4. Sol Cohn's Saloon - "The Bucket of Blood"
349 4th Ave South
Many saloons were located along 4th Ave South in the Black Bottom neighborhood. However, the one ran by Sol Cohn was notable for the news coverage it received. Cohn was the son of German Jewish immigrants and the establishment he ran included both saloon, grocery store, dance hall, and gambling rooms. The police were frequent visitors to the establishment, partly because violent crime was common there. Cohn alone was party to several killings at his establishment and was known at times to freely pull out his weapons. Success with his business led Sol Cohn to adopt almost a political boss role in the Black Bottom neighborhood. Cohn's prominence led to his being used as a negative political metaphor during the feuding of Edward Carmack and Duncan Cooper in 1908. During the early stages of prohibition, Cohn used his former saloon property as a bootlegging base of operations. Cohn retired from bootlegging in the 1920s but eventually returned to the trade and was sent to prison in 1933.
Source
Waller, William. Nashville in the 1890s. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 1970.
Source
Waller, William. Nashville in the 1890s. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 1970.