But If You Do .......

Omah Clarke's Bar

Naples early watering hole

I did know Mrs. Clarke very well and would run into her almost every day in the post office. She was very apologetic about her husband running a bar, and seemed happy when it was sold and torn down in the late '50s. Omah Clarke was obviously apologetic about selling "likker." The sign in front of the bar read: "Don't Drink, But If You Do, Buy It Here."

Omah started in the booze business during Prohibition. He owned a filling station, and behind it was a thicket of palmettoes. The liquor would be stashed in the thicket, and customers would make their purchases at the gas station. When Prohibition ended, Omah came out of the palmettoes and opened the bar and tavern. There was also a small restaurant in the tavern, but the main attraction was the Saturday night dance where nearly everyone in town gathered. There were fishermen, painters, well diggers and other blue collar workers dancing with any women who happened to be in the bar. Occasionally some of the winter people would drop in at Omah's place just for the fun of it.

I was at Clarke's only once. I went with Peg Bradley, who wanted to see the place. We had just seated ourselves at a table when a big, burly, curly headed guy came over and asked Peg to dance. As they twirled to the tune on the juke box, he asked, "Honey, I ain't never seen you around. You live in Naples, or are you one of them tourists?" Peg, who lived on Gordon Drive and owned the Zita shop, handled the whole thing with great aplomb. "Sure, I live here," she replied. "I work in a dress shop."