Prohibition: The History & Legends of Al Capone & Bootlegging in Moose Jaw 

Really different from the medieval stories you ordinary tell us, but like I already said before, you are an outstanding storyteller who could fascinate us just by reading a fridge's instruction manual. But Kevin, how did you dare enter this gloomy joint without your Tommy Gun in hand ?

I use to know a musician who was related to Al Capone. He was his great great uncle, his great grandfather was Al Capone's older brother

You always manage to make the telling of the story so interesting. I have heard of these tunnels before, and of the Moose Jaw connection to Capone and Prohibition, but never had the chance to actually see them. Thanks for the little tour and telling the stories. Cheers from Texas.

There’s a small town near Kankakee, Illinois called St. Anne’s. Capone had a hideout there. There locals would give a nod and a wink. No problems.

My granddad was a young man in the late 1920s, working as a lumberjack cutting cypress in the Okefenokee Swamp, and he learned from cousins or possibly coworkers how to build a still. He remembered years later in the 1980s when my mother, his daughter, wondered aloud how to make one. Here was Grampa, eagerly launching into this detailed explanation, which shocked all of us!

Thanks for taking us along! That was a lot of fun to watch… I like the “on location” type of films you do! I wanted to mention for the audience that prior to 1934 and the National Firearms Act (NFA), one could legally purchase and own a B.A.R. or Thompson .. can you imagine?! Some impressive firepower! I always have a chuckle when someone takes cover behind a Model A in the movies whilst being fired upon by a B.A.R. … as if! 😂

Saskatchewan has lots of history: Sitting Bull's summer range, Watrous was a hot spot in the 1920's, a member of Jesse James gang hid out around Dundurn. The Big Muddy was a hideout for the outlaws. During and after the depression, the SK government would hand out stills to farmers to purify water. Farmers would dig a dugout, then dig a well near the dugout, in hopes to let the ground filter the water. Either this did not work that well and/or the dust would fill in the dugouts. Not all of them were used for water, our old neighbours used to make whisky.

Excellent story brilliantly told. You did forget to mention[for people abroad] that alcohol was legal in Canada, so Capone was paying the Moosejaw police chief primarily to pay extra attention to Capone's business interests, especially against rival gangs. Except for the odd fight with rival gangs, most of what Capone did was legal in Canada.

Hello Kevin, I'm quite new to your channel but I have to say that I'm totally loving it and wish I'd found it sooner as your my kind of history guy. I love your attention to detail and the various time periods you cover and I absolutely love your outfits as it just adds to the authenticness of what history subject your teaching us, so now I'm binge watching your videos. Thanks for being you, Kevin. 👍☺️

Another fascinating video Kevin. Al Capone has a connection to Guelph, Ontario, which isn't very far from where I live. He used to use a tunnel system there as well and he had a connection to Sleemans brewery and the Albion hotel. The tunnels are inaccessible now but the University of Guelph still uses tunnels for their mechanical systems in all their buildings, which go on for miles.

I have to say, the Prohibition Era is one of the most interesting periods in history for me. The most interesting part is that the smuggling was international, with not only Whisky from Canada, but also Rum from Cuba and the Moonshiners in the south. It was also a time that defined the early 20th Century America in both style and society. Great video Kevin can't wait for you got planned next !

Kevin is such a historian, when he travels to another country HE is the story teller! 💚

20 minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Really interesting stuff. Will have to visit there one day when I'm Back in Canada

I'm getting thirsty just by watching this. Keep em coming

Born and raised prairie girl here. You nailed the pronunciation of Saskatchewan. Most people who aren't from here can't do it ❤ 🇨🇦 I really enjoy your videos Kevin!

Kevin, thanks for for filling in a gap in my historical knowledge. I never realized that Canada had prohibition. Even more, thanks for collecting and preserving those oral histories! I had an interesting encounter with such a story myself, back in the 1980s, when I lived for a while near the Black Hills of South Dakota (seemed like a good idea at the time, but I'm a 6th generation Californian, and all the genes that tolerate cold winters were bred out of my family!). Anyway, to the story: A lady in her upper eighties told me that when she was a little girl, her father was a cabinet maker, there in Belle Fourche. He also made coffins. One day, he had a visit from none other than Calamity Jane, who wanted to order one. Jane was then working as a cook and housekeeper in Dora Du Fran's Belle Fourche brothel. He said that he could do the work, but to test for the right size, would she please lie down in one of the ones he had on hand. Very practical, I guess, but that was too much for Jane. She left and didn't return... She passed away in 1903, and was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, next to Wild Bill Hickock. Apparently not in one of my informant's dad's custom coffins...

I have family in Moose Jaw....they will enjoy this. Thanks ! PS: I played the Royal Hotel in the late 80's in a band called Against the Grain. The hotel manager said he thought Capone hung out there.

My father and his 2 brothers came over from Germany in the late 20's. I am a surprise child. He used to paint speakeasy for Dutch Shultz. He would tell me a lot of stories about those days.

Very cool part of history that I don't think many people know about. Being right next door to Saskatchewan, I'm gonna have to plan a trip to check this out. Thanks for the video and sharing this👍

Intriguing stories, enjoyed the history. 🙋‍♂️🐈🐈

Great video! I live about 20 miles from Canada in a little railroad town with a hotel spanning across the local river, and during the prohibition casks of whiskey would come down on the train, loaded onto a row boat and taken across the lake, down the river about 100 feet to the bottom of the hotel, where they were delivered through a secret hatch under the hotel! And as legend goes, there's still 3 casks at the deepest point on the lake...

Thank you, Kevin for posting my request!!! Much appreciated mate

Last night a friend and I were talking about al Capone. I live in northern Wisconsin and I never knew this but underneath like the city I live near there were tunnels underneath the city where al Capone and his bootleggers would come to distribute the alcohol. The bar his parents own used to have a tunnel right underneath them. Sadly they’re all filled in now. But it would’ve been so cool to see them. I never knew he came all the way up here that’s so cool. And then to see this today just makes this that much better.

Love the outfit Kevin! Here in Michigan you never too far from a bootlegger story. In the Upper Peninsula you can find rum runners on the lake. Capone himself is an interesting figure to say the least, a ruthless killer and psychopath yes but I know a few people who have told me that they don’t talk bad about Capone in their house because as children during the Great Depression they had received charity personally from him in food, clothing and other things do many people were lacking during the Depression.

I've also heard the Thompson, most beloved weapon of the allied troops in WWII, as the Chicago typewriter. Never heard it called the, "piano."

Hey There Kevin, My step-grandfather used to deliver newspapers to the Lexington Hotel on Al Capone's floor.

Nice surprise, to have a 20th Century episode. Again, well done and entertaining. Until the next one.

Perfect start to the weekend right there!

Cheers Kevin. Thanks for another fabulous video. Al Capone had a hideout built in the Madawaska Highlands in Ontario, and he stiffed the guy he bought it from. As the story goes this carpenter went down to Chicago to ask for his money. He was roughed up a bit by a couple of Capone's thugs. The thugs then told him he could come in and ask for his money, or come back tomorrow. The carpenter left and never went back. The hideout is a tourist attraction now. Thanks again, David near Kingston 🍻

This is why we like you. Never know what's up next....

Greetings once again from nova Scotia, thanks for A very interesting slice of history, I never would have thought....be safe and as always best regards, Arthur

'The Roaring Twenties' eh? . . . one hundred years later & we're stuck in 'The Tweeting Twenties'! Good tales, nice outfit : )

Unfortunately the Hotel Lexington is no more. But I have a wooden hanger my Dad brought home from it after a business trip to Chicago. Great video Kevin !

This was so good but too short! Please do more from this era. When I saw this was about prohibition and Al Capone I had no idea it was created by History Squad. In the words of another RU-vid channel I watch a lot, “Well, I never”.

One of the stories that used to be told in my family of origin, is that, as an RCMP constable in the Northwest Territories (Saskatchewan), one of my ancestors was one of the first people to use a gun to rob a train in Canada. LOL! He was a copper, and robbed trains!

And because you tell peoples stories, they won't be forgotten. And the word is spread across the world and not being only local stories you will only here when you go on of those tours.

Thanks for taking us with you on this adventure, Kevin. Brilliant upload for a Friday afternoon!

Wow, what a VERY INTERESTING video!! I NEVER knew Al Capone had a Canadian connection!! XXXX ❤👍💗🤗

How did I not know of Seagrams' Saskatchewan connection!? Seagrams VO is my favorite whiskey. Thanks Kevin.

My g-grandfather had a still in the family barn. He would have the occasional poker game with friends/family and local sheriff + deputies. The local law didn't care. They were all simple farmers and childhood friends. No one caused trouble. I have a photo somewhere where he and a friend enjoying a beer after a day's work.

Way to go Kevin, British history and the American gangsters are in my top three or four favourite historical stories! Thanks mate. 👍🏻

Kevin I'm going to try to comment as I watch your videos but this has been my go to channel for the past couple weeks. Last night i put the Jack the Ripper victim one on thinking Id fall asleep to it, but 5 minutes in and Im sat up in bed aty 3am hanging on your every word, I actually feel like Im getting the history lesson I didnt get in school from you so thank you very much

Fascinating bit of 20th century history well told and very enjoyable well done Kevin

Unusual topic for you, but nevertheless very well presented, like always. If you want so see an excellent TV show about the Prohibtion "Boardwalk Empire" with Steve Buscemi produced by Martin Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, Tim van Patten and many more.

Lived in Saskatchewan for ten years. Loved visiting the tunnels

Love this style Kevin! Excellent as always man

I've lived in the Milwaukee area(just north of Chicago) in Wisconsin for 30 years and I've always heard of the Thompson submachine gun as the Chicago "Typewriter" rather than the piano. Sorry to correct you Kevin, love your channel

Great story. One point, one does not pop over to Newfoundland from PEI. There's about a 100 miles of Atlantic to cross 😁🇨🇦. A long trip for a pint lol.

Another great job Kev. My wife, Tina, ordered me to write immediately and say how great it was. I wasn't about to disobey!.

06:30 All machine guns "pull up" to some extent because of the recoil and the rifling will cause the weapon to move in the opposite direction of the rifling so a Sterling sub machine gun for example would pull up and to the right whilst being fired on automatic. A good grip and steady hold of the weapon is what is needed to counteract this but it does happen with all weapons. It's just more pronounced and more difficult to manage when a weapon is being fired on automatic because of the repeat shots causing recoil faster than you can react to it. The muzzle of the Thompson sub machine gun you are holding is fitted with a "Cutts Compensator" which was designed to mitigate or lessen the muzzle moving upwards due to recoil by directing some of the gas upwards at the muzzle end through the slots in the compensator. It reduced upwards movement by up to 45% depending on weapon it was fitted to and the ammo load.

The days when we had a better quality of gangster, refused to sell narcotics in his controlled areas. There is a bit of myth around his Canadian connection, honestly can't remember what that myth was, sorry. Loved this and will share it on my FB timeline, cheers Kevin!

Hay, that secret under tunnel Door has a MODERN DOOR CLOSER ON IT!!!.

So interesting to hear about this time. I was particularly tickled to hear about the tunnels. I was told, during a tour of an historical building in Poughkeepsie, NY( I had my Girl Scout troop with me), that there were indeed tunnels between the important buildings on the main drag…so that drinkers could avoid capture by any raiding police!

Fun Fact Moose Jaw is the current home of one of Canada’s favourite sons. Burton Cummings. He likes it because it’s the prairies without Winnipeg’s big city BS.

Yippee another one from you Kevin educational as always . Also told in a wonderful exciting way. 🎉

The Thompson was also called the Chicago Typewriter.

Loved the video and loved going to the tunnels as a kid! I wonder, will you be doing a video on the Chinese Laundry story of the tunnels as well? Aslo, related to prohibition, in the summer time, I highly recommend visiting the Badlands in South Saskatchewan where famous gangsters and wild west outlaws were said to have fled to and camped in the caves to avoid the law. It's a beautiful stretch if country and definitely worth a viewing! Greta video as always and love to see my Saskatchewan history shared to the world!

When my dad was a young boy he used to bring Al buckets of beer up to his room in the hotel. True story. Twin Lakes Wisconsin was known as little Chicago as Al and his gang would go on the lamb there.

Ty Mr Hicks, Looks like Hunting in Sasquatchewan not the only game... Seagram's mix drink I guess Al Capone back in the day must of enjoyed, maybe after his tonsils were operated on....never knew Seagram's history.. interesting and great story... stay warm and safe.. looking forward to next cup of coffee ..

When in camp crowfoot ( Batus) we ended up our R,R in moose Jaw, we stopped to watch a movie that had just come out...JAWS....and ended up staying for 4 or 5 days,,seem to remember a massive old style Train somewhere in the town....

Well done on the name too Kevin :) Jac-ah-lone-nay if you need a handy guide. I’m told that Ellis Island they actually dropped an extra g and two e’s because of how the phenolics were written down.

Been down these long time ago when visiting my aunt,she stayed in Regina at the time

Went there! a few years ago prior covid!! Thanks for the visit, Loved Sass.

Thank you mister Kevin.

This is a great little city, love it there. Living in S'toon, it's an easy day trip. Fascinating place thank you for telling the story so well! That bit at the end about the haunting was very good.

Your big smiles just brighten my day, Kev!

One would imagine Al would have gotten the pure Seagrams Whiskey, transported it to it's final destination for consumption and only there done the dilution as that would have reduced his shipping costs. Unless he was concerned about quality control.

Well done Kevin. Very interesting.

Best storytelling in the business. Cheers Kevin and Co!

During Prohibitor one of my Grandfathers owned a large motor boat on Georgen Bay Ontario, he would buy Booze in Owen Sound list his destination as the Bahamas and go across to the west side of Lake Huron and unload there. His Boat was sized by the police when he showed up at the distillery to buy some more booze in too short a time to have gone to the Bahamas and back. He said he was not charged, but the police took his boat with the load of booze.

Great video, I really enjoyed it

Prohibation in Canada varied from province to province, in Quebec it was never adopted most provinces adopted it during WW1 but abandoned it by the mid 1920s.

Excellent story, so much going on during Prohibition. If you like great stories, you might be interested in George Remus, or "Uncle Remus". It's the most suspenseful and ironic story that even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud of if he'd wrote it. As always carry on the great work Ol chap!!😊

love your content kevin!

Talk about a 360, also the Thomson sub-machine gun was also known as the Chicago typewriter

Great stories!!!! I saw several orb’s flying around during the episode

I love the local histories!

Great Video and fantastic Stories

I always learn something new when I catch one of your videos! Thx Sir Kevin

That was an excellent story! You rock that hat man…

Thanks for sharing 👍

Really nice and interesting. Thanks a lot

Great video very intriguing

Great video, I had some ale watching your video!

Interesting I never realized Canada had prohibition to

Lookin dangerous, Kev!

Fantastic! We love your channel!

incredible stories in an incredible place

I live in Moose Jaw and toured the tunnels. So awesome!! You do awesome videos love your channel 😊

Another hit, great work Kevin! Would like some more crime underworld stuff, perhaps the Kray twins?

Once again brilliant 😊

My late uncle used a Thompson in PNG & Borneo in WW2

Oh this is great! I went here as a kid, my grandparents lived In moose jaw. Very nostalgic, thank you so much for sharing this with us!

Fantastic recreation. Wonder how Kevin would have dealt with those crooked cops. Very interesting times. Anybody want to buy a watch!

An interesting man indeed. Al Capone was a man who would dress up one day santa and hand over gifts to the children in a local school and who would be arranging a hit upon a man the next. He could be helping out locals with his connections and offering them charities, whilst merely hours later beating up his own men with a bat for disapointing him. It is hard to say whether he was simply a hard man in a tough world doing his best and offering his help to those who were his own, his friends and his neighbours whenever he could or a complete psychopath who knew how to play others like a fiddle. Perhaps he was one of these things, perhaps both or maybe something else entirely. it does reminds us that people are rarely as simple as we would like them to be though.

❤❤❤❤ thank you very much enjoyed this session thank you so much

Very awesome video sorry for the long comment just love the show! The upper bay, by the Canadian border that i mentioned in another video, is part of the old original homestead family property, we have had for over 200 years now was called by some smugglers bay, that portion because was because moonshiners/booze runners used a hidden cabin on the rocks you can see unless you come in off the river in a strange spot by boat.

seeing you in a fedora and leather jacket along with the blue sweater gives you a Dr. Zahi Hawas look- the media savvy head of antiquities for Egypt…but also an Indiana Jones look 😎

Another wonderful video I would like to go see the tunnels in I don't even change glad to see another video and I like the hat jacket

👍Great job again Kevin ..... Thank you