From 1931 to 1937 Janik and his wife, Cecile, operated the Balcony Inn (Lincoln Avenue and 33rd); in 1941 they opened the Club Rogers on Forest Home Avenue, which they ran until 1950 when it was sold. In 1937 Janik was elected president of the Wisconsin Tavernkeepers Association, one of four such groups in Milwaukee, and the following year he became president of the Southside Business Men's Club. Janik also served as 11th Ward Democratic Party committeeman.
The collection consists of his microfilmed scrapbook of newspaper clippings, (1937-1956), mostly in English, regarding Janik's activities, Milwaukee taverns, liquor distribution, and items of interest to tavern owners, such as proposed early closing legislation, and competition from retail grocers. Also included in the scrapbook are scattered correspondence, a few checks and receipts, miscellaneous convention programs and membership cards, and Janik's political nomination papers.
The newspaper articles document Janik's leadership in the Milwaukee Tavern Owners' Association, the Wisconsin Tavernkeepers Association, the South Side Business Men's Club, the Polish Association of America, and the local Democratic Party, and Janik's ongoing debates with the Milwaukee Ministerial Association and the Milwaukee Safety Commission over tavern closing laws and tavern licensing. Photographs are interior tavern scenes primarily.
Correspondents include Alderman John A. Schultz and Janik's brother-in-law, John
In the folders are photographs and miscellaneous papers. The photographs generally show Janik, his wife, and friends, usually in his tavern, although there are a few family and fishing vacation photos. Many of the customers in the photos are identified, and the event and date are often given. Noteworthy among the images is a 1932 photograph of Janik's tavern showing customers drinking “moonshine” during Prohibition and a photo of the 1941 grand opening of the Club Rogers. The miscellaneous papers include a ribbon from the Tavern League of Wisconsin, a 1946 program from the Lions Club annual convention, 1944 financial records from Janik's tavern, a 1938 letter from the South Side Business Men's Club, and death information on some of the Janik family members.
