How Did Johnson City, TN Get Labeled Little Chicago?

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The Little Chicago of the South? Johnson City, Tennessee got that dubious moniker from its sketchy reputation for bootlegging and other vices. It has even been rumored to be a wing of the notorious mob boss Al Capone’s crime syndicate during the days of Prohibition. This video takes a closer look at that time in Johnson City’s history.
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Опубликовано:

22 ноя 2022

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Комментарии : 135

@jessehensley6720 Год назад

The reputation has not changed here. It's overrun with bad intentions and poverty. We pray and work for change 😊💚

@JuniorFarquar Месяц назад

It's a lib hellhole

@Martlin Год назад

I love the casual way you agreed to being a notorious mobster, Melody.

@realappalachia Год назад

😂😂😂😂

@chloeholden4478 Месяц назад

I lived in Montrose Court for a year 2018-2019. I can say that almost everyone who lives/lived here knows the stories. The current owners have done a LOT of work on updating the building which was basically falling apart not long ago. One of the basements is sealed and assumed to be connected to the tunnels that lead downtown. The other basement door goes to a flooded superintendents suite and what used to be a restaurant/bar. You can see the windows and steps to the restaurant to the right of the main entrance.

@thomasash6487 Год назад

Shane and Melody, I watch all your videos and have for quite a while but never made a comment because I watch you on my TV. Today I am on my computer. Love your Channel.

@realappalachia Год назад

That’s awesome, Thomas, so glad to hear from you and appreciate you watching

@kaseyweir9379 Год назад

Keep up the good work guys!! Love learning the history of our area!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you so much, Kasey

@jeffmccall7508 Год назад

Breaking 945 bottles of brew is just plain alcohol abuse!

@robinhaupt9119 Год назад

Very cool post. You tell the stories so well. Thank you Shane and Melody!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you so much, Robin 😊

@hello9945 Год назад

Shane and Melody, you made my night! Appreciate you!!!

@realappalachia Год назад

That’s so awesome, thank you!

@pipesmokingdeputy423 Год назад

You did some good research. Everything you have told about JC has been spot on from what was told to me by my parents and the elders of the community. As far as your comment about JC still being "seedy" ..... lol ....... if you only knew what still goes on .... the old saying: "some things never change" .. .. oh how so true. Same game, different players.

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you!…I was afraid it might still be a little seedy lol

@judypierce7028 Год назад

Such awesome research! Johnson City was one of my favorite places to live. Very warm and welcoming people. Great work Shane and Melody. Thank you for taking me along with the ride.

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you so much, Judy, we’ve always got a seat saved for you in the car 🚗 😃

@judypierce7028 Год назад

@@realappalachia Thank you!!

@Julzyboo Год назад

I live here in JC and I come from a long line of several generations back in heritage from Johnson City. I have heard these and many other interesting stories of mobsters and Al Capone here. Thank you for this one!

@realappalachia Год назад

Glad you enjoyed it, JC has always been a center of action in this area - exciting place

@kesmarn Год назад

Perfect Thanksgiving weekend viewing! So well done! Great research, narration, filming and history! No wonder you're closing in on that 50K subscribers mark!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you so much, you’re too kind

@kesmarn Год назад

@@realappalachia That feeling is mutual!

@malaquiasalfaro81 Год назад

Sweet video and love the use of the old maps, helps you get a better image

@po2313 Год назад

Thank you both!

@maxi-me Год назад

Great presentation. I was born and raised in JC; heard all the Little Chicago stories told with the tone of astonishment masking a sort of misplaced pride. Moved away 30 years ago and still miss the place. You could get a whole video out of John Seveir hotel, lot of facinating history. It's built over a creek and has had a pump running 24/7 for nearly 100 years to mitigate basement flooding. Also it made CNN Headline News in the 80s when tragically a fire broke out. Not to mention all the civic decisions made within the walls that shaped the development of JC and east TN in general

@realappalachia Год назад

oh yes, the John Sevier is stacked with history

@benlaw4647 Год назад

Enjoyed this ! Hope y'all have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Appreciate y'all always! God bless. 🙏❤

@realappalachia Год назад

Hope you had a happy and blessed Thanksgiving, Ben

@sandy89107 Год назад

That first place was a very interesting build 🤩

@realappalachia Год назад

Oh yes, unique architecture

@bruinsfan8278 Год назад

Sorry just got home and saw this, Well Done! Yall gone Gansta !

@realappalachia Год назад

Bless you

@johnnymayo8534 Год назад

Happy Thanksgiving! Awesome history!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you…happy Thanksgiving!

@ronc7743 Год назад

I spent some time in Tulon, France where there was a Petite Chicago near the navy base.

@SpookyAppalachia Год назад

This was the first time I’ve heard of it called little Chicago. Cool story! Kinda cool hearing about Hotel Roanoke being mentioned, I’m about an hour away from it and it’s on my list to film.

@realappalachia Год назад

The Hotel Roanoke is one of our favorites. I’ve only got to stay there twice but loved it

@SpookyAppalachia Год назад

@@realappalachia I’ve never stayed. My sister actually lives nearby, I should go by next time I go see her. I forget where Shake told me you guys lived but we must not be too far off of you guys have Macados and know of Hotel Roanoke.

@ecarr7026 Год назад

That’s why we have the Little Chicago tattoo shop here 😁 I love that it’s called this!

@sorlais Год назад

I’ve heard the building where Mulligan’s Gaming Pub is used to be a hide out for Al Capone

@BillBadMule123 Год назад

I have lived here in Johnson City Tennessee since 1961 and love it here 🙂 I was a Party boy back in the day ,nothing but good times and great memories MMmmmmm 😁😆😅🤣😂

@JuniorFarquar Месяц назад

How bout those awesome Freedom Hall concerts?! I'm 1962..1st concert was Kiss and Bob Seger. Lots o' smoke... We had it great.

@joeallison903 Год назад

Montrose Court had become a dump by the time I was a student at ETSU in the '70s. It was supposedly a hangout for hippies, dopers and gays back then. I went to a few parties there and the interior was trashed, but looking at the rooms I could tell that at one time the place had been high class. I think I remember during its' glory days if you lived in Montrose Court you automatically got a membership at the Johnson City Country Club. I also remember talking to an older lady that said she was walking down the street near Montrose Court and claimed that Al Capone gave her a dime when she was a little girl in the '20s.

@realappalachia Год назад

What a cool story, thanks for sharing with us

@debzvideos Год назад

An old member of my childhood church grew up in Cicero IL & was a young lad when Al Capone was hanging around. Al used to go to one of the barber shops in his neighborhood & he said that Al was always giving the kids money when he went to that barber shop.

@s.a.lundberg8040 10 месяцев назад

@joeallison903 that was my experience. It's nice outside, but I lived there for a year and it was a crash house. I can't tell you how many couches I slept on being a plum idiot as a youth. But, a little town like this, having a crook mobster hiding out here, well, I guess this town has a little nib to be proud of... COME TO JOHNSON CITY!!! CROOKS AND MOBSTERS STAYED HERE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT... OH, AND, WE HAVE A FESTIVAL... BLUE PLUMB!! we're so famous...

@exterminator1 Год назад

Awesome video. Thank you guys for giving JC some love. Hope yall have more down the pipe. Eventually like to see yall in limestone at the david crokett camp grounds/birthplace etc.

@realappalachia Год назад

I used to live in JC and go past Limestone and Davy Crockett birthplace alllllll the time (they even sold my book at one time) but I can’t for the life of me make it over there these days, hoping that changes next year

@exterminator1 Год назад

@@realappalachia awesome man! I did not know that. I use to live upper sand valley off of 11e.We on the other side of JC now. I love this area. Raised in Big Stone. Lived in NC on the coast even. But JC is my happy place.

@D-A-1776 Год назад

Learn something new every day

@thomastommy1192 Год назад

I truly hope you guys have a blessed fun Thanksgiving. "" Stay well & safe America ""

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!

@denisesmith505 Год назад

Happy Thanksgiving to you two! Hope you have the best one ever!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you so much, Denise, we wish you the same

@boldcityanthony Год назад

My entire family is from Johnson City, my sister & I were born & raised in Jacksonville FL, but I absolutely love Johnson City. My great grandfather was an officer in Johnson City, he was shot and killed by a man who was being arrested for being drunk in public in 1927. He returned fire on the man killing him as well.

@harrywest2780 Год назад

Very nice

@realappalachia Год назад

Thanks!

@jameswithrow8958 Год назад

Enjoy you guys are great

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you!

@michaelkolodziej589 Год назад

I like Melody's pose as a mobster - very convincing!. Good job Real Shame & Melody 👍

@realappalachia Год назад

She is no mob rookie lol

@karenreichenbaugh856 Год назад

Hope you have a good turkey day!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thanks so much, Karen, we wish you the same

@alanwilliamson9350 Год назад

Hope you both have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you and happy Thanksgiving to you too, Alan

@ecarr7026 Год назад

My home city ❤ I’ve spent soooooo many evenings on that very strip in front of Capone’s! My grandparent’s house was built in 1918 & was used during prohibition as a speak easy. It’s got lots of cool secret chambers & apartments underneath it.

@realappalachia Год назад

That’s awesome, I bet that’s amazing to see

@jeankeys9854 2 месяца назад

Great video

@realappalachia 2 месяца назад

Thank you 🙏

@s.a.lundberg8040 10 месяцев назад

I lived in Montrose Court for a year. It is located on the "Tree Streets" of Johnson City. It has very little rememberance of its past inside, but the exterior still shines with its English charm. There are still places located around this town, that are marked historically as "speak-easy" underground. And, there have been ghost tours of these locations. I have actually been a guide a few times.

@lightningbug276 Год назад

Interesting!

@spacemandudley6237 Год назад

Thanks for showing inside of Montrose Court, always wanted to go inside. Did you stop at Firehouse for a meal.🚒

@realappalachia Год назад

I loved seeing the inside too. Didn’t get to eat Firehouse this time but I love that place so we will be back

@petegregory517 Год назад

Pretty much a Valentines Day Massacre every weekend in Chicago these days, especially holiday weekends.

@realappalachia Год назад

Sad but true

@johannjohann6523 Год назад

Wow this is kinda interesting. As the town of Hamilton, Ohio was also labeled "Little Chicago" even during the 1920's. When things got "hot" in Chicago for Al Capone he would come to Hamilton, Ohio till things settled down. Many of Al Capone's associates owned homes in Hamilton as did Capone. This then caused Capone to create numerous businesses in Hamilton. Back in the 1980's an early home built around 1900 was purchased and needed completely remodeled. When the owner removed the old plaster walls, he found over $100,000 in primarily $100 bills all dated from the 1920's. The house had been used by Capone for his "Lady's of the Evening" and stash house. Actually, the entire street was owned by Capone at one time for his various businesses of Lady's, "Speak Easy's", and gambling. It's hard to believe it took 60 years before someone found the "loot". That $100,000 is worth approx. $900,000 in 1980's dollars. So, it really was a pretty large sum of money to be forgotten about and never found till later. And gives an idea how much money Capone was really worth if he wasn't worried about a million dollars missing in his pocket. Eventually Capone would visit Hamilton quite often due a mistress, or two he became quite fond of. As I imagine he had little to fear in the little city from the local police or government, with most probably being very good customers of Capone's establishments. As notorious and violent Capone was known to get at times, the biggest cause to his violence was lying. He respected and demanded honesty from his men and business partners. And in return Capone honored his word, actually being a very honest person ironically in the world of crime to those he associated and did business with. Just don't ask him to pay his taxes lol!

@realappalachia Год назад

Can you imagine finding that money? Lol

@woody579 Год назад

Suprised of no mention of the pool sharks that visited the area like Minnesota fats and others he attracted some old pool halls still exist good video.

@joewoodchuck3824 Год назад

I live there and didn't know about this.

@elliehjemmet Год назад

I don't know if The Castle, off of Roan Street is still functioning as a medical clinic, but I believe that building also goes back to the mob era. Seems like I was told the person who built the place was a mobster and ordered all of the stone delivered from Italy. I've been inside it. It is a very beautiful old building, and has an old and working elevator inside. I also heard that when the Blue Ridge Parkway was built the stone bridges were built by Italian stone masons who were brought in from Italy. Lots of interesting history in this area most folks don't know about.

@realappalachia Год назад

Great info, thank you

@chrishensley6745 Год назад

Good job...nowandays the halfway hub between north and south hub is Gatlinburg....that area on into hilltop towards eliz. line about a mile away didnt change on this kinda stuff on into the 60,s.....rough end of town back in the day.

@realappalachia Год назад

I can imagine, there’s a vibe in that spot

@MillerMeteor74 Год назад

Okay, I didn't watch this when I said I would, but I did watch it. It was very interesting, and I loved the look of the Montrose Court Apartments. Every time I hear about Al Capone, I think of the politician Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, of Atlantic City, NJ. But I don't know the details about him yet. I have two books about him, but haven't read them yet. One is called Boardwalk Empire, which was made into a miniseries on HBO (of the same name), which I have never seen, since I don't have HBO. I live about 20 miles inland from Atlantic City, so Nucky Johnson is part of our county history. Barry

@realappalachia Год назад

Nucky Johnson sounds like a really interesting character. There’s something fascinated about those kinds of politicians

@MillerMeteor74 Год назад

@@realappalachia I agree.

@thatgardeninggirl2864 Год назад

I've lived in Johnson City since the 1988 I live less than 2 miles from Downtown Johnson City I've always heard Capone use to bootleg out of that bar he also had a girlfriend that lived here

@disco07 Год назад

Interesting.

@joannamcpeak7531 Год назад

You guys need to eat at Ridgewood BBQ. It's down the road, halfway between Johnson City and Bristol.

@realappalachia Год назад

We’ll put it on the list to check out, thanks for the tip

@joannamcpeak7531 Год назад

Attn Real Appalachia Sissy Spacek has eaten there, and it truly is considered THE BEST for these parts.

@tristonpickens679 Год назад

Just gonna watch and see if I get caught anywhere.

@chubbawubba4287 Год назад

Happy Thanksgiving to both of you and, all y'alls family members. Thanks for sharing.

@realappalachia Год назад

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving too, Chubster

@chubbawubba4287 Год назад

@@realappalachia Indeed this video was a nice short break from a great sports weekend. GO MICHIGAN....

@mell682 Год назад

Boy ! These agents must have smelled of booze to high heaven ! And they must have felt drunk from the vapors of alcohol and little sips of it :-)

@realappalachia Год назад

Ain’t that the truth lol

@s.a.lundberg8040 10 месяцев назад

I can say, what Johnson City really has to offer is YeeHaw Brewery, and a quaint little city vibe. With some cute restaurants, a great German restaurant, and little shops to peep and buy...

@JuniorFarquar Месяц назад

And blue haired an- teefa types who hate A mer ica

@kimberwhalen6141 Год назад

My great grand dad who died when I was 9 made moonshine sold it there

@susanhurst867 Год назад

Love this, I live in king sport, Tenn.👻🤪

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you 😊

@kimberwhalen6141 Год назад

I have friends that lived in montrose court

@D-A-1776 Год назад

I never knew it was called little Chicago I just know there's a tattoo shop called little Chicago and I've lived around jc my whole life

@realappalachia Год назад

Always awesome to learn new things!

@realappalachia Год назад

I think they tried pretty hard to keep that nickname squashed back in the day but now that it is more a part of history there’s a growing acceptance and appreciation for their place in history

@kimberwhalen6141 Год назад

My great grand dad told me he never let my granny as she was a child and it was dangerous in johnson city at that time

@juliemomzithomas6731 Год назад

My hometown 🙂

@kimberwhalen6141 Год назад

Inside its wonderful

@sts.556 Год назад

im 53 and always heard folks call Lebanon Tenn all my life as little Chicago don't really know why ?

@tasossaros8375 Год назад

Hi 👋

@realappalachia Год назад

Hi Tasos

@sisterstonerock Год назад

hahaha! the Johnson City 'mooMshine spirit' got Melody. you guys are the best! stay snug, stay blessed and safe!! thank you, Shane and Melody 🎶

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving

@IBELONGTOJESUS2022 Год назад

I lived in the John Sevier Hotel 9th floor

@meliplay Год назад

This is my hometown.

@jkthegoldeneagle Год назад

Shame and the notorious MLD : )

@realappalachia Год назад

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love it

@Silversmoke1000 Год назад

I have spent the last almost two years studying our hidden or secret history. I'd love to get into the John Sevier. There's a reason that most of these lovely old buildings are allowed to fall into disrepair and are eventually torn down only to be replaced with modern junk. Any time you want to do videos on individual old buildings that would be more than okay with me. Thanks for another great video. Happy Thanksgiving!

@realappalachia Год назад

Thank you. Word on the street is that the John Sevier has been sold and will be renovated, which would be amazing. Thank you and we hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving too!