Five Minute Histories: Baltimore's Corner Bars
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- čas přidán 3. 10. 2023
- Baltimore’s Corner Bars are historic neighborhood institutions and you can find them all over the city! Join us for today’s Five Minute Histories to take a look back at Baltimore’s history of saloons as more than just watering holes, but also as vital community spaces. We are thrilled to be joined by Rachel Donaldson, a curator at the @BMIatWork, to talk about the BMI's upcoming Neighborhood Corner Bar exhibit! Thanks for watching and see you next week with another video.
And please join us and the BMI on November 4 for a Neighborhood Corner Bar Walking Tour! Register here: www.thebmi.org/programs-event...
This is our series called "Five Minute Histories." Every week, we’ll record a short video about a different historic place in Baltimore and post it on our Facebook page and CZcams channel.
#baltimore #fiveminhist #saloon #bar #history #bmoreheritage #historicpreservation
Most of those Baltimore "salon's" turned into neighborhood dive bars from the 1970's through 2000's. You could still see some of their grander hidden behind the "BUD" signs back in the 80's but the insane size mirrors they all had, would be cracked, bullet proof Plexiglas was over everything, if the whole building wasn't falling down around it. No one is going to sit around at the corner bar like they did back in the day. It's a destination now.
Along with the social aspect there was a practical aspect. Before air conditioning became popular in all homes, the local bar (usually within walking distance) might have air conditioning. In Locust point, after working all day at Domino Sugar, the shipyards, the B&O railroad, just to name a few, a man might want to relax in the comfort of the AC. He might go over for a couple of beers after supper. Homes were smaller and they didn't have club basements, some not even a TV. The corner bar generally had a TV and possibly a color TV to watch the Orioles or the Colts. Almost every street had a bar and there was a definite clientele that would frequent it. Really good topic.
Air conditioning did not exist for most of the history of these bars. So, in short, no.
@@vipermad358 you are incorrect.
@@vipermad358 nonsense
I was born and raised in the point 1957- 1998. My grandfather was the owner of Adams Cafe, foot of Hull St.. Empty lot now. Next door to 333 hall
@@lttruck2973 my great aunt lived on Barney Street and my mom lived on Fort Avenue across from the park.
There were so many more saloons in the nineteenth century because refrigeration did not exist and families at dinnertime would often send, "Bucket Boys" or "Kesseljunges" to the closest saloon to fetch a pale of beer in a two-quart galvanized tin bucket, which is where we get the term growler. Sometimes the boy would carry two growlers, hanging the looped handles hanging from both ends a long stick across his shoulders.
My Grandfather and Grandmother lived on Battery Avenue in South Baltimore. They had large aluminum pitchers and took them to the local bar to be filled with beer when they had visitors, especially on Saint Patrick's Day. The beer run was called "Rushing the pitcher."
My Dad owned a corner bar on Hudson & Clinton Sts in Highlandtown after retiring from the Baltimore Fire Dept. When he got it, it still had an old 21hole Pinball machine with no flippers. In the back he had both Men's and Ladies Dart Leagues on different nights. He sold it after coming down with Cancer in his mid 70's. I had a different career and didn't want to run it It's still there but I don't know who owns it now.
Brings back memories. Before I was 12 my father, my uncle and grandfather took me and my cousin to bars armed with gallon glass jars to get them filled with draft beer. My cousin and I would play shuffle board while waiting. Usually happened on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Boy do I have stories from Zinks(Belair rd), Pols in canton and Jerry's Stag Bar on Belair rd. That one opened at 6AM and closed at 2AM.
I always love to hear a Donaldson in Baltimore doing history.... story of my life!!! We have beer and baseball today because of a Baltimore Brewer. I used to live in Highlandtown on the block between the Mt. Pleasant Inn and Tommy's Lounge 🤣😂🤣
Prohibition sadly wiped out your bars but helped pay off my family's farm in Canada. Times were tough, rumrunning paid,and the border was only a short boat trip away. Great video.
Baltimore is over 400 miles south of the Canadian border. We did not get our prohibition booze from Canada, unlike Chicago or Seattle.
@@vipermad358exactly not to mention Maryland didn't enforce prohibition Baltimore was know as the wetest town west of the Mississippi
Thanks for another enjoyable & informative video! I have fond memories of Baltimore's corner bars from when I lived in Laurel, MD, (2002-19). I think that my favorite was Snake Hill in Highlandtown. I'd love to visit the upcoming Neighborhood Corner Bar exhibit at the BMI, but since I currently live in SW Louisiana, I doubt that that will be possible. 😞
My 3rd great grandfather Matias Palmer had a saloon called Oriole Hall back in the 1800s. :)
I grew up on East Lombard Street in Highlandtown, and our corner bar was Kober's Bar. We young folk would hang around the door because whenever someone came out or went in, we had about three seconds to get a peek at the 8X10 glossy pin-up photos that were over the back bar. How innocent we were compared to what is available today!
😮 Thanks for the history..its amazing to here being from Baltimore
It was me Johnny Hopkins, Sloan Kettering, and we were taking bong rips in the back of the car.
One Eyed Mike's prior being The Seafarer in Fells Point is on the HIstoric Trust- documented by the Smithsonian- it dates back to 1860 (I think) at 1 time Fells Point had more bars per capita than anywhere in the world!
Great presentation- learned a lot about my home town!
I lived in south Baltimore, near fort avenue. Back when smoking was allowed, the stench from these corner places was horrible.
Ms Mack was the widow of a sea captain. Her bar was on Streeper and Fayette. The exquisite green wooden window front and entry are gone. It was the home of the Mug Club and it was men only.
Oh I remember Souris 's (AKA Sourasses!) in Towson tavern.
Back in the 70's used to go to Joe's Bar at the corner of E. Baltimore St & Highland Av. Could walk in and ask for a six pack "on the arm" and walk out with it and pay later. Long ago and far away.
Thought this might be interesting to you also. This was my 4th great grand father-Capt Frederick Deems-It appears that Captain Frederick was also the owner of the Sign of the Black Horse Inn/Tavern-It was sold in 1794 after his death. Said to be just past curve of Franklin and Pennsylvania Ave. Now the Mother Seton House.
My corner bar had a small bullet proof entryway that they did off sale from. If they knew you, which meant you had to know someone that knew them, you could get in the door and enjoy cheap beer and drinks. And, if they really knew you, you could get paid out from the poker machines.
You forgot about the codfish cakes.
marski's= now 3 of a kind (corner of foster & clinton ) in this video has the same bar
...what happened to Babe Ruth's dad's bar???
at 9.17 ...What is the meaning of the sign on the bar "Keep the bullets in Baltimore". mean?
The NBA team Baltimore Bullets became the Washington
bullets who are now the Washington Wizards. The sign must be c. fifty years old.
@@vincentdaly78 Thanks, but the age of the picture doesn't match the bullets leaving in the 70's, right?
If u investigate further, it says Balto. Bullets vs N.Y. KNICKS. So I'm guessing, the Bullets has threatened to leave Baltimore on more than one occasion.
@@tmoody7491 Professor Lee Kennedy at Stevenson University just informed me that there was an original Bullets franchise from 1944-1954. That would match the age of the photograph. Wish they still played in Baltimore.
The 1954 Bullets folded 14 games into the season. The NBA would return 8 years later when the Chicago Zephyrs moved to town, to become the new Bullets.
To date, the '54 Bullets are the last NBA team to fold.
The population of Baltimore has only increased by 100 000 and change in over a century? I don't know much about your city other than a ball game i attended there 40 years ago.
I believe the crime problems keep growth down 😢 they can try to bring in more businesses but then risk losing its history to gentrification.
In the 50s and 60s Baltimore had close to a million people, but crime in the 70s created what was termed "white flight". White people and anyone else who could headed to the suburbs. The population now is as low as it's been in 100 years and probably not going to go up any time soon.
Stand-ups, complete with piss trough.
Free salty food and dry rolls helped them sell more beer.
There were never "piss troughs" in bars. This is a very common misconception. These troughs were for spitting chewing tobacco, which was quite popular back in the day. Pissing in a bar was NEVER ok. Look it up.
Why is this video 10 minutes?
Perhaps they were sampling the goods at the corner tavern and lost track of time?
10 minutes?
Dear lord, get your hands out of your pockets and widen your stance and try to project more from your chest; just couldn't take the squeak and squeal despite the good knowledge.
Dear lord, STFU and pay attention. You might learn something. But...naaaaah.... you just like to nitpick from the sidelines. What - if anything - have you accomplished in the last 10 years. (Don't say "having a baby", any idiot can do that)😂