Omaha Exploration

Long before it became known as The Run, the building at 17th and Leavenworth was Howell & Sons grocery store. Built by Civil War veteran Thomas G. Howell, he built the two-story brick building in 1889 after moving from his native Pennsylvania.

After Thomas had passed away in 1912, the neighborhood grocery store was operated by his sons Myron and Burt. At that point it was renamed the Howell Brothers. The store was known for its unusual assortment of goods that ranged from grocery items such as meat to hardware.

The pair ran the store together until 1934 when Myron passed away. Living in one of the upstairs apartments, Burt kept it going as a way to pass the time until his own death in 1945. Starting at the store when he was just 15, Burt is most often associated with it due to his longevity. Earning a reputation for his kindness and generosity, he oftentimes offered the upstairs apartments free of rent to friends in need. The man that served a generation of kids attending the the nearby Leavenworth School passed away in 1945.

Around 1946 John O’Neill who opened O’Neill’s Bar. The bar was relatively short lived as James Carville whose brothers operated Carville’s Bar (which later became Bud Olson’s Bar) and The Elbow Room opened the Clover Leaf Bar in 1949.

It remained as the Clover Leaf after William F. (Gunner) Brown took it over in 1958 and operated it until his death in 1983. During that time, the bar established itself as a gay friendly establishment as far back as the 1960s. This was at a time when the police raided gay bars and the public was suspicious and scared of gay men so its no surprise that it offered a safe space behind locked door in the basement that also allowed for a quick getaway in the event of a raid.

When Mark Holzapfel took it over in 1983, it was renamed the Omaha Mining Company (OMC). More commonly referred to as The Run – a nickname that I suspect was inspired by the name of Omaha’s historic gay district that surrounded the bar. The area known as “The Milk Run” extended from 16th Street to 18th and from Jackson to Leavenworth. Within its borders were three other gay friendly establishments: Diamond Bar, Cave under the Hill and Stage Door.

OMC became an extremely popular hangout in the 1980s due to its accepting environment and the fact that it offered after hours dancing until 4 AM even though alcohol sales ceased at 1. The city unsuccessfully attempted to eliminate after hours dancing numerous times.

As the practice of gay bashing increased, OMC was selected as the site of a rally designed to raise awareness with the ultimate goal of passing a hate crime bill that included gay people in 1991. The bar and the area around it long suffered from violent crime including not only gay bashing but stabbings, robberies, and shootings. The lack of a police presence and coverage in the media made it an easy target for those targeting gays.

While Mark passed away in 2004 awaiting a liver transplant, his legacy continued to live on. He sold the business to Terry Tippit who owned it until 2014. According to the assessor current owner is Joseph Allen.

With a sign that reads “Omaha’s oldest gay bar”, it was described in an Omaha World-Herald review as a “fun, inclusive, working class dive bar”. Dancing remains popular – so much so that in 2011 a storage area was converted to an even larger mirrored dance floor. The bar encompasses three stories while the basement space is now a party room called The Mineshaft.

Content written by Omaha Exploration. Feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion. Until then, keep exploring!

More pictures

Omaha Exploration is sponsored by

Click here to contact me if you’re interested in sponsoring OE.