1920's New York City History
If you’re familiar with the series, you know I always love to share some of my research and a few tunes from the Roaring Twenties.
Let’s start with Chumley’s Tavern, which was, indeed, a former speakeasy located at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village. Leland Stanford Chumley, a socialist activist, converted a blacksmith’s shop into a pub in 1922, and it became a favorite spot for influential writers, such as F. Fitzgerald Scott and Ernest Hemingway, along with poets, playwrights, journalists, and activists.
The Barrow Street entrance had no exterior sign and was located within a nondescript courtyard, while the Bedford Street entrance was also unmarked. Inside, Chumley's was equipped with trapdoors and secret stairs. It is also rumored that the term ‘86’ originated when the police would kindly call ahead and instruct the bartender to '86' his customers, meaning they should exit via the 86 Bedford door.
Next, did you know Paul Revere, the famous American patriot who rode through the streets at midnight on April 18, 1775, alerting everyone the British forces were coming, was the nation’s first forensic dentist? In 1768, at the age of 34, Paul Revere placed advertisements in the Boston Gazette offering dental services such as cleaning and replacing lost teeth with artificial teeth made from ivory and animal teeth.
One of his patients was Dr. Joseph Warren. During the Battle of Bunker Hill, the British shot and killed Dr. Warren and buried him in a mass grave without his uniform or identification. After the British evacuated Boston, Paul Revere and Warren’s brothers went to the battlefield to look for him. They found a grave with two unrecognizable bodies. Paul Revere identified Dr. Warren by the walrus tooth and the wire that he had used to replace a missing tooth. Dr. Warren was given a proper funeral and buried in a marked grave.
Many of you are familiar with the Pinkerton Agency, founded by Allan Pinkerton, who tracked down famous outlaws such as Jesse James, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Kate Warne was the first female Pinkerton agent in 1860. She became known as a master of assumed identities and was instrumental in thwarting an assassination plot against President Abraham Lincoln. If you’d like to read more about her brave feats, here is a link: Kate Warne - Wikipedia
While reading about female spies and agents, I found this a little annoying. There were many female spies on both the north and south side of the Civil War, and Kate Warne, along with the Lady Pinkertons, proved women were perfectly capable of detective work. There were also many policewomen during the early 1900s. Despite all that, the secret service, CIA, and BOI (later known as the FBI) refused to hire female agents. During the 1920s, three women were hired by the BOI, but after only three to four months of service, J. Edgar Hoover asked for their resignations claiming there was ‘no particular work for a female agent’. The first two permanent female FBI agents weren’t hired until 1972.
Lastly, let’s listen to some fun songs! I included a few tunes from the Song List in Blackjack, along with tunes that were at the top of the chart in the early 1920s. Paul Whiteman’s recording of Chicago in 1922 includes some great photos.
Paul Whiteman - Chicago (That Toddling Town) 1922 - YouTube
John McCormack - The Barefoot Trail - YouTube
Al Jolson - Angel Child (1922) - YouTube
Marion Harris - I Ain't Got Nobody 1920 Version - YouTube
Billy Jones: Yes! We Have No Bananas (1923) - YouTube
Have a glorious summer!