Clubs and Entertainment in the Bottoms

In 1918, Dr. C.L. Evans, a prominent African American dentist in Battle Creek, published a "Directory and Business Guide for the Colored Citizens of Battle Creek." The Directory was a 'who's who' of African Americans business people, filled with addresses, phone numbers and advertisements for Battle Creek's most successful African-American entrepreneurs. In his introduction, Evans promoted the guide as a resource for both "old residents" and "newcomers" in Battle Creek. The "newcomers" included hundreds of African Americans who had recently migrated to Battle Creek in search of work in cereal factories, as well as hundreds of African American troops stationed at Camp Custer during the First World War.

In 1918, most of the businesses registered in the Directory were taxi services, salons, or hardware stores. The entrance of the United States in World War I, however, iniated large-scale migration from the South, and Battle Creek's African American population roughly doubled. In the Bottoms, population growth generated new needs for local shops and services. As a result, at the height of the Great Depression, numerous African Americans in the Bottoms countered national trends by establishing a range of new businesses. During the 1930s, Daniel Patton opened a funeral service that he would maintain until 1968. In 1933, Benjamin Franklin Eason opened up the Blue Moon Cafe on McCamly Street. The cafe quickly gained a reputation for its sweet potato pies and beef stew. Others managed to keep older businesses afloat during the lean years of the 1930s. Gussie Mabel Manning maintained a successful taxi service and managed her tea room, while C.J. Walker and dozens of other barbers and hair dressers managed salons.

By the 1940s and 1950s, certain businesses, because of their longevity, the quality of their products, or the personalities of their owners, had become local landmarks. Almost everyone remembers Chicken Charlie's on Washington and Liberty, where Charlie Cheathem killed, plucked and dressed chickens on his premises while customers waited. Other landmarks included A.K. Zinn's feed store on Liberty and Herman and Lillian McGee's record shop and beauty salon on Hamblin.

Some of the most memorable landmarks were restaurants. These ranged from the exclusive (and mysterious), to more modest businesses established to supplement household incomes. At one end of the spectrum, there was Helen's Chicken Shack, directly across from the Jefferson School. After school, children trying to peer through its sheer curtains often thought, as did Alma Richardson, that the Chicken Shack must have been "some place very elegant to eat." Soldiers and people from out of town accounted for most of Helen Basset's evening guests at the Chicken Shack. On the other end of the spectrum, there were numerous barbeque stands, including one run by Reverend Adams of the Sanctified Church on South Washington. After dancing and singing in the Sanctified Church, fervent worshippers (and curious spectators) could purchase chili dogs, hot dogs, soda and barbeque in the Church parking lot. On weekends, when soldiers from Fort Custer came into town, many residents of the Bottoms rolled out oil drums and grilled fish and chicken for curbside sale.

Aspiring business people carved a niche in the Bottoms' market by catering to special needs. If one wanted ribs and candied yams, Lowe's was the place to go, while Jimmy Clarks had a reputation for hot dogs. Following their shrewd business sense, some set up shop near the Bellman and Waiter's Club, where crowds exiting matinees and evening shows often wanted to grab a bite to eat. Between the 1930s and 1960s, Fred Moore, Bennie Grayson and the Prathers operated a succession of streetcar restaurants near the Club. Each had their own specialty, from Fred and Prima Moore's fried chicken, to Ben Grayson's cube steak and hash browns, to Prather's sandwiches.

 

The Chicken Car Restaurant

Some of the most memorable places were noteworthy for all of the wrong or, depending on your needs, the right reasons. Hugh Pettiford's Greasy Spoon lived up to its name by serving chicken that was "just right for guys that drank," according to Bob Bradley []. If Hugh cooked everything in the same grease, few late-comers complained, because his heavy food helped settle the stomach "before the night was over." Fred Wayman's Soda Grill on Washington catered primarily to those not necessarily interested in alcohol. There, teenagers from the Bottoms listened to the juke box, drank soda and danced until closing time. Other hangouts for teenagers and young adults included the Greasy Pig on Liberty and McCamly, and the Hole in the Wall on Washington.

In the Bottoms, both black and white customers generally shopped in stores owned by African Americans. At the same time, African Americans patronized shops owned by whites. These included Bob Brenner's grocery store on Liberty and Washington; Junedale's Meat Market; Sullivan's ice cream shop, and Hill's Grocery Store on Grove Street. They also included Cady's, a snack shop run by Italians; George Antuck's Grocery; John Mazuk's filling station; and Kresge's, where donuts, at 35 cents per dozen, were a "highlight" of Fred Morris' childhood.

Although whites and African Americans often shopped at many of the same places, there were some services that African Americans had difficulty obtaining in Battle Creek. Until the 1950s, few hotels accepted African American guests. Discrimination prevented African Americans from entering most taverns owned by whites. As a result, many African Americans took initiative by providing services to the black community. By the 1940s, for example, Abby and Johnny Brooks had opened a hotel on Peninsula and Liberty. In the early 1900s, many African Americans operated illicit drinking clubs, often in their basements and garages. The Diamond Club on Madison Street, plagued by periodic police raids, was known as one of many disreputable drinking and gambling establishments in town. During the 1920s and 1930s, African Americans made concerted efforts to establish respectable clubs. Melvin and Madeleine Evans' father, for example, had a hand in opening the Empire Club. The owners of the Empire charged membership fees and enforced codes of behavior. The Empire, along with clubs operated by Mack and Jack Johnson and Bud Roland, were places where African American men played cards and, by the 1930s, legally drank.

While basement saloons and small clubs satisfied some, many wanted to create venues where African Americans could enjoy both alcohol and live music. These included African American employees at the elegant Post Tavern Hotel. Although the hotel employed many African Americans, its owners barred African Americans from lodging, dining or attending musical performances at the exclusive establishment. In 1928, a frustrated Clifford Marshall quit his job as the head bellman and opened the Bellman and Waiter’s Club at 86 Southwest Capital. At its opening, the Club had 158 members who each paid a $25 annual membership fee. The original membership of the club was limited mainly to bellman, waiters, chauffeurs, cooks, Pullman car porters, soldiers, and prominent African American business owners. By the 1950s, though, the club had more than 500 members.

Clifford Marshall, owner of the Bellman and Waiter's Club
86 Capital Ave. SW, future site of the Bellman and Waiter's Club
Perry Marshall at the Bellman and Waiter's Club, 1939

Battle Creek phenoms Junior Walker and the All Stars

Because of prohibition and opposition from local whites, the Bellman and Waiter's did not obtain a liquor license until 1937. After obtaining a license, it became the only club in town where African Americans could legally purchase alcoholic drinks, watch live music, and relax. The Club featured live performances by local musicians, as well as bands traveling the circuit between Detroit and Chicago. During the Club's early years, well-known jazz musicians performed at the Bellman and Waiter's and lodged in its upstairs rooms. During the 1960s, successful Motown artists, including the Battle Creek-based Junior Walker and the All Stars, performed at the Club. During the late 1970s, the Club entered a period of decline, and in 1995, the city demolished its premises on Capital Avenue.

During the 1960s, one of the most important centers of social life in the Bottoms was undoubtedly the El Grotto, located on the corner of Kendall and Hamblin. The El Grotto had its beginning in 1949, when Robert "Snap" Montgomery and his wife Helen (Evans) quit their jobs and bought The Black and Tan, a restaurant and tavern that Silas Thompson had owned since 1936. The Black and Tan, however successful, had gained a great deal of notoriety, as well as the nickname "Bucket of Blood," because of the brawling of soldiers from Fort Custer outside the premises.

 

A number of things made the El Grotto one of the most successful clubs in Battle Creek. Unlike the owners of the Bellman and Waiter's, Helen and Robert Montgomery did not require their customers to pay a membership fee. Shortly after opening The Corner, the Montgomery's expanded into the property at 44 South Kendall Street, where a pool hall named Brownie's had recently closed. Helen and Robert Montgomery also pressured the city to grant them a liquor license, so that they could sell hard alcohol, in addition to beer and wine. Finally, they paid some of the best musicians in Michigan to perform at the El Grotto.

During the 1960s, many talented musicians began their careers at the El Grotto. Others appeared at the El Grotto as established performers. Those who graced the El Grotto's stage included house band Junior Walker and the All Stars, Al Green, Odie Cromwell, Ernie Townsend [], Jackie Beavers and Johnny Bristol, Bill Dowdy, Johnny Broadnax, Junior Hobbs, Arlie Bynum, Bobby Parker [] and many others. The El Grotto was so well-known for its entertainment that, during the 1960s and 1970s, celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks visited the Club. In addition to providing a showcase for musical talent, Helen and Robert Montgomery hosted fund-raising events, including fashion shows for the NAACP and other organizations active in Battle Creek.

Local musicians Ollie Bynam, Percy Henderson, Odie Cromwell, Johnny Broadanax

In 1972, Robert Montgomery passed away, and in 1989, Helen Montgomery died from burns sustained in an accident. Four years later, a local couple purchased El Grotto and renamed it Colors on the Corner. Even before Colors on the Corner went out of business, Battle Creek had lost one of its most important landmarks - an establishment known for the kindness of its owners, its many contributions to the social and cultural life of Battle Creek, and its place in the history of Motown.