[1] Located at 3714 South Halsted Street, the Pump was opened in 1881 by George “Harvey” Schaller and was owned and operated by the founder’s descendants until its closure in 2017.

[2][3] Schaller opened his pub at the intersection of 37th and Halsted Streets, in the then mostly German Hamburg section of Bridgeport, just a few blocks from the Union Stockyards.

[5][6] Some resources indicate that Schaller's “Pump” designation dates back to Prohibition, when the two-story brick building housed a speakeasy,[7] and beer was allegedly pumped in from a brewery next door (the Ambrosia Brewing Co.) directly to the beer taps at Schaller’s, enabling its bartenders to reduce on-hand inventory.

Across the street from Schaller’s is the 11th Ward Democratic headquarters, which made Schaller’s the unofficial headquarters for Bridgeport’s legacy of Chicago mayors, including Edward Joseph Kelly (1933–47), Martin H. Kennelly (1947–55), Richard J. Daley (1955–76), Michael Anthony Bilandic (1976-79), and Richard M. Daley (1989-2011).

[5][7][6][9][10][11] Scenes from the 1948 movie Call Northside 777, starring James Stewart, were filmed inside and across the street from Schaller’s.