11 replies to this topic

[Rickykicks]

I heard from a friend, who heard it from a friend who heard it from a bartender at the Folsom Hotel on Sutter Steet, that there is a basement that looks just like the normal bar and it was used as a speak easy back in the 20's and 30's. Does anybody know if this is true?

After reading the article today about the tunnels under sutter street, it makes me wonder if those tunnels were used by the bootleggers to get the booze to Sutter Street.

[Dave Burrell]

I heard from a friend, who heard it from a friend who heard it from a bartender at the Folsom Hotel on Sutter Steet, that there is a basement that looks just like the normal bar and it was used as a speak easy back in the 20's and 30's. Does anybody know if this is true?

After reading the article today about the tunnels under sutter street, it makes me wonder if those tunnels were used by the bootleggers to get the booze to Sutter Street.

Way back when Yager's was in it's hey day with the original owners, they told me stories about the tunnel system that ran from Yagers to the hotel during prohibition to transport booze and beer.

I was skeptical at first but they showed me the tunnel openings which are next to the office in the middle section of Yagers where the restroom is located. There was 2 or 3 openings so the tunnels might go to other places too in addition to the hotel. The tunnels were sealed off long ago with 1-2 inch solid steel.

It sure would be neat to go into those tunnels and check it out.
Vinny posted a link to an article about those tunnels and a few others that have been found during the street work, my guess is those tunnels are going to be filled in for safety reasons.

[Rickykicks]

I totally understand the safety reason, but as a student of archaeology I would love to explore the tunnel areas. I'm sure there is a certain amount of "junk" down there that would of been considered nothing but trash back in the day but modern archaeologist would find endlessly interesting.

[Dave Burrell]

I totally understand the safety reason, but as a student of archaeology I would love to explore the tunnel areas. I'm sure there is a certain amount of "junk" down there that would of been considered nothing but trash back in the day but modern archaeologist would find endlessly interesting.

I bet you'd find a lot of interesting stuff - especially since the tunnel(s) from yagers have been sealed off so nobody's been in them for years/decades

[4thgenFolsomite]

Giuseppe "Joe" Murer owned the hotel during the 1920s and 1930s. Joe was active in all the local clubs and good friends with the merchants in town. Joe ran a clean establishment, but, that said, his house down on Folsom Blvd. (the historic Murer House now) was raided in 1925. He had barrels of wine (that he made himself) in the basement. They fined him and broke the barrels. He protested, but he still had to pay the fine. Joe had been a licensed winemaker in California since 1919. His house was under construction then and he may have been storing wine he made before prohibition. It's hard to say. But Joe wouldn't have done anything underhanded in the hotel that would have gotten him on the wrong side of the law.

Now the tunnel from Yagers is another matter. I also know that there were at least two bootleggers in town who made bathtub gin. I won't name names. But none of them kept it in their houses. They sold it by the pint and enjoyed it with their friends in their homes. remember that the brick-lined tunnels they are encountering now are culverts that carry water out to the river (lake natoma now). in winter, those drainages really get moving, so most things would be carried away in the flow.

[4thgenFolsomite]

here, check this out. a virtual tour of the tunnels. http://folsomtelegra...ail/155799.html

[Dave Burrell]

Giuseppe "Joe" Murer owned the hotel during the 1920s and 1930s. Joe was active in all the local clubs and good friends with the merchants in town. Joe ran a clean establishment, but, that said, his house down on Folsom Blvd. (the historic Murer House now) was raided in 1925. He had barrels of wine (that he made himself) in the basement. They fined him and broke the barrels. He protested, but he still had to pay the fine. Joe had been a licensed winemaker in California since 1919. His house was under construction then and he may have been storing wine he made before prohibition. It's hard to say. But Joe wouldn't have done anything underhanded in the hotel that would have gotten him on the wrong side of the law.

Now the tunnel from Yagers is another matter. I also know that there were at least two bootleggers in town who made bathtub gin. I won't name names. But none of them kept it in their houses. They sold it by the pint and enjoyed it with their friends in their homes. remember that the brick-lined tunnels they are encountering now are culverts that carry water out to the river (lake natoma now). in winter, those drainages really get moving, so most things would be carried away in the flow.

I absolutely love reading your stories about the history of Folsom - you could write a book about it and I'd be the first in line to buy a few copies.

[MSgt]

Now the tunnel from Yagers is another matter. I also know that there were at least two bootleggers in town who made bathtub gin. I won't name names. ...

What would be the problem of naming names at this late date? Not like anyone would get in trouble. It is history.

[ducky]

What would be the problem of naming names at this late date? Not like anyone would get in trouble. It is history.

It could be a family that is still living here in Folsom. If it's just rumor, it wouldn't really be right to name names.

[Rickykicks]

Well this weekend, myself and a few friends are going exploring for some of these tunnels. We don't intend to go down any of them, due to safety hazzards that were not prepared for. But finding the location of some of these tunnels by the river would be really cool.

[4thgenFolsomite]

<!--quoteo(post=393823:date=Aug 6 2010, 07:25 AM:name=MSgt)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MSgt @ Aug 6 2010, 07:25 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=393823"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What would be the problem of naming names at this late date? Not like anyone would get in trouble. It is history.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It could be a family that is still living here in Folsom. If it's just rumor, it wouldn't really be right to name names.

exactly! you got it. I don't believe in spreading rumors. The truth is interesting enough in Folsom!

[curiousity]

here, check this out. a virtual tour of the tunnels. <a href="http://folsomtelegra...il/155799.html" target="_blank">http://folsomtelegra...155799.html</a>

Thanks for the link, I would presume if water still flows in it, then they can't just fill it in with concrete or dirt to prevent cave-ins, but instead may have to re-inforce it. one photo looked like there was a pipe in the ceiling, presumably a drainage pipe from somewhere above.