The Silver Bar was in Hopkins, one of thousands of joints that opened up once beer was deemed “non-intoxicating” on April 7, 1933, before the outright repeal of Prohibition, and before the requirement that taverns had to have permits.

The reason I know about this is that Rudy Shogran, the operator of the Excelsior Park Ballroom, went to investigate why attendance was down during the summer of 1933.  Rudy left detailed journals with notes for every day that the ballroom was open.

He wrote about how honky-tonks line Excelsior Blvd. from Excelsior to Hopkins, and how patrons were “drunken, loud, talking, and slopping of beer.”

Disgusting to me, but it sums that is what the people want.  The place on Minnetonka Blvd. where they built a little dance floor was crowded to capacity with a three piece band and all the beer you want.

June 15, 1933:

The little joints along the roadway are all doing big business and they are springing up like mushrooms everywhere, including fee dance floor with  your nickle glass of beer.

July 8, 1933:

Crowds are all in the honky tonks along the route to Hopkins, and a little place hear the Park has an outdoor dance place crowded with two n****r players free dancing and beer 5 cents…  Hopkins is crowded with their joints hope it will soon blow over this craze for a wild hectic evening, noisy unlady and ungentlemenlay actions.

July 15, 1933:

The Silver Bar in Hopkins is crowded to capacity – drinking, smoking, yelling, hollering, and two n****rs playing in a small outfit.

No idea where the Silver Bar Cafe was, unfortunately!