Bootlegging crossing spots on the river

[Triumphdetroit]

Does anyone have any solid information on where most bootlegging traffic was going on? I've researched reports that they were more down towards Fighting Island, but then hear about some coming from Walkerville area... I'm working on a documentary about the Detroit River and need some blanks filled. We plan to go dive on the crossing sites this spring-summer.

[Magnatomicflux]

Fighting Island for sure. Lasalle was a major rumrunning spot, as the old Hoffer [[Hoffman?) brewery was built specifically for this purpose. It would be hard to narrow down a solid spot in Lasalle, but alot of the little canals running inland were built for running booze. Lots of booze left right from Windsor's Government docks between Ouellette and Bruce in full sight. Since we wern't allowed to ship to America, the boxes would be labeled "to Cuba", which in all reality ment Detroit. These little boats, litterally one outboard motor would just pull away from the docks and head across the river. Customs officials would report that the same boat had made several trips to Cuba per day! And Canada Customs wasn't going to bust the guy, the Government was making a killing. Walkerville would be much of the same, but I suspect that alot of what was made in Walkerville just left from Windsor. One place to check in that area, would be at Hall and Riverside drive. There is avery old home there, owned by the first Mayor actually. It's Blue-ish in colour and has been built up on over the years. It was a speak easy, so check in that area. Another place would be where Lilly Kazillies is. It's a seafood resturant on the east end right at the mouth of Little River. What used to stand there was the "Edgewater Thomas Inn", a major speak easy at the time. When a new owner of the place had taken over, she had found a small stairwell, only wide enough to carry a box of beer down. She follows it and finds an old criss-craft speed boat, hanging in it's craddle in a small carved out cavern. Attached to the cavern was a blocked off tunnel that led to Little River. This is where all the booze would come and go. I would really circle Peche Island for that one. Across from the east end of Peche Island, you'll see two derilect...say 5 story brick buildings, being used as an aggrigate unload area by freighters. One of the buildings was the Riverside brewery, check around here as well. I would also check around the bar "A'Bars" at the intersection of Lauzon and Riverside Drive, right at the end of Belle Isle,another major speak easy.
On the west end, there were more. At Sandwich [[riverside drive) and Chappel, there used to sit what was known as the Chappel House [[on Bing maps birds eye, this rambling old place is still seen, it burned not long ago). Another big time speak easy. There is a canal just west of it that was built in the 1860's so steamers from Detroit could bring tourists to the Sandwich mineral springs. I would bet it was also used to bring booze to and from Chappel house. A little further down Sandwich, at Mckee road, was the Westwood Hotel, yet another major speakeasy. If you were on the water , McKee it would be just north/east of the Brighton Beach power plant. Booze probably came up that road frm the river.

I've always wanted to check the mud in the river. There's a gold mine of CC down there. Those runners would usually put the booze in burlap sacks, so if they had to throw them over because the USCG was coming, it would just sink. Later, they'd come back with a pole, or rope with a hook on it and fish the burlap sack full of bottles out of the river, and deliver the goods.

You should really pick up the book titled "The Rumrunners", by Marty Gervais. Fantastic read all about Windsor's role in the trade, written by a former Windsor Star columnest.

I know I didn't give you "solid" information, but it's the best I could do.

Good luck with your dive! I look forward to the documentary!

[Wingnatic]

I read in one of the newspapers here where divers [[maybe DPD training ? ) saw remnants of trucks/cars whatever they could use at the time on the bottom of the river between Belle Isle and Canada where bootlegging took place in winter months . Here's some stories from the Detroit News archive with the Purple Gang in a lead role lol
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...tegory=METRO07
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=8
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=181

[Triumphdetroit]

Thanks everyone! Most published accounts are generic. Most of what we've been finding is word of mouth. Water is looking clear this time of year!