raised by four feet, cutting off the building's driveway. The city of Racine stated that it was willing to build a new driveway, but Pugh stated that the new layout would have a negative impact on business and chose to use the building for a new kind of business.[13]

Livingston's Landing (1997–2006)[edit | edit source]

In September 1996, during the bridge construction, William Pugh received permission to expand the former gas station building, adding 1,370 square feet (127 m2) to fit the building's new use as a restaurant.[14] After the new bridge was completed, the Pughs moved Dr. Livingstone's, a restaurant they operated at 230 Main Street, into the former service station. The new restaurant was known as Livingston's Landing, a combination of the names of "Dr. Livingstone's" and "The Landing". The restaurant's bar opened on May 15, 1997, with lunch service beginning on May 19 and its first Friday fish fry taking place on May 23. [15]

Sandpiper's Waterfront Grill (2006–2009)[edit | edit source]

The owners of Danny Palms, a restaurant at 2322 Lathrop Avenue, opened their second restaurant Sandpiper's Waterfront Grill in the former Livingston's Landing building on June 16, 2006.[16][17]

John's Dock (2009–2018)[edit | edit source]

John Dunk opened a restaurant and tavern, John's Dock, on Labor Day This is a link to a Wikipedia article (September ), 2009. The restaurant also included a bar called Ben's Beach Bar, operated by John Dunk's son Ben. After nine years in operation, the Pughs did not renew Dunk's lease in 2018, saying that they intended to redevelop the property. The restaurant's final day of business was September 23, 2018, but Dunk stated that he was looking to reopen the restaurant at a new location.[18] Dunk ultimately opened a new establishment, Dunk's Public House, at 3207 Washington Avenue in the West Racine in November 2019.[19]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 303 DODGE ST, City of Racine Property Information cityofracine.org
  2. ↑ Common Council Official Proceedings, Item 24, Racine Journal Times, February 7, 1942, page 10.
  3. ↑ Advertisement, Racine Journal Times, June 10, 1944, page 8.
  4. ↑ License Committee, Item 27, Common Council Official Proceedings, Racine Journal Times, September 23, 1949, page 14.
  5. ↑ License Committee, Item 35, Common Council Official Proceedings, Racine Journal Times, January 20, 1950, page 16.
  6. ↑ Advertisement, Racine Journal Times, June 16, 1950, page 26.
  7. ↑ License Committee, Item 33, Common Council Official Proceedings, Racine Journal Times, September 7, 1951, page 17.
  8. ↑ Advertisement, Racine Journal Times, August 21, 1957, page 32.
  9. ↑ "Courts", Racine Journal Times, January 18, 1983, page 5A.
  10. ↑ Sharma-Jensen, Geeta. "County wants to buy Water Patrol site", Racine Journal Times, April 5, 1983, page 4A.
  11. ↑ French, Rod. "Three rescued in lake: Wave overturns fishing boat", Racine Journal Times, May 30, 1983, page 1A and 2A.
  12. ↑ "Gasoline fire blocks traffic", Racine Journal Times, January 15, 1987, front page.
  13. ↑ Burke, Michael. "Weather slows bridge job", Racine Journal Times, June 8, 1996, page 1C.
  14. ↑ Buttweiler, Joe. "Riverside restaurant passes its first test: Pugh's plan to expand The Landing gets nod from plan commission", Racine Journal Times, September 26, 1996, page 1C.
  15. ↑ Metro, Gary. "Eatery lands in new spot: Livingston's finds a comfy corner next to Chartroom", Racine Journal Times, May 20, 1997, page 1C.
  16. ↑ Burke, Michael. "Things are looking brighter in the West (Racine): On the waterfront", Racine Journal Times, June 11, 2006.
  17. ↑ Laehr Tenuta, Marci. "Nautical Nosh: Sandpipers Waterfront Grill ties it all together with good seafood, nautical decor and a great riverfront location", Racine Journal Times, September 25, 2006, page 1B.
  18. ↑ Rogan, Adam. "John's Dock restaurant and bar forced to close; hunt on for new location", Racine Journal Times, September 5, 2018.
  19. ↑ Burke, Michael. "Cheers! West Racine no longer dry with opening of Dunk's Public House", Racine Journal Times, November 22, 2019.

External links[edit | edit source]

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