Thursday, January 31, 2013

What the What?

Email from Uncle Johnny,

"Hi Judy & Jennie & Jimmy, Here is the info on the lady that called 
seeking info on the brothel that Grandpa Gus was supposed to have next 
to the blacksmith shop.

Get busy Jennie , we need FACTS !!!!! A group is doing a history on 
the brothel's on the lower south side and this is what they have 
learned so far.

Grandpa had owned the house next to the shop and had an ice cream 
parlor on the ground floor and black girls upstairs. Most ot the 
customer's were black porter;s from the rail road.

He started it because he saw how much money the place across the 
street was making in there " house " !



Johnny ,"

Of course the search was on. City directories show that Gust and family lived at 303 3rd Av S. from around 1906 (no record for 1905) until 1913. By 1914 they were living at 709 2nd Ave. South. The blacksmith shop was at 301 3rd Av S., which would have been right next door.
This sketch was found on pintrest. It was pinned by the researcher, ReAnn, in Johnny's email. I've sent an email to ReAnn, requesting any info she's willing/able to share and also her sources for this information. At first glance it looks like the info was provided by J. Wiseman. He is probably a generation or two removed from the actual source and that brings his story into question. The next logical step is to do a title search on the property to see if Gust retained ownership of it for all those years. I also want to search tax rolls for those years. Hopefully will get to the bottom of this mystery soon.

http://pinterest.com/pin/65935582016421086/

 

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