Exploring St. Paul in January

Visiting the historical sites showcased in "Black Cordite, White Snow"

Me and F. Scott Fitzgerald hanging out. He’s taller in person.

This past weekend, my wife and I went on a little “staycation” in St. Paul, taking a room in the historic St. Paul Hotel. We spent much of the weekend touring the many well-preserved historic sites around the city, many of which feature prominently in my Prohibition-era novel, “Black Cordite, White Snow,” and the next book in the series, “Beggars Will Ride.” Here are some photos of our adventure!

On the left, the St. Paul Grill, the St. Paul Hotel's first-floor restaurant. On the right, a photo from our room overlooking Rice Park.

The St. Paul Hotel - Known as “St. Paul’s Million-Dollar Hotel,” the St. Paul Hotel opened in April 1910 and boasted numerous famous guests, including James J. Hill, CEO of the Great Northern Railway, and pilot Charles Lindberg, who, upon returning home from his trans-Atlantic flight, enjoyed dinner there. During Prohibition, gangsters (and law enforcement officials trying to observe them) used the hotel as a base of operations for illicit business dealings.

The Union Depot - Built in 1923, the Union Depot was a hub of passenger trains and mail being delivered to the neighboring St. Paul Central Downtown Post Office. At its peak in the 1920s, there were nearly 300 train movements each day. It’s a lot quieter now, but the architecture of the building still inspires awe. As you can see in one of the photos above, someone was clearly preparing to use the waiting area for a wedding or party. What a great spot for that!

Yoerg Brewing Company - One of the oldest breweries in the state, the Yoerg Brewing Company was founded in 1848 by Bavarian immigrants. Behind their brewery, they dug a mile of underground cooling and fermenting caves into the sandstone bluffs above the Mississippi in which they produced their “Cave-Aged” beers, produced exclusively from Minnesota-grown Barley and Washington State hops. Apparently my wife’s great grandfather was a Yoerg, in fact! (That didn’t get us a discount on beer, unfortunately.)

Landmark Center - Completed in 1902, this impressive, cathedral-like building originally served as the United States Post Office, courthouse, and custom house for the state of Minnesota.

The Mississippi Bluffs - We took a little walk down Wabasha Street to the Wabasha Bridge overlooking the mighty Mississippi. You can even see in the distance the sandstone bluffs rising above the river. (Spoiler: Niklas and Kessler use the caves in those bluffs to hide their machine guns and make exchanges with St. Paul’s criminal element.)