Augie’s Theater Lounge and Bar – Twin Cities Music Highlights

Pinning a construction date down for this building is beyond my capabilities, I’m afraid. The City/County says 1885, although there are newspaper ads for stoves and heaters that go back to 1877. Permit cards seem to indicate that one of perhaps two buildings on this lot burned down before the turn of the last century, while another was replaced in 1909.

In 1909, John and Sam Friedman secured a 10 year lease on the L.M. Stewart property and “remodeled” it by tearing down the old structure adjoining the one at 424 Hennepin.” But then it says they leased the ground at 424 Hennepin from “Elder Stewart and built thereon a building to suite their own convenience, adaptiable to their special line of business. The new structure is 22 x 80 feet and is two stories high. It has a swell front and is attractive in architectural design.” (Minneapolis Tribune, April 4, 1909) Friedman Bros. was a tailor shop/haberdashery until 1926. John Friedman also ran a real estate business out of the building.

The Oriental Cafe opened to much fanfare in May 1913, but by June, owner Moy S. James had not paid any bills, was on the run, and his creditors were dismantling the place.

Minnesota Meat Co: 1931 – 1936

The music venues here were:

Lindy’s
Crombie’s Bar and Lounge
Augie’s

LINDY’S

Lindy’s was a “stage bar” that opened on June 11, 1936.

Minneapolis Tribune, June 11, 1936

The photo below is from an undated ad – courtesy Anne Cook/Gurr photo collection. It was sent by David Eyre, whose Aunt, aunt Flora Cook/Moore/Egan (1888-1960), worked as a “Psychic Reader [who] gives readings to patrons every afternoon.” Flora’s photo, also from the Anne Cook/Gurr photo collection, is below.

flora

The ad has more!

Anytime is “Swing Time” at Lindy’s with music for dancing delightfully supplied by Les Martin and his orchestra . . . swing time or waltz time . . . you sway and dream to the contagious rhythms of this syncopated combination.
After the game – here is where you will find the winners celebrating their victory and the vanquished forgetting their defeat in the merry atmosphere of Lind’s Football Supper Dances Saturday afternoons starting at 5:00 o’clock.
The World Famous Siamese Twins . . . Daisy and Violet Hilton, whose personal appearance at Lindy’s brought thousands of new visitors to this popular downtown club . . . an example of the famous stage personalities that are featured in Lindy’s floor shows every week.

siamesetwinslindys

Minneapolis Star, June 4, 1937

CROMBIE’S BAR AND LOUNGE

Crombie’s replaced Lindy’s between September 1938 and August 1939. Crombie’s was owned by Benjamin Moses. But Moses apparently died in about July 1943, as the bar was up for sale by Max Moses, Administrator of Estate.

Stebbins:

Some time between 1936 and 1939, when it became Crombie’s Bar, Howard “Chief” McElroy had a band there which he believes was the first Dixieland band in town.

Minneapolis Star, June 16, 1939

Crombie’s was advertised up until at least September 1943.

AUGIE’S THEATER LOUNGE AND BAR

If there is one place that defined Hennepin Avenue, it was Augie’s, owned by Augie Ratner. Let’s take a look at this colorful figure.

AUGIE RATNER

1902: Samuel “Augie” Ratner was born on March 15 in Minsk, Russia
1909: He came to the U.S. at the age of 7 (later amended to age 8).
The 1910 Census found him in Minneapolis, speaking Yiddish as his primary language. His father was a grocer.
1911: He was naturalized.
By 1917, at age 15, he appeared in the papers as a boxer and was apparently quite active.
The 1920 Census finds him living with his parents at age 18 with no occupation listed. A 1920 article article described him as a “Brooklyn middleweight” who had been in the Navy.

Augie Ratner, Minneapolis Tribune, March 7, 1920

The 1930 Census said he was the proprietor of a “Confectionery,” which was code for a speakeasy.
In October 1933 we find him as the manager of Club Royale, 20 University Ave. SE. He was awarded a license for the club in April 1934.

In 1935 he owned a service station, and indeed there was this ad found from 1935. The 1940 Census describes him as a partner in a gasoline station.

1936: But when a gambling house at 1711 Plymouth Ave. No. was robbed by other gamblers, and he was accused of being one of the owners of said gambling house, his response was a resounding “Baloney!” He did, however, find it convenient to pay a visit to Rochester, all the while denying a gambling war. “I sell gas and oil. That’s my business. Anything else is a lot of baloney.” (Minneapolis Star, December 21, 1936)
An ad for the gas station appeared in the Minneapolis Star Journal in December 1940.

AUGIE’S

1943: Augie’s opened in or before November 1943.

The Republican Register of December 1943 ran an article about the new bar, calling it “one of the city’s most popular fun spots.”

When Augie took over Crombie’s, it was entirely redecorated by Joe Palen. The article concludes “..Ratner employs only veteran concocters of fancy drinks and only the highest quality beverages are dispensed.”

The first performers at Augie’s were Leon Abbey’s Entertaining Boys (his four piece orchestra) and singer Jeanne Bargy, daughter of orchestra leader Roy Bargy. In addition, Dorothy Berry will sing your favorite request.” Another early band was Howard Brown’s Rhythm Kings.

The City Permit card says that the two top floors, that had contained a hotel, were removed in about April 1946.

An undated and unsigned memo (probably from the mid 1940s) says that Elaine Realty Inc. bought the building from United Properties Inc. on October 26, 1946, but suspects that Tommy Banks may have held the deed. (Hennepin County Library Special Collections Clipping File)