This is a complicated tale of a family, a restaurant, two names, and three locations.  I’ll do this by location.

2209 WEST BROADWAY

Arthur and Marie Murray opened the Red Feather Cafe on August 10, 1935, at 2209 West Broadway Ave. in North Minneapolis. (Their website now says it was in 1933)

 

 

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18 SOUTH 4th STREET

In 1939 the Murrays moved the Red Feather to the Russell Hotel, 18 South 4th Street at Hennepin Ave.

In 1947 Carl A. Rees transferred the license to brothers and former U of M football players, Allen “Tuck” and Alvin J. “Nip” Teeter.

In August 1949, the licensee was Mrs. Allen Teeter, wife of former U of M football player Tuck Teeter.  She took over from her husband Tuck and his brother Alvin J. (Nip) Teeter.

In November 1949, Mrs. Teeter asked to move her license to 415 Hennepin Ave. to start a bar with no food.  The name would tentatively be called the 415 Bar.  It would become the notorious Saddle Bar. (Minneapolis Tribune, November 10, 1949)

RED FEATHER CAFE

The Red Feather remained in place featured jazz in the 1940s and ’50s; in 1952 Bobby James and His Band, with Lois Christy, performed there.  In February 1952 it was owned by Aleck Ostrow.   At that time the question of whether taxes had been paid on the license were asked and people were accused of perjury and more.

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26 SOUTH SIXTH STREET

In 1945 the Murrays purchased the building at 26 So. Sixth Street and on August 5, 1946, they opened Murray’s Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge. The building had been the home of Delayney’s Bar, the Winter Garden Ballroom, and the Hankow Cafe.

 

For comprehensive histories, click Here and Here.

1963: Dining and dancing in an atmosphere of elegance.

1969: Don Lee on organ, Rob Treber in piano lounge.