Old Detroit Bars

[Bodybagging]

This may be a strange thread but Growing up in Cass Corridor in the 1970s and having a Bar Maid/Manager for a mother, I was quite the little bar brat where I was constantly underfoot and running about. I met the most interesting people during those times and witnessed a lot of crap that most kids thankfully are never exposed to.
Just curious if any one has any interesting stories or pictures of any of these old Detroit bars.

Sabbs 2nd and Peterboro across from Forbidden city
Ducat lounge 2nd or 3rd st.
Sweethearts Selden?
Jumbos 3rd
The Envoy 2nd across from the Masonic Temple, was a quaint lil basement bar
The Horseshoe 3rd
Anderson Garden Temple near Cass
The Temple Cass near Temple
Henrys
The Golden Dollar Cass
Bob and Bettys 2nd and Mrytle- MLK
Charlottes Lounge was named something else prior to wife having her husband murdered Charlotte and Cass

I spent a great deal of my childhood in these bars, Honestly its doubtful that anyone will have much to say about them. The patrons are most likely all gone by now.

[LodgeDodger]

Henry's on Gratiot?

[Bodybagging]

Hi LD no this Henrys was or possibly still is behind the old cab company near 75

[terryh]

Northern Lights Lounge on Milwaukee was at one time Leiters Lounge owned by Purple gangster Charles Leiter.

[Bodybagging]

When I was a little boy we lived above a elderly couple, Thomas and Katie , the story was he was in the purple gang and although in his 70s I witnessed him kill two much younger would be robbers behind our apartment building after they had bashed him in the head with a brick. The police came arrested him, and soon released him because of it being self defense. he was an amazing old man and his wife was perfect.

[kibitzerkin]

Northern Lights Lounge on Milwaukee was at one time Leiters Lounge owned by Purple gangster Charles Leiter.

Hi Terry, That's interesting info, I will have to research that. Prior to Northern Lights, my friends opened the place as Tandem. I help them remodel it in the late 80's

[RickBeall]

Hi BodyBagging, it sounds like you should be the one sharing the great stories with us!

As a student, I remember Anderson's Garden as a notorious hooker bar in the 1970's. I also remember after that phase of its life was over I attended a presentation on the dangers of nuclear war that was put on by the 5th Estate political paper there.

[Lily]

Hi BodyBagging, it sounds like you should be the one sharing the great stories with us!

As a student, I remember Anderson's Garden as a notorious hooker bar in the 1970's. I also remember after that phase of its life was over I attended a presentation on the dangers of nuclear war that was put on by the 5th Estate political paper there.

the Fifth Estate....wow...old and almost forgotten memory in the Cass Ave, John Sinclair, Grande part of my brain

[Bodybagging]

Rick I believe you are right about the Anderson Garden, I think it was located on the second floor of the Hotel FortWayne, and I suppose possibly making it subject to easily available rooms and Hookers. My mother did a brief stint there as a manager and I was only allowed to visit her a few times.

[alkiwat]

wasn't the Willis Show Bar across from Anderson Gardens ----This was hooker central -- What a great time with the ladies coming thru the front door every few minutes --Nearby hotel rooms [in fact one hotel shared a lot with one of them] were in the $3 to $5 range if I remember --- certainly not much more!

[daisy]

I currently operate the Bagley Bar located on Bagley between Clifford and Grand River. We are a store front bar and part of the Michigan Building [[location of the old Michigan Theatre). I am interested in the background of the bars at this location. I know it was known as the Cracker Barrel, Skippers and previously Lorrys Lounge. Does anyone have any information when it was Lorrys Lounge and prior to that time?

[lit joe]

1965 was a great year. My mother managed collage manor on third & prenttis. A couple of the willis dancers live there. I worked for a beverage co. called sweet sixteen over on canfield. The owners son drove I was the helper. We service every low class dive around.I can't forget most had trap door that led to the basement, guess who lugged them down. Those cases of sweet sixteen all bottles got a little heavy. While he B'S with the owners. The willis show bar was always hoppin with alot of robberys outside at night. They walked out and on the way to the car, Bam right up side the head. Rolling the drunks a past time back then. Anyone remember oh oh Inn on sceond Donald Woo was the owners son, got the frist 409 chevy around. I now live in texas but never forget that neighborhood. The roller rink on Woodward friday night white night, saturday night black night. Any thing you wanted for a price, any some paid dearly.

[jptrs]

Does any one remember the Children of God coffee house right next to the Willis Show Bar? We would go to sleep hearing the beat of the strip music. Years later me and some friends would hang out there and talk to the hookers, then they would get angry cause we weren't buying just wasting their time. Anderson gardens was across the street, I guess that's where you would go with them.

[Jody]

Anderson's was across the street from the Willis. The prostitutes at the Willis made a lot more than those at Anderson's. Also, these women were no fools. They had great paying day jobs. Not all, but some. One of them was a highly paid secretary to an attorney downtown. She would steal high end clothes in her "spare" time and sell them. Her pimp rode around in his limo wearing his full length mink, and all his gold and diamonds, collecting money from her and all her "sisters" every night. These girls would have many of the high paying johns that would spend hundreds for "strange" requests. To get things over with quick, they would go to the apartment building on Willis that got paid nicely for their time.

[jimmio]

I worked the hotel desk at the wilcrest next to andersons in 1979 and 1980

[EastsideAl]

This may be a strange thread but Growing up in Cass Corridor in the 1970s and having a Bar Maid/Manager for a mother, I was quite the little bar brat where I was constantly underfoot and running about. I met the most interesting people during those times and witnessed a lot of crap that most kids thankfully are never exposed to.
Just curious if any one has any interesting stories or pictures of any of these old Detroit bars.

Sabbs 2nd and Peterboro across from Forbidden city
Ducat lounge 2nd or 3rd st.
Sweethearts Selden?
Jumbos 3rd
The Envoy 2nd across from the Masonic Temple, was a quaint lil basement bar
The Horseshoe 3rd
Anderson Garden Temple near Cass
The Temple Cass near Temple
Henrys
The Golden Dollar Cass
Bob and Bettys 2nd and Mrytle- MLK
Charlottes Lounge was named something else prior to wife having her husband murdered Charlotte and Cass

I spent a great deal of my childhood in these bars, Honestly its doubtful that anyone will have much to say about them. The patrons are most likely all gone by now.

I was in most of these places back in the late '70s and early '80s. I also remember some other Corridor bars, like the one on Cass just north of Myrtle [[the Kibitzer?) where I saw a guy get shot dead, the one on Selden where Honest John's is now [[which I think was just called Selden, but I don't remember ever seeing a sign) that was hooker central, the Comet and the Bahamas down closer to Cass Tech, and the immortal Willis Show Bar.

I also remember Cobb's Corner, of course, which was maybe the best little Detroit jazz bar ever. Wasn't the Charlotte Bar once known as the Gaiety, or something like that? I was in there a few times and remember the guy. He had a collection of belt buckles on the wall and served cans of sardines with crackers.

There was once a bar in a dilapidated old house on [[I think) Cass where my great-uncle and aunt used to hang out. It had a man's and woman's name [[like Bob and Betty, but not them) and sometimes the folks would entertain with some piano numbers. I was in there was as a young teen and remember only old folks, smoke, and an improbably sagging floor. It disappeared sometime in the early '70s and I've been trying to recall the place for years. Anybody?

[kibitzerkin]

My Grandfather owned the Kibitzer on Cass from about 1937-1964, and had to sell it due to health reasons. My Dad used to drive me by the place in the early 70's and tell me some great stories about the patrons that often sat for a drink. Anyone that could share some information or stories, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Gin2Sin]

Where Honest John’s was originally Elmer’s Bar! Bob & Betties was in the Building on Second Ave. right next to Fred’s Key Shop. I think the Bar everyone is referring to as Henry’s is really Harry’s on the 75 Service Drive. Another Bar was The Park Henry Bar which became The 2500 Club and is now AFB! Jumbos Bar, The Temple Bar, Al’s King of Clubs. Inside the Old Fort Wayne Hotel on the First floor there was The Burgundy Lounge, in the 40’s to about the mid 60’s it was a steak house, then it became a neighborhood bar. Butches Bar on Park Ave. was owned and operated by the Purple Gang, and its whore house was up stairs. We also had The Gold Dollar which was a Drag Bar from the 40’s to about 1992, We also had Pat’s Place, The Charlotte Lounge which was originally the Gaiety, These are just some of the over 100 Bars that were in Cass Corridor.

[candee]

I was in most of these places back in the late '70s and early '80s. I also remember some other Corridor bars, like the one on Cass just north of Myrtle [[the Kibitzer?) where I saw a guy get shot dead, the one on Selden where Honest John's is now [[which I think was just called Selden, but I don't remember ever seeing a sign) that was hooker central, the Comet and the Bahamas down closer to Cass Tech, and the immortal Willis Show Bar.

I also remember Cobb's Corner, of course, which was maybe the best little Detroit jazz bar ever. Wasn't the Charlotte Bar once known as the Gaiety, or something like that? I was in there a few times and remember the guy. He had a collection of belt buckles on the wall and served cans of sardines with crackers.

There was once a bar in a dilapidated old house on [[I think) Cass where my great-uncle and aunt used to hang out. It had a man's and woman's name [[like Bob and Betty, but not them) and sometimes the folks would entertain with some piano numbers. I was in there was as a young teen and remember only old folks, smoke, and an improbably sagging floor. It disappeared sometime in the early '70s and I've been trying to recall the place for years. Anybody?

the name of the bar in the old house was Buddy and Jimmy's on Cass Avenue.

[EastsideAl]

the name of the bar in the old house was Buddy and Jimmy's on Cass Avenue.

A picture inside Buddy and Jimmy's, showing Buddy herself and the "band" can be seen here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=p7G...etroit&f=false

Here's a vintage matchbook cover:



And here, weirdly, is a Buddy & Jimmy's birthday card, from a Facebook page about old Detroit postcards:

https://www.facebook.com/PostcardsFr...ef=nf&filter=1

[jimmio]

I was desk clerk at the wilcrest hotel next to andersons

[Fwrudedog]

Park Ave Bar on Park & Charlotte. My parents used to go there and my dad would play the guitar and I would play under the table.

[Fwrudedog]

Another bar left out was Bill Baileys Bar @ 414 Brainard. I always knew it as the 414 Bar. Then the Red Dog Bar @ 700 Selden. Also the Shooter's Bar @ 3657 3rd Street. What about Ken's Lounge @ 3930 Cass Ave.

[Trickrk]

Hello,
trying to see if anyone has any information on a bar that was on Jefferson back in the 60's and I am guessing early 70's.
I believe the bar was called The Club 49. The owner was Nick Colby or Kolby and I think his wife's name was Dee, I believe them to have had a son named Kelly.
To my best recollection, Nick the owner was shot and killed at the bar.
I have vague memories of Nick, the smoky bar and Nick's trophy room filled with stuffed animal heads. At some point in my early life my family lived in the roof top apartment above the bar.

After Nick's death I believe the bar was sold and later came a gay bar by the same name.

[EastsideAl]

Hello,
trying to see if anyone has any information on a bar that was on Jefferson back in the 60's and I am guessing early 70's.
I believe the bar was called The Club 49. The owner was Nick Colby or Kolby and I think his wife's name was Dee, I believe them to have had a son named Kelly.
To my best recollection, Nick the owner was shot and killed at the bar.
I have vague memories of Nick, the smoky bar and Nick's trophy room filled with stuffed animal heads. At some point in my early life my family lived in the roof top apartment above the bar.

After Nick's death I believe the bar was sold and later came a gay bar by the same name.

I remember that bar on Jefferson. It was right down the street from where one of my best friends lived, near the car wash [[that's now the party store), the vet we used to take our dogs and cats to, and across from the Jeffersonian. My friend's father used to go there back when the folks you're talking about must have owned it. But I didn't know about the shooting. I remember it primarily from its days as a [[whispered-about) gay bar. The old gay guy who lived at my corner and bunch of his elderly buddies used to hang out there.