February 9, 2004 – The Iowa City Press Citizen prints a front-page story on The Hilltop Tavern as it celebrates 70 years of serving Iowa City.
When Joseph A. Helmer opened Helmer’s Grocery at the turn-of-the-century, there were plenty of taverns around Iowa City. But by 1933, after 17 years of Prohibition across Iowa, Helmer realized that obtaining a Class B liquor license could push his sales through the roof. By 1936, he opened Helmer’s Tavern, renaming it, in 1937, The Hilltop Tavern, and now, here we are, nearly 90 years later, and The Hilltop is still going strong.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS IOWA STORY HERE
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