Southern Turf Saloon

Another staple of Nashville’s Men’s Quarter, the Southern Turf Saloon, enjoyed a reputation as a restaurant for professionals but was also known for more salacious activities. Opening in 1895 as the last major saloon on Fourth Avenue, the Southern Turf was known for its opulence. As the unofficial headquarters for horse racing with Sulphur Dell Park nearby, Southern Turf was a hot spot for placing bets on races. Under mayor Hilary Howse, authorities largely looked the other way as Southern Turf operated as home base for the underground world of bookies, bets, and bootleggers.

Often times, patrons and owners of the saloon would bribe police officers and government officials. This ended after increased pressure from local prohibition groups in the early 1900s. In 1903, a police raid on the Turf resulted in twenty-seven arrests on gambling charges. As the glory days of Nashville’s most popular saloon came to an end, Southern Turf’s owner Ike Johnson committed suicide in his third-floor apartment in the building.

Prohibition in Tennessee forced Southern Turf to close in 1914. The building’s new owners were newspaper men, which made sense as the area was part of downtown’s publishing district and backed up to Printers Alley. The newspaper, then called the Nashville Tennessean, used the building as its headquarters from 1916 until 1937. Just before World War II, the building was purchased and used as a hotel, but its reputation remained a little on the “seedy side.” In 1945, the American Social Hygiene Association reported that the establishment was a popular rendezvous point for clandestine prostitution. 

To get to your next stop, walk down the alley between the Southern Turf and Wells Fargo. Stop when you see Skull’s Rainbow Room on your right. You have reached the historic Printers Alley, your next stop.