Brady’s Pub was located at 604 Hennepin Ave., on the site where a sandwich shop and two different restaurants had been.

The first listing in the Minneapolis papers was an ad for a young lady to play piano in the evenings at Brady’s Bar.  This was on May 10, 1935.  In 1936, the bar sponsored a bowling team.  “Central Lanes” was apparently in the basement.

A 1938 list of renewals of liquor licenses shows Harry H. Clark doing business as Brady’s Bar and the Coconut Grove.  The latter was apparently on the second floor.

Ads for the Coconut Grove appear in 1937, and the address is just listed as 6th and Hennepin.  The address for the licenses are listed as 3 North Sixth Street and 602 – 604 Hennepin Ave.

In 1940, Walter Winchell reported that Brady’s Bar introduced “miniature picture machines” to the area, manufactured by Auto-Pix of Chicago.  For a nickel you could get 3 1/2 minutes of entertainment on a 3′ by 4′ screen.  These may have been early versions of Soundies, popular in bars from 1940 to 1947.  (Minnesota Times-Tribune, July 25, 1940)

When the War came, news of the bowling team was replaced by ads for help, as otherwise plentiful workers went off to the military.  Some ads asked for Porters – Colored or White.

On August 13, 1945, owner H.H. Clark was called in by the Hennepin County Grand Jury for questioning with regards to legal ownership of liquor licenses.  Two City Aldermen were also called.  Clark was to be questioned on the 17th, but the grand jury was told that he was on vacation and could not be located.  A subpoena was issued on August 28 for the missing Clark.

A St. Paul man attracted the attention of 300 to 400 people when he was bounced from Brady’s three times.  On the fourth attempt he was taken to jail. He put up a fight and was charged with disorderly conduct.  (Minneapolis Daily Times, June 22, 1946)  Officers also testified that the man had a gun on him.  The judge fined him $25 and stayed it for a year.

On Sunday, July 10, 1949, Harry Clark, identified as president and manager of Brady’s Bar, underworld figure Tommy  Banks, and their wives were out on Clark’s 30 foot cabin cruiser on Lake Minnetonka when it blew up and burned to the water line.  The gas tank had just been filled, and firemen said a spark from the motor may have ignited fumed that had collected in the bilge.  (Minneapolis Tribune, July 11, 1949)  Despite the two men’s friendship, Tommy later sued Harry for his injuries.  (Minneapolis Tribune, August 12, 1954)

In 1950, Harry Clark (and Tommy Banks) were involved with streetcar-to-bus scandal that rocked Minneapolis.  True to form, when it came time to be questioned, Clark could not be found.  (Minneapolis Tribune, October 18, 1950)

 

 

In January 1952, Charles Halloran became manager of Brady’s while Clark vacationed until the spring.  Then Halloran would return to the Blue Goose Inn, in Garrison, Minnesota, where he had been manager for several years.  This article revealed that the license for Brady’s was held by Brady’s Bar, Inc., 3707 Grand Ave.  The occupant of that apartment was Mrs. Lumina Brancheau.  Phillip Brancheau and Harry Clark signed the surety bond for the bar.  One of the incorporators of Brady’s was Mark C. McCabe, who was also an incorporator of the Blue Goose.  The others were Holleran and Mrs. Reta Banks, wife of Tommy Banks.  (Minneapolis Tribune, January 5, 1952)

 

On January 6, 1953, Brady’s Bar made the headlines when John Card, son of local broadcaster and comedian Clellan Card, was killed in a car crash.  His friend was driving, and admitted that he had had a few drinks at Brady’s.  The driver was charged a fine, but the City Council ordered an investigation and threatened to pull the licenses of the bar.  (Minneapolis Star, February 27, 1953)  A hearing was held on March 11, 1953, but the matter was tabled.

On May 21, 1954, a fire in the Knights of Columbus clubrooms on the second floor did damage to the building.  (Minneapolis Star)

 

In 1956, more mayhem began at Brady’s, where Donald A. Trinko was introduced to Mrs. Gladys Duprey.  The next morning, Gladys was dead in a room at the Leamington Hotel, and Trinko was telling his wife “I think I killed somebody.”

In 1959, Cedric Adams reported that “Brady’s on 6th is still pitching western with the Rhythm Rangers quartet plus Texas Bill Strength …”   (Minneapolis Star, April 13, 1959)

 

 

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JAZZ

One report says that Dixieland was being played in the late ’50s and early ’60s.  This comes from the obituary of Lloyd G. Smith, whose band the Lloyd George Quintet, played at Brady’s Bar.  (Minneapolis Tribune, August 5, 1987)

By at least January 1962, Brady’s had become a jazz venue, hosting the Hall Brothers Dixieland Band.

 

Butch Thompson posted the photo below on Facebook:

During the early ’60s, I played clarinet at Brady’s on 6th and Hennepin with the Hall Brothers Jazz Band. Here’s a photo of us as we left work on New Year’s Eve, 1964. This was our last gig there — we’d been given our notice a few weeks earlier. BTW I was under the legal drinking age — 21 — but we rigged something up with a letter from my parents. Left to right: Don “Doggy” Berg, drums; Charlie DeVore, cornet; Stan Hall, piano/leader; Mike Polad, banjo; Butch Thompson; Bill Evans, bass. Absent: Russ Hall, trombone. Photo by Dave Pfankuchen. — with Don “Doggie” Berg, Charlie DeVore, Stan Hall Piano/Leader, Michael Polad and Bill Evans.

 

 

In 1968, Brady’s was back to specializing in Country and Western music.

 

In 1970, an expansion of Shinders news stand extended into space formerly occupied by Brady’s Bar.  (Minneapolis Star, December 30, 1970)

In February 1971, Barbara Flanagan of the Star reported that Brady’s would be getting a new facade.

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BRADY’S PUB

The bar became known as Brady’s Pub in about 1974.

 

 

In 1988, now called Brady’s Pub, the bar received a five day suspension for drug trafficking and gambling.  This was an especially severe penalty.  (Minneapolis Tribune, February 13, 1988)