Lima in Allen County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Oliver's
⎯⎯⎯
Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill

Arts & Culture • Lima, OH

— Lima's Local History Hunt —

Oliver's / Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, April 25, 2026

1. Oliver's / Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill Marker

Inscription. First opened in 1946 by Judge David Oliver, Oliver's stood out not just as a nightlife destination but also as a rare space during a segregated era that welcomed both black and white patrons. Oliver's hosted performances by local luminaries like jazz legend Joe Henderson, among others, and transformed Oliver's into a cultural hub for live music in Lima. Over the years, Oliver's has changed ownership and names, currently Boilermaker Restaurant and Grill, remaining Lima's oldest Black-owned restaurant and bar.

Erected 2026 by America 250-Ohio Commission. (Marker Number 3.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the America 250: Ohio Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.

Location. 40° 44.334′ N, 84° 6.138′ W. Marker is in Lima, Ohio, in Allen County. It is at the intersection of South Central Avenue and East Spring Street, on the right when traveling south on South Central Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 129 S Central Ave, Lima OH 45801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Interurban Era (about 400 feet away, measured

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in a direct line); a different marker also named The Interurban Era (about 500 feet away); Madelon's Way (about 500 feet away); The Inn (about 600 feet away); The boulder before you was recovered from the debris field in Shanksville, PA (about 600 feet away); The limestone before you was recovered from the western facade of the Pentagon in Arlington, VA (about 600 feet away); The steel before you was recovered from Ground Zero in New York City (about 600 feet away); Allen County 9/11 Memorial (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lima.

Also see . . . Lima's Local History Hunt. (Submitted on April 26, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)

Oliver's / Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, April 25, 2026

2. Oliver's / Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill

America 250-Ohio Commission image. Click for full size.

Photographed by America 250-Ohio Commission

3. America 250-Ohio Commission

Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 26, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. 3. submitted on April 30, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

Oliver's⎯⎯⎯Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill

Arts & Culture • Lima, OH

— Lima's Local History Hunt —

Oliver's
⎯⎯⎯
Boilermaker Restaurant & Grill