Heard of this one?

Sheldon J

Hero Member
Jul 18, 2009
897
599
Battle Creek, Mi
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Mine lab, Garrett, Bounty Hunter,
An story related to me by an old timer, back in the day there was a bar, the building is still there I am told but it was a big Chicago gangster stop off point, Capone and all the boys were said to have hung out there... Some place in the southern part of the state is all I know....
 

Nov 8, 2011
1
0
Primary Interest:
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Twin Lake, MI possibly. I thinks he also had a house on Fox lake which is located in Twin Lake
 

mjc_lakedweller

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Nov 14, 2011
604
151
Kzoo County, MI
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I have heard of a similar story about a place in Battle Creek. An old timer told me of a place where Capone's cronies would distribute liquor out of this location. Both money and liquor from Chicago where apparently stored at this location. I am still trying to coax the old timer to give me a precise location.
 

drewan29

Sr. Member
Apr 2, 2010
293
20
Toivola,MI
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Minelab Excal II 1000 Ace 250 Whites Prizm 3
Heard of this also up here in the U.P. Calumet area also was supposed to be tunnels running under calumet because of Capone. :icon_scratch:
 

jglunt

Sr. Member
Feb 15, 2005
293
3
On the big Muskegon River in W. Michigan
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There are a lot of stories out there about various hangouts for the mob, particularly Al Capone. During prohibition (there were no obvious bars, as such) most of the drinking spots and hangouts for the gang were in private homes or farms scattered throughout Michigan and Illinois. Most of these places were owned by gang members, their families or friends of gang members and were used as a place for R & R until the heat was off.


live free or die
 

brctom1

Jr. Member
Feb 4, 2012
22
6
Florida
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I have heard the same type of rumors down here in Branch county (Mi.).
There was a story that there was a barn used to hide Thompson Sub machine guns for Capone.
Not sure of the validity. I will ask my neighbor if he has heard any of these stories.
He has been in the area all his life, and I am sure he could give me the "Skinny" on it.

Tom
 

lcgerard001

Greenie
Feb 28, 2012
16
4
Bay City, Michigan
Primary Interest:
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I know there was the graceland ballroom in lupton Mi up by Rosecity. It burned down years ago and i belive is now on private property but not exatly sure. the GL ballroom has supposed to be conected with the purple gang.
 

lgsyerson

Tenderfoot
Aug 13, 2013
7
2
Primary Interest:
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Ive seen pictures of the bar in lupton before it burnt. Had thompson guns on the walls and all kinds of memorabilia. I Live in Rose City and been to where it once stood but it burnt before my time.
 

MadPoetLaw

Full Member
Feb 3, 2011
102
112
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Ace 250
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It would appear that old Al really got around to a lot of places in MIchigan. Lol. I also have heard of two such stories both in/near Davison MI. One involved a bar (gone now) that dated all the way back to pre prohibition times. It's gone now but it was still open for business back in the 80's
 

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Sheldon J

Hero Member
Jul 18, 2009
897
599
Battle Creek, Mi
Detector(s) used
Mine lab, Garrett, Bounty Hunter,
Stories from a 62 year old...
Not related to my original question but years ago when I lived in town the house across the road...
Owner had lived there for over 30 years (I was just in my early teens then) and he decided to remove some old boards on the street side basement wall and do some remodeling...
He found a door that led under the front porch that was loaded with old Prohibition era liquor bottles... He left them there and put in paneling over the door and i seriously doubt the present owners are aware of the door or the bottles.

Plus my Granddads old store has a hidden attic with old store stuff in it, another hidden door behind a wall... the building is a tax prep office now...
So how many more stories like this you think are floating about???
 

Marauder1998

Jr. Member
Jul 13, 2015
26
13
Alpena County, Michigan
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My grandpa who lives near Traverse City, Michigan was helping redo the walls of an old house and in the walls they found stacked safety deposit boxes, some still with their contents from the 1940's.
 

sonofdust

Jr. Member
Jan 30, 2014
75
79
Michigan
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Safari, Excalibur 1000
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Metal Detecting
Rose City

I was up to the Rifle River Recreation Area in Rose City for the first time this last weekend and I must say it is beautiful. The Purple Gang has some history in that area and $50.000.00 of the banks money and I believe the story goes on to say something of the sheriffs involvement?
On my way out I noticed a library on the south west corner at the light but, just my luck it was closed by the time I pulled out. The Park has a place called Lodge Lake where back in its day the rich came for a little R&R and that would put it in the same time frame as the Purple Gang.
 

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Mifarmer

Sr. Member
Jun 30, 2014
253
448
Barry county
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I know he had a spot in allegan too the building was later known to be haunted, there's a story online about how the new owners painted the building and the next morning it was back to the original color. He also had a place on gun lake.
 

Chipwa

Newbie
Sep 4, 2017
1
4
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was at the Graceland Ballroom many times before it burned down. It was a hideout for the purple gang from Detroit. I hunted deer in the area in the late '60s. At the time it operated as a bar With food. It was like a museum with gang related items.
 

Mich. Wolverine

Hero Member
Dec 12, 2008
606
413
Michigan
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This is an article from 1976 about the Graceland Ballroom.
 

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trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
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There is a church in Fullerton that is a converted house. There was a bootleggers bar in the upstairs closet. Had a foot pedal release (Hidden) and the bar rotated. When they found it it had antique glasses and decanters and Prohibition era bottles full of booze in it. Was all cherry wood and beveled mirrors.
 

Honest Samuel

Banned
Sep 23, 2015
8,814
4,969
Connecticut
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I have heard of a similar story about a place in Battle Creek. An old timer told me of a place where Capone's cronies would distribute liquor out of this location. Both money and liquor from Chicago where apparently stored at this location. I am still trying to coax the old timer to give me a precise location.
Serious: Buy him a six pack of his favorite beer.
 

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