09/12/2026
🚨 INDY HISTORY YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW 🚨
Before Empire Street…
Before Lucas Oil Stadium…
Before the RCA Dome…
Before the Colts ever came to Indianapolis…
People were already drinking at 419 S. West Street. 🍻
We found records showing that by at least 1900, Michael Finn was operating a saloon right here on this corner.
That means this address has been part of Indy’s bar and restaurant history for more than 125 years.
Over the decades, the names changed.
🍺 Michael Finn’s Saloon
🍽️ A restaurant during the Prohibition era
🍻 I.C. Tavern by 1951
🏁 Basey’s Road Hog Saloon
🏟️ Basey’s Downtown Grill & Spirits
👑 And now… Empire Street Bar & Grill
This building and this corner have seen generations of Indianapolis come and go.
The Hoosier Dome was built.
The Colts came to town.
The RCA Dome disappeared.
Lucas Oil Stadium rose across the street.
And 419 S. West kept doing what it’s always done…
Serving cold drinks, good food, and giving people a place to gather.
Different names.
Different generations.
Same corner.
And now we get to be part of the story.
Here’s the part we need YOUR help with:
👉 Did you ever hang out at Basey’s?
👉 Do you remember I.C. Tavern or any other bar that was here?
👉 Do you have old photos, stories, menus, matchbooks, signs, or anything from this address?
DROP THEM IN THE COMMENTS. 👇
We’re trying to piece together the full history of 419 S. West Street, and we’d love to hear from the people who actually lived it.
Tag somebody who remembers this place before Empire. 👀
📍 419 S. West St.
🏟️ Next to Lucas Oil Stadium
