No, John Dillinger did not sleep in all these places, but rather this tour is based on the history book by Paul Maccabee John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks' Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul 1920-1936 about Saint Paul's heyday as a haven for gangsters on the down low.
The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, known as the Prohibition Amendment (1920-1933), prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages. The mandated shutdown of breweries and distilleries ended the lawful production of alcoholic beverages and created a vacuum that was filled by the unlawful production, sale, and control of "bootlegged" products and lawless allied activities: smuggling, gambling, prostitution, extortion, robbery, and murder. These became the province of such powerful crime czars as Chicago's Al Capone, of criminal gangs, and of organized crime. Lawlessness and the corruption of officials and police — the unintended consequences of the legislation — infected many American cities, including St. Paul. The city became a center of operation and a haven for such notorious gangsters as John Dillinger, Babyface Nelson, Roger "the Terrible" Touhy, Machine Gun Kelly, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, and the Barker gang, whose activities extended to robbing banks, holding up mail trucks and trains, and kidnapping and holding their hostages for ransom.
Police Chief John O'Connor agreed not to prosecute the gangsters as long as they didn't commit crimes within the city, and as long as the owners of brothels and gambling houses made payoffs to O'Connor's collectors. For St. Paul, it was a win-win situation. The citizens were protected and the gangsters spent their money in the city.
Everything went well, that is until a combination of factors including O'Connor's death and replacement by a more reform minded police chief, the murder of Dan Hogan, St. Paul's underworld czar who supervised the layover agreement, the Great Depression, and increasing pressure from the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover, caused the O'Connor System to come apart. This resulted in the broad daylight kidnapping of St. Paul brewery mogul William Hamm Jr., and banker Edward Bremer by members of the Barker-Karpis gang.[1]
| | Location Coordinates |
|---|
| 1031 Robert Street South, West Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.915206° N, 93.080615° W |
| 1295 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.938973,-93.156857 |
| 1590 Mississippi Boulevard South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.901799,-93.189593 |
| 1916 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.941313° N, 93.18127° W |
| 1941 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.94008° N, 93.182378° W |
| 204 Vernon Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.935309° N, 93.171061° W |
| 2214 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.948341° N, 93.193851° W |
| 2252 Fairmount Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.937024,-93.195005 |
| 35 Isabel Street West, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Razed) | 44.933089° N, 93.086812° W |
| 706 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.938849° N, 93.129923° W |
| Bremer Kidnapping Site, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.937847,-93.146571 |
| Castle Royal, 215 Wabasha Street South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.935916° N, 93.086991° W |
| Cle-mar Apartments, 2062 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.948351° N, 93.187493° W |
| Commodore Hotel, 79 Western Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.943855° N, 93.116049° W |
| Como Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.97997810600696° N, 93.1519603729248° W |
| Cretin Court Apartments, 50 Cretin Avenue South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.940053° N, 93.192459° W |
| Dale Apartments, 628 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.939912° N, 93.126586° W |
| Dan Hogan House, 1607 7th Street West, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.916794° N, 93.14281° W |
| Edgecumbe Court Apartments, 1095 Osceola Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.935727° N, 93.146335° W |
| Edward Bremer House, 92 Mississippi River Boulevard North, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.943815° N, 93.198534° W |
| Grand Avenue Apartments, 1290 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.940016° N, 93.154761° W |
| Green Dragon Cafe, 469 Snelling Avenue North, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Razed) | 44.955008° N, 93.167079° W |
| Green Lantern Saloon, 545 Wabasha Street North, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Razed) | 44.949878° N, 93.098476° W |
| Hamm Brewery, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.96299° N, 93.07294° W |
| Hamm Building, 408 Saint Peter Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.946346° N, 93.096843° W |
| Harry Sawyer House, 1878 Jefferson Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.930669° N, 93.1797° W |
| Holly Falls Apartments, 562 Holly Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.943409° N, 93.123811° W |
| Kensington Hall, 928 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.939948° N, 93.139363° W |
| Lincoln Court Apartments, 93 Lexington Parkway South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.938655° N, 93.146582° W |
| Lincoln Oaks Apartments, 572 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.938861° N, 93.124847° W |
| Saint Paul City Hall - Ramsey County Courthouse, 15 Kellogg Boulevard West, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.944212° N, 93.093881° W |
| Saint Paul Downtown Airport, Saint Paul, Minnesota | |
| Saint Paul Police Headquarters, 100 11th Street East, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.951844,-93.096072 |
| Schmidt Brewing Company, 882 7th Street West, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.92937° N, 93.124276° W |
| Summit Terrace, 616 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.941298° N, 93.126052° W |
| The Kennington, 565 Portland Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.942394° N, 93.123894° W |
| Wildwood Amusement Park, Mahtomedi, Minnesota | 45.054719742924° N, 92.963165044785° W |
| William and Marie Hamm House, 668 North Greenbrier Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 44.974757,-93.071012 |
| | # | Street | | |
|---|
| 1031 Robert Street South, West Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,031 | Robert | Street | S |
| 1295 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,295 | Lincoln | Avenue | |
| 1590 Mississippi Boulevard South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,590 | Mississippi | Boulevard | S |
| 1916 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,916 | Summit | Avenue | |
| 1941 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,941 | Grand | Avenue | |
| 204 Vernon Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 204 | Vernon | Street | |
| 2214 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 2,214 | Marshall | Avenue | |
| 2252 Fairmount Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 2,252 | Fairmount | Avenue | |
| 35 Isabel Street West, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Razed) | 35 | Isabel | Street | W |
| 706 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 706 | Lincoln | Avenue | |
| Bremer Kidnapping Site, Saint Paul, Minnesota | | | | |
| Castle Royal, 215 Wabasha Street South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 215 | Wabasha | Street | S |
| Cle-mar Apartments, 2062 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 2,062 | Marshall | Avenue | |
| Commodore Hotel, 79 Western Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 79 | Western | Avenue | |
| Como Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota | | | | |
| Cretin Court Apartments, 50 Cretin Avenue South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 50 | Cretin | Avenue | S |
| Dale Apartments, 628 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 628 | Grand | Avenue | |
| Dan Hogan House, 1607 7th Street West, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,607 | 7th | Street | W |
| Edgecumbe Court Apartments, 1095 Osceola Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,095 | Osceola | Avenue | |
| Edward Bremer House, 92 Mississippi River Boulevard North, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 92 | Mississippi River | Boulevard | |
| Grand Avenue Apartments, 1290 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,290 | Grand | Avenue | |
| Green Dragon Cafe, 469 Snelling Avenue North, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Razed) | 469 | Snelling | Avenue | N |
| Green Lantern Saloon, 545 Wabasha Street North, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Razed) | 545 | Wabasha | Street | N |
| Hamm Brewery, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 681 | Minnehaha | Avenue | E |
| Hamm Building, 408 Saint Peter Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 408 | Saint Peter | Street | |
| Harry Sawyer House, 1878 Jefferson Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1,878 | Jefferson | Avenue | |
| Holly Falls Apartments, 562 Holly Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 562 | Holly | Avenue | |
| Kensington Hall, 928 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 928 | Grand | Avenue | |
| Lincoln Court Apartments, 93 Lexington Parkway South, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 93 | Lexington | Parkway | S |
| Lincoln Oaks Apartments, 572 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 572 | Lincoln | Avenue | |
| Saint Paul City Hall - Ramsey County Courthouse, 15 Kellogg Boulevard West, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 15 | Kellogg | Boulevard | W |
| Saint Paul Downtown Airport, Saint Paul, Minnesota | | | | |
| Saint Paul Police Headquarters, 100 11th Street East, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 100 | 11th | Street | E |
| Schmidt Brewing Company, 882 7th Street West, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 882 | 7th | Street | W |
| Summit Terrace, 616 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 616 | Summit | Avenue | |
| The Kennington, 565 Portland Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 565 | Portland | Avenue | |
| Wildwood Amusement Park, Mahtomedi, Minnesota | | | | |
| William and Marie Hamm House, 668 North Greenbrier Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota | 668 | Greenbrier | Street | N |
Notes
