1 00:00:01,467 --> 00:00:03,567 [narrator] A suburban house with an abandoned basement 2 00:00:03,734 --> 00:00:05,567 full of secrets. 3 00:00:05,734 --> 00:00:07,967 [woman] This has to be one of the biggest stories 4 00:00:08,133 --> 00:00:10,367 of police corruption in American history. 5 00:00:10,367 --> 00:00:12,100 [fast-paced music] 6 00:00:12,100 --> 00:00:16,700 [narrator] A ruined resort where one woman took on the mob. 7 00:00:16,867 --> 00:00:19,567 [Dr. Kwami] Gangsters shot her father, stabbed her brother, 8 00:00:19,734 --> 00:00:22,667 but she never gave up. 9 00:00:22,834 --> 00:00:27,166 [narrator] And a forgotten training base that helped save the world. 10 00:00:27,166 --> 00:00:30,266 [woman that they made for this country, 11 00:00:30,433 --> 00:00:32,567 boy, is it a story to tell. 12 00:00:32,567 --> 00:00:34,667 [fast-paced music persists] 13 00:00:41,967 --> 00:00:43,233 [chord strike] 14 00:00:44,567 --> 00:00:47,467 [narrator] Hidden deep within a forest in central Louisiana 15 00:00:47,634 --> 00:00:51,567 lie the ruins of a site that played a vital role 16 00:00:51,567 --> 00:00:53,967 in American history. 17 00:00:58,467 --> 00:01:00,367 [suspenseful pulsing] 18 00:01:00,533 --> 00:01:03,000 [man] It's hard to believe with all the trees here now, but 19 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,867 at one time you would have seen over 7,000 structures. 20 00:01:08,867 --> 00:01:11,967 [man is gone, and it leaves you 21 00:01:12,133 --> 00:01:14,567 with a strange impression of what once was here 22 00:01:14,567 --> 00:01:15,967 is no more. 23 00:01:16,767 --> 00:01:20,867 [narrator] But if you know where to look, hidden among the trees 24 00:01:21,033 --> 00:01:24,200 are clues of a monumental operation. 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,767 [Meigs] You see a lot of concrete blocks -- 26 00:01:27,767 --> 00:01:32,367 they almost look like overgrown tombstones lined up. 27 00:01:32,533 --> 00:01:34,367 [Dr. Mitchell] As well as concrete ruins there are complete 28 00:01:34,367 --> 00:01:37,667 buildings here jam-packed with machinery and equipment 29 00:01:37,667 --> 00:01:38,900 from a bygone era. 30 00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:41,867 [narrator] These sites joined forces when 31 00:01:42,033 --> 00:01:45,500 America was called upon to help bring an end 32 00:01:45,667 --> 00:01:48,800 to the deadliest war in human history. 33 00:01:50,567 --> 00:01:53,100 [woman] These relics and ruins that you see out here 34 00:01:53,266 --> 00:01:55,266 played a significant role in the history of 35 00:01:55,266 --> 00:01:57,166 the United States. 36 00:01:57,333 --> 00:01:59,700 [Dr. Mitchell] This is where the US war machine geared up to take on 37 00:01:59,867 --> 00:02:01,567 the Nazi menace. 38 00:02:06,567 --> 00:02:09,667 [Lisa] Growing up as a child not far from here I never fully 39 00:02:09,834 --> 00:02:13,567 understood or appreciated the historical significance 40 00:02:13,734 --> 00:02:15,600 of all that happened right here. 41 00:02:17,166 --> 00:02:20,400 [narrator] Lisa Lewis now works for the Forestry Service 42 00:02:20,567 --> 00:02:22,767 and is one of the leading authorities 43 00:02:22,767 --> 00:02:25,767 on the extraordinary events that took place here. 44 00:02:27,266 --> 00:02:29,066 This here was a parade ground. 45 00:02:29,233 --> 00:02:31,767 Hard to imagine with all the trees here now, 46 00:02:31,767 --> 00:02:35,500 but this area was expansive, and you could see literally 47 00:02:35,667 --> 00:02:37,600 for about a half mile in either direction. 48 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:42,000 [narrator] Thousands of soldiers once gathered here to listen 49 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,467 to a rousing speech from one of World War I's 50 00:02:45,634 --> 00:02:47,967 greatest American heroes. 51 00:02:48,133 --> 00:02:50,467 A man awarded the Medal of Honor for 52 00:02:50,634 --> 00:02:53,967 taking out a German machine gun nest and capturing 53 00:02:54,133 --> 00:02:56,100 130 prisoners, 54 00:02:57,166 --> 00:02:59,967 Sergeant Alvin York. 55 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,400 [Lisa] He came back to his old unit to basically 56 00:03:02,567 --> 00:03:04,166 give them a pep talk and to remind them 57 00:03:04,333 --> 00:03:06,467 of what they were fighting for, 58 00:03:06,634 --> 00:03:09,000 for America's freedom and America's future. 59 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,367 [narrator] This is Camp Claiborne, 60 00:03:13,367 --> 00:03:16,166 a U.S. Army training facility, 61 00:03:16,333 --> 00:03:20,166 constructed in 1939 in response to the outbreak 62 00:03:20,166 --> 00:03:22,300 of war in Europe. 63 00:03:23,767 --> 00:03:26,066 At first, the U.S. had been reluctant 64 00:03:26,233 --> 00:03:28,166 to get involved in war in Europe. 65 00:03:28,333 --> 00:03:32,800 The popular public mood was one of isolationism. 66 00:03:32,967 --> 00:03:35,100 [narrator] But President Roosevelt foresaw 67 00:03:35,266 --> 00:03:39,100 America's official neutral stance coming to an end. 68 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:43,467 And he knew the country's army was far from ready. 69 00:03:44,567 --> 00:03:46,500 [Meigs] The U.S. had the largest economy 70 00:03:46,667 --> 00:03:50,300 in the world, but our military was the 17th largest. 71 00:03:50,467 --> 00:03:53,667 Our army was smaller than that of Romania. 72 00:03:53,834 --> 00:03:58,467 [narrator] To address this, in October 1940, the draft 73 00:03:58,634 --> 00:04:02,800 was brought back and hundreds of thousands of new recruits 74 00:04:02,967 --> 00:04:04,867 poured into the Army. 75 00:04:05,033 --> 00:04:09,000 [Roosevelt] Our present program will train 800,000 76 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,100 additional men this coming year, and somewhat less than 77 00:04:13,266 --> 00:04:15,767 a million men each year thereafter. 78 00:04:15,934 --> 00:04:22,300 To the 16 million young men who register today, I say 79 00:04:22,467 --> 00:04:24,467 that democracy is your cause. 80 00:04:25,767 --> 00:04:29,567 [narrator] But boosting numbers wasn't the only goal. 81 00:04:29,567 --> 00:04:32,166 [Lisa] At that time, the United States Army 82 00:04:32,333 --> 00:04:36,266 was primarily an infantry force. We had the mounted cavalry, 83 00:04:36,433 --> 00:04:39,767 a lot of the ammunitions, the howitzers guns, 84 00:04:39,767 --> 00:04:42,700 were pulled with horses. Hitler had tanks. 85 00:04:42,867 --> 00:04:43,967 [rumbling] 86 00:04:43,967 --> 00:04:46,867 [Meigs] The American army was going to have to learn 87 00:04:47,033 --> 00:04:48,867 how to fight a war like this. 88 00:04:48,867 --> 00:04:53,100 And they needed a place big enough to train thousands, 89 00:04:53,266 --> 00:04:54,900 hundreds of thousands of troops. 90 00:04:57,367 --> 00:05:00,567 [narrator] This sparsely populated area of Louisiana, 91 00:05:00,567 --> 00:05:03,867 cleared of trees after decades of intensive logging, 92 00:05:04,033 --> 00:05:08,467 was ideally suited for large-scale war games. 93 00:05:08,467 --> 00:05:12,166 They would become known as the Louisiana Maneuvers. 94 00:05:12,333 --> 00:05:15,000 -[rapid blasts] -[man on radio] Zero Hour in Louisiana, 95 00:05:15,166 --> 00:05:16,767 the greatest field exercise 96 00:05:16,934 --> 00:05:20,367 in American military history, with over 40,000 motorized 97 00:05:20,533 --> 00:05:22,900 vehicles and half a million men. 98 00:05:23,066 --> 00:05:26,066 One of the key things was learning to work 99 00:05:26,233 --> 00:05:29,300 with this relatively new technology of the tank. 100 00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:33,767 [Dr. Mitchell] General Marshall, Chief of Staff, stated, "I want 101 00:05:33,934 --> 00:05:37,000 the mistakes made in Louisiana, not in Europe." 102 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,100 -[motor rumbling] -[narrator] The 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers 103 00:05:40,100 --> 00:05:44,567 revealed deficiencies in Army training in this new era 104 00:05:44,734 --> 00:05:45,767 of mechanized warfare. 105 00:05:45,934 --> 00:05:47,400 [explosion] 106 00:05:47,900 --> 00:05:52,000 [narrator] Three military camps already in the area rapidly expanded 107 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,867 to meet this new demand for training -- Camp Livingstone, 108 00:05:56,033 --> 00:05:59,800 Camp Polk, and the largest, Camp Claiborne. 109 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:03,000 [Dr. Mitchell] In less than one year, 110 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,967 over 8,000 construction workers 111 00:06:05,133 --> 00:06:08,300 built hundreds of semi-permanent buildings 112 00:06:08,467 --> 00:06:11,166 and thousands of pyramid-shaped tents. 113 00:06:11,166 --> 00:06:13,166 [Lisa] Camp Claiborne was massive. 114 00:06:13,333 --> 00:06:16,367 At its zenith, it supported over 50,000 troops. 115 00:06:16,533 --> 00:06:20,300 And some called it the third largest city in Louisiana. 116 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,166 [narrator] Predominantly made up 117 00:06:24,166 --> 00:06:27,767 of temporary structures, all that is left today 118 00:06:27,934 --> 00:06:32,000 are remnants of the more permanent constructions. 119 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:37,066 Doug Rhodes is an expert on this site and knows exactly 120 00:06:37,233 --> 00:06:40,767 where the remains are hidden in this vast forest. 121 00:06:42,100 --> 00:06:44,800 [Doug] We're here at the rifle range. 122 00:06:44,967 --> 00:06:47,800 In fact, we're at the target pit. 123 00:06:47,967 --> 00:06:52,100 As the soldier would raise the target up, 124 00:06:53,166 --> 00:06:56,500 the paper target would appear, the soldier would fire at it, 125 00:06:56,667 --> 00:06:58,800 and then they would bring it back down 126 00:06:58,967 --> 00:07:01,066 where they would grade it. 127 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,066 [narrator] With over 500,000 soldiers coming through Camp Claiborne, 128 00:07:06,233 --> 00:07:10,300 and each having to qualify with some sort of firearm, 129 00:07:10,467 --> 00:07:13,667 the range saw constant action. 130 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:20,567 [Doug] This is where all those bullets that didn't hit the target land. 131 00:07:20,734 --> 00:07:25,166 You can just walk along and easily pick up spent rounds. 132 00:07:25,333 --> 00:07:29,100 There were probably literally millions of these embedded 133 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:30,667 in the berms here. 134 00:07:31,767 --> 00:07:35,300 [narrator] Two of the most famous World War II Army divisions 135 00:07:35,467 --> 00:07:38,767 were activated here at Camp Claiborne, 136 00:07:38,934 --> 00:07:42,667 the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. 137 00:07:42,667 --> 00:07:46,600 [Morgan] Both of those divisions are thrown into combat during 138 00:07:46,767 --> 00:07:47,767 the Normandy invasion. 139 00:07:47,767 --> 00:07:49,800 And then, my God, the things that they go off 140 00:07:49,967 --> 00:07:51,800 and accomplish during the Battle of the Bulge. 141 00:07:51,967 --> 00:07:55,867 Both of them are critical to our victory in the costliest 142 00:07:56,033 --> 00:07:58,300 battle the American military fought in its history. 143 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,200 [narrator] But there were some less heralded units 144 00:08:03,367 --> 00:08:07,467 at Camp Claiborne that also had a significant impact abroad. 145 00:08:07,634 --> 00:08:11,367 A location nearby was a key part of their training. 146 00:08:13,166 --> 00:08:15,500 [Doug] Starting in around 1890, 147 00:08:15,667 --> 00:08:18,166 Louisiana was known for its timber industry. 148 00:08:18,333 --> 00:08:22,467 There was vast acreages of longleaf pine and many, 149 00:08:22,467 --> 00:08:24,967 many mills popped up, including this one. 150 00:08:26,266 --> 00:08:28,500 [narrator] This is the Crowell sawmill, 151 00:08:28,667 --> 00:08:30,266 and the troops who came here 152 00:08:30,433 --> 00:08:32,467 were part of forestry battalions. 153 00:08:34,467 --> 00:08:35,500 [gunshots blast] 154 00:08:35,667 --> 00:08:37,266 [Morgan] When we think of the Second World War 155 00:08:37,266 --> 00:08:39,400 and the way the American military fought it, we think about 156 00:08:39,567 --> 00:08:41,700 the M1 rifle or the Sherman tank. 157 00:08:41,867 --> 00:08:45,200 But the reality is that probably the tool that paved 158 00:08:45,367 --> 00:08:48,000 the way for more success during the course of the conflict 159 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,567 was this large-scale, U.S. Army-issued chainsaw. 160 00:08:51,567 --> 00:08:55,367 [Meigs] You're building bridges, you're laying railroad tracks. 161 00:08:55,367 --> 00:08:58,166 They needed fresh lumber for all of that. 162 00:08:58,166 --> 00:09:01,000 [Lisa] These battalions were trained in sawmilling, 163 00:09:01,166 --> 00:09:04,967 because when you think about it, once they got to, whether it 164 00:09:05,133 --> 00:09:07,800 be Pacific, or over in Europe, you just couldn't go 165 00:09:07,967 --> 00:09:10,266 to a Lowe's or a Home Depot to purchase your 166 00:09:10,433 --> 00:09:11,634 building supplies. 167 00:09:11,634 --> 00:09:14,667 [Doug] It was very important to bring them here to see how 168 00:09:14,667 --> 00:09:16,467 the whole operation worked. 169 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:21,166 [narrator] Another little-known unit that trained at Claiborne 170 00:09:21,333 --> 00:09:23,367 were the railroad battalions. 171 00:09:23,367 --> 00:09:27,266 As well as maintenance and repair, they were also 172 00:09:27,433 --> 00:09:30,166 skilled in launching deadly attacks. 173 00:09:30,166 --> 00:09:31,800 [explosion blasts] 174 00:09:34,166 --> 00:09:36,300 [narrator] In central Louisiana, a World War II 175 00:09:36,467 --> 00:09:39,567 U.S. facility called Camp Claiborne once trained 176 00:09:39,567 --> 00:09:42,266 a unique group of soldiers, 177 00:09:42,266 --> 00:09:44,266 railroad battalions, 178 00:09:46,166 --> 00:09:49,700 and a neighboring sawmill provided the locomotives. 179 00:09:51,867 --> 00:09:54,967 [Lisa] They had several of their own engines that they used 180 00:09:55,133 --> 00:09:58,166 in their own logging operations in the woods. 181 00:09:58,333 --> 00:10:02,000 The actual 106 engine helped construct 182 00:10:02,166 --> 00:10:04,066 the Pope-Claiborne Railroad. 183 00:10:06,467 --> 00:10:09,166 [narrator] This railroad, as well as being used 184 00:10:09,166 --> 00:10:10,767 for transportation, 185 00:10:10,934 --> 00:10:14,467 was used to train troops in the rapid repair of railroads 186 00:10:14,634 --> 00:10:17,767 that in Europe would be vital supply lines. 187 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:23,100 These troops also practiced sabotage. 188 00:10:23,266 --> 00:10:26,767 [Doug] They would blow up different sections of track 189 00:10:26,934 --> 00:10:30,400 because they wanted to determine how much TNT 190 00:10:30,567 --> 00:10:32,100 a saboteur would need 191 00:10:32,266 --> 00:10:35,166 to damage the track to the point to where it would 192 00:10:35,166 --> 00:10:36,867 cause a train to derail. 193 00:10:38,867 --> 00:10:42,867 [narrator] Camp-Claiborne-trained soldiers would first see action 194 00:10:43,033 --> 00:10:47,467 on November 8th, 1942 during Operation Torch, 195 00:10:47,634 --> 00:10:50,467 the successful Allied invasion of North Africa. 196 00:10:50,467 --> 00:10:52,367 -[water splashing] -[bullets zipping] 197 00:10:52,533 --> 00:10:56,166 [narrator] Approximately 11 million U.S. Army personnel would go 198 00:10:56,333 --> 00:10:59,100 on to serve in World War II. 199 00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:02,100 And half a million of them trained here 200 00:11:02,266 --> 00:11:05,200 in this Louisiana forest. 201 00:11:05,367 --> 00:11:07,467 [Morgan] We pulled millions of people into uniform, 202 00:11:07,467 --> 00:11:09,467 trained them at places like Camp Claiborne, and then 203 00:11:09,467 --> 00:11:12,867 at the end of that conflict, we went back to the business 204 00:11:12,867 --> 00:11:14,000 of being at peace. 205 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,266 [Lisa] Camp Claiborne was officially shut down 206 00:11:16,433 --> 00:11:19,000 by the U.S. Army in 1946. 207 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,767 The Army sold the buildings for scrap and then transferred 208 00:11:23,767 --> 00:11:27,767 the 30,000 acres back to the Kisatchie National Forest. 209 00:11:31,266 --> 00:11:34,000 [narrator] The Crowell Sawmill continued operating 210 00:11:34,166 --> 00:11:37,700 as a private business until 1969. 211 00:11:37,867 --> 00:11:42,000 By this time, much of what was left at Camp Claiborne had 212 00:11:42,166 --> 00:11:44,800 been swallowed by the forest. 213 00:11:44,967 --> 00:11:49,100 But thankfully, ruins are still visible today, 214 00:11:49,100 --> 00:11:52,567 places to remember the heroes America produced 215 00:11:52,734 --> 00:11:55,700 during the world's greatest time of need. 216 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,066 [Lisa] Some of the most storied divisions that fought 217 00:12:00,233 --> 00:12:04,200 World War II trained right here at Camp Claiborne. 218 00:12:04,367 --> 00:12:07,300 And the sacrifices that they made for this country 219 00:12:07,467 --> 00:12:10,767 was to help win not only the war in Europe, 220 00:12:10,767 --> 00:12:13,567 but ultimately in the Pacific as well. 221 00:12:22,767 --> 00:12:26,500 [narrator] In Motor City, an underground lair 222 00:12:26,667 --> 00:12:28,767 fought the law and won. 223 00:12:35,166 --> 00:12:38,300 [Bell] This is Detroit, a city on the Great Lakes 224 00:12:38,467 --> 00:12:39,800 that will forever be entwined 225 00:12:39,967 --> 00:12:42,767 with the great American car industry. 226 00:12:43,667 --> 00:12:45,567 [narrator] On the east side of the city, 227 00:12:45,567 --> 00:12:50,967 an unassuming house hides an astonishing secret. 228 00:12:51,133 --> 00:12:53,467 [woman] When I first came down here, I got to the door, 229 00:12:53,634 --> 00:12:56,367 and it was screwed shut. 230 00:12:56,367 --> 00:13:00,467 But this entire window was painted over, so we couldn't 231 00:13:00,634 --> 00:13:02,667 see what was inside, and you got the sense 232 00:13:02,667 --> 00:13:05,567 that nobody had really been in here for years. 233 00:13:06,767 --> 00:13:11,367 [narrator] Behind this door lies an abandoned world. 234 00:13:11,367 --> 00:13:14,700 [Dr. Thomas] This basement is huge, and it's divided 235 00:13:14,867 --> 00:13:16,867 into several different rooms. 236 00:13:16,867 --> 00:13:19,100 [suspenseful music] 237 00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:22,667 [Dr. Kwami] The furniture here looks really old, like early- 238 00:13:22,667 --> 00:13:24,467 to mid-20th century. 239 00:13:25,700 --> 00:13:28,467 [narrator] Once, this was a crucial cog 240 00:13:28,634 --> 00:13:32,467 in a criminal network that spread across America. 241 00:13:32,467 --> 00:13:36,700 When I first came into the room, I honestly got 242 00:13:36,867 --> 00:13:38,600 shivers down my spine. 243 00:13:44,266 --> 00:13:48,367 [narrator] Kimberly Holt bought this house in October 2022. 244 00:13:49,867 --> 00:13:53,166 At the time, she thought it was a normal residential 245 00:13:53,166 --> 00:13:57,667 property, but she didn't know what was hidden below. 246 00:13:59,166 --> 00:14:00,367 [Kimberly] Nobody came down here. 247 00:14:00,367 --> 00:14:02,600 Nobody really knew what was in here. 248 00:14:02,767 --> 00:14:06,567 This had been a rental property for 70 years. 249 00:14:06,734 --> 00:14:09,867 The people that lived in the building never had access 250 00:14:10,033 --> 00:14:11,300 through this door. 251 00:14:12,467 --> 00:14:16,367 [narrator] As its new owner, Kimberly entered the forgotten 252 00:14:16,367 --> 00:14:18,266 world left behind. 253 00:14:19,767 --> 00:14:23,066 -I knew exactly what it was. I could feel 254 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,600 the history and the people that had been in this space. 255 00:14:28,767 --> 00:14:33,100 [narrator] Kimberly was certain this was a clandestine bar 256 00:14:33,266 --> 00:14:35,166 known as a speakeasy. 257 00:14:35,333 --> 00:14:39,000 It would have kept Detroit wet during Prohibition. 258 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,967 [Dr. Kwami] Speakeasy, actually the word comes from, 259 00:14:41,133 --> 00:14:42,967 "speak softly and easily." 260 00:14:43,133 --> 00:14:45,467 These were illegal bars during Prohibition. 261 00:14:45,634 --> 00:14:46,867 [jazz music] 262 00:14:46,867 --> 00:14:48,867 [Kimberly] I could see the bar, I could see where 263 00:14:49,033 --> 00:14:50,133 the liquor went. 264 00:14:51,266 --> 00:14:55,667 And then over here is an early refrigeration unit. 265 00:14:55,834 --> 00:14:57,867 It's freezing down here. 266 00:14:57,867 --> 00:15:01,767 [narrator] This house was constructed in 1917, 267 00:15:01,767 --> 00:15:06,000 a year before Michigan banned alcohol. 268 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,100 [Kimberly] They knew Prohibition was coming. 269 00:15:08,100 --> 00:15:10,367 They built it with a purpose. 270 00:15:10,533 --> 00:15:11,667 [guitar strum] 271 00:15:11,834 --> 00:15:14,667 [narrator] Michigan banned alcohol two years before 272 00:15:14,667 --> 00:15:19,367 national Prohibition, making Detroit the first major city 273 00:15:19,367 --> 00:15:22,266 to turn its alcohol taps off. 274 00:15:22,266 --> 00:15:25,166 It's a period Mickey Lyons has spent 275 00:15:25,166 --> 00:15:27,367 the last 15 years studying. 276 00:15:28,367 --> 00:15:31,266 When Michigan first went dry, we were able to import booze 277 00:15:31,433 --> 00:15:33,166 from neighboring states like Ohio. 278 00:15:33,166 --> 00:15:36,100 So folks would take a day trip, grab some booze 279 00:15:36,100 --> 00:15:39,000 and head right back up. 280 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,867 [Bell] So much illegal booze came in along the Dixie Highway. 281 00:15:42,867 --> 00:15:46,000 It was nicknamed "The Avenue de Booze." 282 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:51,467 [narrator] The Avenue de Booze didn't stay open for long. 283 00:15:51,467 --> 00:15:56,600 In 1920, it skidded to a halt when the 18th Amendment 284 00:15:56,767 --> 00:15:59,000 ushered in national prohibition. 285 00:15:59,166 --> 00:16:03,967 But that didn't turn Detroit speakeasies like this one dry. 286 00:16:04,133 --> 00:16:05,800 [Mickey] In Detroit, despite the national 287 00:16:05,967 --> 00:16:09,100 prohibition, the party kind of continued unabated. 288 00:16:09,266 --> 00:16:12,100 They just had to operate with paying off cops 289 00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:15,467 a little bit more, and the criminal element came in. 290 00:16:16,700 --> 00:16:20,066 [narrator] Detroit's criminal gangs kept the booze flowing 291 00:16:20,233 --> 00:16:23,967 by smuggling it across an international border. 292 00:16:24,133 --> 00:16:26,967 [Bell] Detroit's southern border is the Detroit River, 293 00:16:27,133 --> 00:16:29,100 which separates America from Canada. 294 00:16:29,266 --> 00:16:32,867 So booze was brought in from Canada over the water. 295 00:16:32,867 --> 00:16:35,300 [water splashing] 296 00:16:35,467 --> 00:16:37,567 [narrator] Despite Canada also being in the grips 297 00:16:37,734 --> 00:16:41,400 of prohibition, its laws only prohibited the consumption 298 00:16:41,567 --> 00:16:43,900 of alcohol. They were still allowed 299 00:16:44,066 --> 00:16:48,567 to make booze and sell it abroad to countries like America. 300 00:16:48,567 --> 00:16:51,266 People in Detroit were pretty ingenious on how they got 301 00:16:51,266 --> 00:16:54,400 access to booze across the river from Canada. 302 00:16:54,567 --> 00:16:57,000 In addition to just the regular speedboats, 303 00:16:57,166 --> 00:16:59,266 motorboats, they brought things over on canoe. 304 00:16:59,266 --> 00:17:02,567 During the winter, the water would ice over 305 00:17:02,567 --> 00:17:04,667 and they would drive cars across. 306 00:17:05,867 --> 00:17:09,166 Detroit became the capital of illegal booze in America. 307 00:17:09,166 --> 00:17:12,567 Rum-running became the second largest industry in Detroit 308 00:17:12,734 --> 00:17:14,166 after the automotive industry. 309 00:17:16,467 --> 00:17:19,100 [narrator] During Prohibition, three quarters of all 310 00:17:19,100 --> 00:17:21,767 the alcohol that came into America was smuggled 311 00:17:21,767 --> 00:17:25,900 across the Detroit River, and much of it was sold 312 00:17:26,066 --> 00:17:28,667 in speakeasies like this one. 313 00:17:28,667 --> 00:17:31,800 It's estimated that 25,000 speakeasies operated 314 00:17:31,967 --> 00:17:34,166 during Prohibition in Southeast Michigan. 315 00:17:34,166 --> 00:17:37,667 [narrator] But the operators of this speakeasy were 316 00:17:37,834 --> 00:17:40,166 sitting on a dangerous secret. 317 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,100 [narrator] On the east side of Detroit, Kimberly Holt 318 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:50,500 discovered an abandoned 1920s speakeasy in the basement 319 00:17:50,667 --> 00:17:51,834 of her new house. 320 00:17:51,834 --> 00:17:55,800 And she thinks the evidence suggests this establishment 321 00:17:55,967 --> 00:17:59,100 was owned by some shady characters. 322 00:17:59,266 --> 00:18:03,700 I think that this place was actually gang-owned. 323 00:18:03,867 --> 00:18:08,667 I'm 95% there to tying it to the Purple Gang directly. 324 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,400 [Bell] The Purple Gang was an organized crime syndicate 325 00:18:13,567 --> 00:18:16,300 from Detroit's Lower East Side where this speakeasy 326 00:18:16,467 --> 00:18:17,600 is located. 327 00:18:17,767 --> 00:18:19,767 [narrator] The true origin of the gang's name 328 00:18:19,767 --> 00:18:22,266 has been lost to time, 329 00:18:22,433 --> 00:18:25,100 yet many believe it's from their victims 330 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:29,367 describing gang members as being tainted and off-color, 331 00:18:29,367 --> 00:18:31,567 like rotten, purple meat. 332 00:18:31,567 --> 00:18:34,867 The Purple Gang was founded by the Bernstein brothers. 333 00:18:35,033 --> 00:18:38,367 They were the children of Jewish immigrants from Russia 334 00:18:38,367 --> 00:18:41,500 and they ruled Detroit with an iron fist. 335 00:18:42,567 --> 00:18:43,700 [narrator] The Purple Gang would become one 336 00:18:43,700 --> 00:18:47,567 of the most feared gangs in America, and the East side 337 00:18:47,734 --> 00:18:51,400 of Detroit was ground zero for their bootlegging business. 338 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,266 They were very prolific in this area. 339 00:18:55,266 --> 00:18:58,600 This was a gang gathering spot. 340 00:18:59,667 --> 00:19:03,266 Across the street, I discovered a hidden, secret boat dock 341 00:19:03,266 --> 00:19:05,367 where they would drop off the alcohol. 342 00:19:05,367 --> 00:19:08,900 People were able to come right in on their little speed boats 343 00:19:09,066 --> 00:19:11,967 off of the Detroit River and just tuck right into garages 344 00:19:12,133 --> 00:19:13,800 underneath the houses. 345 00:19:13,967 --> 00:19:16,900 [Kimberly] You could literally walk across the street 346 00:19:17,066 --> 00:19:21,266 between the little alleyways and come in the back speakeasy door 347 00:19:21,266 --> 00:19:23,367 and you would never be seen. 348 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,166 [narrator] While this might've been a Purple Gang stronghold, 349 00:19:28,166 --> 00:19:32,100 Another abandoned building nearly three miles away 350 00:19:32,100 --> 00:19:34,367 tried to stand in their way. 351 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,166 [Mickey] This is the Belle Isle Police Station. 352 00:19:39,333 --> 00:19:41,200 It's right here on the island in the middle 353 00:19:41,367 --> 00:19:46,000 of the Detroit River, halfway between Detroit and Canada. 354 00:19:46,166 --> 00:19:50,000 [narrator] This was America's front line against Detroit's 355 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:54,467 rum runners, but despite countless arrests, six years 356 00:19:54,467 --> 00:19:57,667 into Prohibition, the Belle Isle Police Station 357 00:19:57,834 --> 00:20:00,066 took a unique approach. 358 00:20:00,233 --> 00:20:03,800 In the spring of 1926, the captain of the Belle Isle 359 00:20:03,967 --> 00:20:05,667 Police Force, Captain Burkeiser, 360 00:20:05,834 --> 00:20:08,100 gave a really strange order to his officers. 361 00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:11,800 [Bell] He told them to lay off the bootleggers and to keep 362 00:20:11,967 --> 00:20:15,867 their police boat lights on at all times, citing safety 363 00:20:15,867 --> 00:20:17,000 as his reason. 364 00:20:17,166 --> 00:20:20,300 But in reality, it meant that the smugglers could see 365 00:20:20,467 --> 00:20:22,100 the police boats from miles away. 366 00:20:23,266 --> 00:20:25,300 [Dr. Thomas] This wasn't the only strange thing 367 00:20:25,467 --> 00:20:27,900 that Burkeiser did. At one point, the police 368 00:20:28,066 --> 00:20:32,000 captured 100 cases of spirits, but he only reported 64, 369 00:20:32,166 --> 00:20:34,700 making sure that the rest of that number got delivered 370 00:20:34,867 --> 00:20:35,934 to his home. 371 00:20:35,934 --> 00:20:39,367 It became pretty clear that Burkeiser was crooked. 372 00:20:41,166 --> 00:20:43,867 [narrator] With Burkeiser turning a blind eye, 373 00:20:43,867 --> 00:20:47,600 booze worth over $200 million was smuggled 374 00:20:47,767 --> 00:20:49,800 across the Detroit River each year. 375 00:20:51,767 --> 00:20:55,800 Yet in 1928, the police captain's empire 376 00:20:55,967 --> 00:20:58,600 came crashing down. 377 00:20:58,767 --> 00:21:01,100 [Dr. Kwami] After some of his own officers gave evidence 378 00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:03,100 against him, he was eventually removed 379 00:21:03,100 --> 00:21:04,867 from the Belle Isle Police Station, 380 00:21:05,033 --> 00:21:09,200 demoted to being a lieutenant, and fined $500, 381 00:21:09,367 --> 00:21:11,800 a fraction of the money he made being crooked. 382 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:15,000 [narrator] Over the next five years, 383 00:21:15,166 --> 00:21:18,367 the Belle Isle Police Station fought a losing battle 384 00:21:18,367 --> 00:21:20,266 against the rum runners. 385 00:21:20,433 --> 00:21:24,367 But in Michigan, a new law turned the tide. 386 00:21:25,900 --> 00:21:30,100 In May 1933, Michigan became the first state to vote 387 00:21:30,266 --> 00:21:33,367 for the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th. 388 00:21:33,367 --> 00:21:36,600 By December of that same year, the rest of America followed 389 00:21:36,767 --> 00:21:38,667 suit and once again became wet. 390 00:21:40,367 --> 00:21:43,667 [narrator] As above ground bars reopened their doors, 391 00:21:43,667 --> 00:21:46,900 speakeasies like this became a distant memory. 392 00:21:47,967 --> 00:21:50,367 [Kimberly] After Prohibition, this was just a rental property. 393 00:21:50,367 --> 00:21:54,166 The door was locked, and the tenants would not have had any 394 00:21:54,166 --> 00:21:55,567 reason to use this space. 395 00:21:55,567 --> 00:21:58,500 So decade after decade, the disrepair 396 00:21:58,667 --> 00:22:02,100 and disintegration began, and it was totally forgotten. 397 00:22:06,567 --> 00:22:10,600 [narrator] Today, over 90 years later, the doors 398 00:22:10,767 --> 00:22:13,700 to this speakeasy have been opened once more. 399 00:22:13,867 --> 00:22:18,700 And Kimberly is hoping it will welcome visitors once again. 400 00:22:18,867 --> 00:22:24,967 [Kimberly] My plans for this speakeasy is to tell its story. 401 00:22:25,133 --> 00:22:26,200 It should be a museum. 402 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,467 I am definitely not talking about a stuffy museum. 403 00:22:30,634 --> 00:22:35,166 I think this space is meant for people to enjoy a cocktail 404 00:22:35,166 --> 00:22:36,867 or two and have a good time. 405 00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:46,367 [narrator] In the mountains of Southern Colorado, 406 00:22:46,367 --> 00:22:50,967 an elusive structure stands as a testament to the ingenuity 407 00:22:51,133 --> 00:22:53,567 and perseverance of humankind. 408 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,100 [man] A lot of people wonder why he built it. 409 00:23:01,266 --> 00:23:05,000 I think that there's a presence of something greater, 410 00:23:05,166 --> 00:23:07,200 a higher power at work here. 411 00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:11,000 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] We're about 40 miles from Pueblo, 412 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,767 deep in the San Isabel National Forest at about 413 00:23:13,934 --> 00:23:16,967 9,000 feet elevation. 414 00:23:17,133 --> 00:23:21,767 [narrator] A strange stone building towers above the trees. 415 00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:25,500 This looks like a marriage between M.C. Escher 416 00:23:25,667 --> 00:23:27,166 and Dr. Seuss. 417 00:23:27,333 --> 00:23:30,000 [Meares] There's bridges, and some of them don't even lead 418 00:23:30,166 --> 00:23:32,867 to anywhere. I mean, who built this? 419 00:23:32,867 --> 00:23:34,467 Why? 420 00:23:34,634 --> 00:23:37,567 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] There's so much intricate, ornate ironwork 421 00:23:37,734 --> 00:23:39,667 all over this, and despite the fact 422 00:23:39,667 --> 00:23:43,767 that it does look like a sort of mishmash of styles, it seems 423 00:23:43,767 --> 00:23:45,600 to be very thought through. 424 00:23:45,767 --> 00:23:49,500 [narrator] Each detail is more puzzling than the next. 425 00:23:49,667 --> 00:23:52,867 [Meares] There's a dragon sticking out on the roof, 426 00:23:52,867 --> 00:23:56,266 and there's a beautiful room with a big stained glass window, 427 00:23:56,433 --> 00:23:58,500 almost like you're in a giant church, 428 00:23:58,667 --> 00:23:59,667 but it's empty. 429 00:24:01,567 --> 00:24:05,100 So why would someone build this space up here 430 00:24:05,266 --> 00:24:06,533 in the wilderness? 431 00:24:07,700 --> 00:24:11,100 [man] This place symbolizes what one man can do by himself 432 00:24:11,100 --> 00:24:13,266 without money if he puts his mind to it. 433 00:24:18,166 --> 00:24:20,767 [narrator] Deep in the woods of Colorado's wet mountains, 434 00:24:20,767 --> 00:24:24,166 a mysterious stone structure has cast its shadow 435 00:24:24,333 --> 00:24:26,700 on the valley below for decades. 436 00:24:27,700 --> 00:24:31,300 But when Dan Bishop's father bought this plot in 1959, 437 00:24:31,467 --> 00:24:35,266 this site was just heavily forested parkland. 438 00:24:35,433 --> 00:24:37,066 [Dan] My dad loved it up here. 439 00:24:37,233 --> 00:24:39,367 He believed his whole life that this is one 440 00:24:39,367 --> 00:24:41,400 of the last true places of freedom in America. 441 00:24:43,767 --> 00:24:47,867 [narrator] In 1967, Jim Bishop married his wife, Phoebe, 442 00:24:47,867 --> 00:24:51,467 and he soon decided to build a small cottage on the property 443 00:24:51,467 --> 00:24:52,634 for his growing family. 444 00:24:53,900 --> 00:24:57,266 Jim didn't have the money to buy building materials, 445 00:24:57,433 --> 00:25:01,066 so he used stones from the forests around him. 446 00:25:01,233 --> 00:25:04,100 [Dr. Davis-Hayes] The building window was very short 447 00:25:04,100 --> 00:25:08,266 because when working with mortar, it cannot freeze, 448 00:25:08,433 --> 00:25:13,000 and the summers in this area are extremely short. 449 00:25:13,166 --> 00:25:16,000 [narrator] It wasn't long until a twist of fate would 450 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,300 send Jim Bishop on a path no one could have foreseen. 451 00:25:20,467 --> 00:25:23,100 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] As the cabin progressed, Jim decided to bring up 452 00:25:23,266 --> 00:25:25,867 a water tank so that they could have running water at the cabin. 453 00:25:26,033 --> 00:25:28,600 [Meares] He put stone around it, and hey, 454 00:25:28,767 --> 00:25:29,900 it looked like a turret. 455 00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:32,867 So people started saying, "Are you building a castle?" 456 00:25:33,033 --> 00:25:37,367 [Dan] In the fall of '68, there was an article printed 457 00:25:37,533 --> 00:25:39,867 in a local newspaper about a castle going up 458 00:25:39,867 --> 00:25:42,700 near Lake Isabel, and it turns out that they were 459 00:25:42,867 --> 00:25:45,600 talking about this and he didn't even know it. 460 00:25:47,266 --> 00:25:50,767 [narrator] This ignited a spark in Jim Bishop's imagination. 461 00:25:50,934 --> 00:25:54,667 And soon his humble cottage turned into one of the most 462 00:25:54,667 --> 00:25:58,066 incredible feats of engineering in Colorado history, 463 00:25:58,233 --> 00:26:00,266 built by just one man. 464 00:26:01,266 --> 00:26:03,500 This is Bishop Castle. 465 00:26:04,467 --> 00:26:07,667 [Dr. Davis-Hayes] Jim undertook each task himself. 466 00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:10,467 He hauled the rocks, he felled the timber, 467 00:26:10,634 --> 00:26:12,567 and he milled the lumber. 468 00:26:12,567 --> 00:26:14,767 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] He built the scaffolding himself 469 00:26:14,767 --> 00:26:17,800 as the building progressed and even devised a system 470 00:26:17,967 --> 00:26:19,867 of pulleys to bring things up. 471 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:23,367 [Dan] It's all self-taught, one thing at a time, 472 00:26:23,367 --> 00:26:26,667 lots of balance. He never used a plumb bob or a square. 473 00:26:26,834 --> 00:26:30,500 Most of these walls in this castle are three-foot thick. 474 00:26:30,667 --> 00:26:33,567 It's not like stacking one rock on top of the other when 475 00:26:33,567 --> 00:26:35,300 the wall is filled with rocks. 476 00:26:35,467 --> 00:26:37,100 [narrator] Jim would seek inspiration from some 477 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:40,867 of the world's greatest architectural wonders. 478 00:26:41,033 --> 00:26:44,600 [Dan] Something like that, he would read an article 479 00:26:44,767 --> 00:26:48,266 on Neuschwanstein or Gaudi and wake up in the morning 480 00:26:48,433 --> 00:26:51,500 and start working in a different spot that was 481 00:26:51,667 --> 00:26:54,367 built without any blueprints and there was no plan. 482 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,867 Whatever he decided he wanted to do, he figured how to add it 483 00:26:58,033 --> 00:27:02,000 on to the castle or build a structure that would support it. 484 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,100 [narrator] Jim would add towers, buttresses, 485 00:27:05,100 --> 00:27:08,400 and bridges to his ever-expanding masterpiece. 486 00:27:08,567 --> 00:27:12,900 But in 1988, his world would be torn apart. 487 00:27:15,066 --> 00:27:17,767 [Dr. Davis-Hayes] Roy, Jim's third son, who 488 00:27:17,767 --> 00:27:19,166 was only four years old, 489 00:27:19,333 --> 00:27:22,900 was killed in a logging accident on the site. 490 00:27:24,900 --> 00:27:25,967 [Dan] The tower that's not finished, 491 00:27:26,133 --> 00:27:29,467 he was building when my brother got killed. 492 00:27:29,467 --> 00:27:31,667 He stopped working on it, and it was too painful for him 493 00:27:31,834 --> 00:27:33,467 to keep building that one at the time. 494 00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:37,367 [narrator] But as Jim poured his grief into the construction, 495 00:27:37,533 --> 00:27:41,500 the project endured, and soon people were flocking 496 00:27:41,667 --> 00:27:45,100 to see the castle and meet Jim Bishop, the man who had 497 00:27:45,266 --> 00:27:47,667 dedicated his life to building it. 498 00:27:47,667 --> 00:27:50,500 I feel very proud. 499 00:27:50,667 --> 00:27:53,367 There's not too many people done anything like this. 500 00:27:53,533 --> 00:27:57,967 [narrator] And it wasn't long until word spread across the globe. 501 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:00,900 [Jim] People, they come from all over. 502 00:28:01,066 --> 00:28:03,967 They come from Siberia and Ukraine, 503 00:28:04,133 --> 00:28:06,300 Vladivostok, Kathmandu. 504 00:28:07,300 --> 00:28:10,100 [narrator] But as the castle began attracting more and more 505 00:28:10,266 --> 00:28:14,300 attention, not everyone was rooting for Jim's success. 506 00:28:14,467 --> 00:28:17,400 [Meares] Bishop finds himself increasingly at crosshairs 507 00:28:17,567 --> 00:28:18,767 with the government. 508 00:28:18,767 --> 00:28:21,000 First, the Bureau of Land Management says, "You can't just 509 00:28:21,166 --> 00:28:24,100 "take stones from the national parks and use them 510 00:28:24,266 --> 00:28:25,367 in your building." 511 00:28:25,367 --> 00:28:27,166 [Dan] He wasn't gonna let them stop because 512 00:28:27,333 --> 00:28:29,467 as far as he cared, they were his rocks as much as they 513 00:28:29,634 --> 00:28:30,800 were anybody's rocks. 514 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,266 And he was stacking them on top of a place in the middle 515 00:28:33,433 --> 00:28:35,667 of the same forest they came out of and letting people climb 516 00:28:35,834 --> 00:28:37,166 on them for free. 517 00:28:37,166 --> 00:28:40,100 Then the county came for him because his castle 518 00:28:40,266 --> 00:28:41,967 was not up to code. 519 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:45,166 [narrator] But none of these hurdles would get in the way 520 00:28:45,166 --> 00:28:47,500 of Jim and his castle. 521 00:28:47,667 --> 00:28:51,266 He would add increasingly fantastical features like 522 00:28:51,266 --> 00:28:56,667 a grand ballroom, an iron dome, and a fire-breathing dragon. 523 00:28:56,667 --> 00:28:59,367 [Dan] An old friend in Pueblo that was running a trash truck 524 00:28:59,533 --> 00:29:01,767 said, "Hey, I got a whole bunch of stainless steel plates. 525 00:29:01,767 --> 00:29:03,367 You think you could do something with them?" 526 00:29:03,533 --> 00:29:05,600 My dad's like, "Yeah, I'll figure out something 527 00:29:05,767 --> 00:29:07,767 to do with them." He took a pair of tin snips, 528 00:29:07,934 --> 00:29:09,867 and he cut eight D-shaped scales out of them, 529 00:29:10,033 --> 00:29:12,266 and they became the scales on the dragon. 530 00:29:13,867 --> 00:29:16,667 [narrator] But even as the castle's popularity 531 00:29:16,667 --> 00:29:20,100 soared, Jim was always adamant on one thing, 532 00:29:20,100 --> 00:29:23,266 keeping attendance free. 533 00:29:23,266 --> 00:29:26,467 [Dan] He decided at a young age that he wanted to do something 534 00:29:26,467 --> 00:29:29,767 with his life that the poor person could enjoy, as well 535 00:29:29,934 --> 00:29:31,166 as the rich man. 536 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:34,867 [narrator] The castle kept growing, 537 00:29:35,033 --> 00:29:38,166 but hardship lay ahead, which would test Jim 538 00:29:38,166 --> 00:29:39,300 to his limits. 539 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,367 [narrator] Almost two miles high in the mountains of Colorado, 540 00:29:46,533 --> 00:29:49,367 Jim Bishop built this castle alone. 541 00:29:49,533 --> 00:29:54,667 But in December 2014, Jim was diagnosed with a rare form 542 00:29:54,834 --> 00:29:58,667 of cancer. -[Dan] My dad spent months in bed. 543 00:29:58,834 --> 00:30:01,400 A lot of us didn't think he was gonna survive it. 544 00:30:01,567 --> 00:30:04,000 [narrator] While Jim would beat the odds and make 545 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,367 a full recovery, 546 00:30:05,367 --> 00:30:08,767 his wife, Phoebe, lost her own battle with cancer 547 00:30:08,934 --> 00:30:10,900 in August 2018. 548 00:30:11,066 --> 00:30:14,767 Once again, working on his castle would carry Jim 549 00:30:14,767 --> 00:30:16,100 through his grief. 550 00:30:16,100 --> 00:30:17,700 [Dan] He just kept on going. 551 00:30:17,867 --> 00:30:20,367 I mean, all of his pain that he ever suffered, 552 00:30:20,367 --> 00:30:21,567 he just put it into the rock work 553 00:30:21,567 --> 00:30:23,600 in one way or another. 554 00:30:23,767 --> 00:30:26,266 He talked about her every day for a long time. 555 00:30:27,567 --> 00:30:30,367 [narrator] In the past few years, Jim's health 556 00:30:30,533 --> 00:30:33,266 has been deteriorating, throwing the castle's future 557 00:30:33,266 --> 00:30:34,400 into doubt. 558 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:38,000 He hasn't stopped completely working on the castle, 559 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,567 but he has slowed down. 560 00:30:44,367 --> 00:30:47,700 [narrator] Today, the castle is one of Colorado's 561 00:30:47,867 --> 00:30:51,400 unique roadside attractions and still draws people 562 00:30:51,567 --> 00:30:53,500 from around the world. 563 00:30:53,667 --> 00:30:58,166 But Jim Bishop's life's work is not yet finished, and he 564 00:30:58,166 --> 00:31:01,700 has now passed the torch to his son, Daniel. 565 00:31:01,867 --> 00:31:03,467 [Dan] You've handed the reins over to me. 566 00:31:03,634 --> 00:31:04,900 What do you expect me to do up here? 567 00:31:05,066 --> 00:31:06,367 What do you think I'm gonna do up here? 568 00:31:06,367 --> 00:31:08,800 -Whatever you want to do. -Whatever I want to do. 569 00:31:08,967 --> 00:31:10,867 You think I'll keep it open free, like you've done it? 570 00:31:11,033 --> 00:31:13,700 -I hope so. -That's the plan. 571 00:31:13,867 --> 00:31:16,467 It's been very successful in the 50 years, like it 572 00:31:16,467 --> 00:31:17,800 is right now. 573 00:31:17,967 --> 00:31:18,767 It don't make anybody rich, 574 00:31:18,767 --> 00:31:21,367 but it makes a lot of people happy. 575 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:31,100 [narrator] In rural Pennsylvania sit the ruins of a groundbreaking 576 00:31:31,266 --> 00:31:35,000 institution, where strength in numbers overcame 577 00:31:35,166 --> 00:31:36,767 a criminal underworld. 578 00:31:42,767 --> 00:31:46,667 Oh my, look at this, it's incredible. 579 00:31:46,834 --> 00:31:49,967 I never thought this would happen to a concrete building. 580 00:31:50,133 --> 00:31:51,667 Like going back to a jungle. 581 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,467 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] The Poconos is kind of a perfect summer camp area. 582 00:31:55,467 --> 00:31:58,266 It's full of lakes, it's full of beautiful forests 583 00:31:58,433 --> 00:31:59,600 and woods to explore. 584 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,066 And it used to be the kind of place that people would go 585 00:32:02,233 --> 00:32:03,500 on their honeymoon. 586 00:32:03,667 --> 00:32:05,200 [Dr. Kwami] On top of this mountain 587 00:32:05,367 --> 00:32:06,500 is a loose collection 588 00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:09,667 of large concrete buildings, but actually it looks like 589 00:32:09,834 --> 00:32:12,200 they're fighting a losing battle with the forest. 590 00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:18,300 [narrator] Inside these derelict structures, echoes of the past 591 00:32:18,467 --> 00:32:19,600 still ring out. 592 00:32:20,667 --> 00:32:21,667 [Alcock] This place is massive. 593 00:32:21,834 --> 00:32:25,100 I can see a bar, an auditorium, tennis 594 00:32:25,100 --> 00:32:26,767 courts and bedrooms. 595 00:32:26,767 --> 00:32:31,367 Could this have been a hotel or a resort of some kind? 596 00:32:31,533 --> 00:32:35,467 [narrator] This was once a haven for men and women who 597 00:32:35,467 --> 00:32:37,800 worked hard in grim conditions, 598 00:32:37,967 --> 00:32:40,467 but their lives would be infiltrated 599 00:32:40,467 --> 00:32:42,867 by organized crime. 600 00:32:43,033 --> 00:32:45,567 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] You'd never have guessed that a group like this could 601 00:32:45,734 --> 00:32:47,867 take down the mob, but that's exactly 602 00:32:48,033 --> 00:32:49,000 what happened. 603 00:32:57,100 --> 00:33:01,867 [narrator] Arthur Bolger worked here during the 1970s and '80s. 604 00:33:01,867 --> 00:33:05,800 He remembers the magic that happened here. 605 00:33:07,767 --> 00:33:10,867 Over here was the general manager's office. 606 00:33:10,867 --> 00:33:13,767 Last five years I was here, I was the general manager. 607 00:33:14,967 --> 00:33:18,600 My door was always open. That was my management style. 608 00:33:18,767 --> 00:33:19,967 I loved working here. 609 00:33:20,133 --> 00:33:23,166 It was like being the mayor of a small town. 610 00:33:24,266 --> 00:33:28,567 This place first opened in 1892 as a summer resort for German 611 00:33:28,567 --> 00:33:30,266 Jewish people. 612 00:33:30,266 --> 00:33:32,100 [Dr. Kwami] But 25 years later, 613 00:33:32,266 --> 00:33:33,266 that all changed. 614 00:33:33,266 --> 00:33:34,667 [explosion blasts] 615 00:33:34,834 --> 00:33:38,266 [Dr. Kwami] The United States declared war on Germany in 1917, 616 00:33:38,433 --> 00:33:42,867 and that ushered in a huge wave of anti-German hysteria. 617 00:33:42,867 --> 00:33:45,066 [narrator] The resort was shut down during 618 00:33:45,233 --> 00:33:47,400 World War I, but it was soon 619 00:33:47,567 --> 00:33:49,367 back on the market and purchased 620 00:33:49,367 --> 00:33:51,100 by an unlikely group. 621 00:33:52,467 --> 00:33:57,467 In 1924, the resort was bought by the largest women's union 622 00:33:57,467 --> 00:34:02,266 in the country, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. 623 00:34:02,433 --> 00:34:05,567 [narrator] The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union 624 00:34:05,567 --> 00:34:09,200 would use this place as a vacation spot 625 00:34:09,367 --> 00:34:13,567 and training center for tens of thousands of its members. 626 00:34:14,567 --> 00:34:18,166 This is Unity House. 627 00:34:18,333 --> 00:34:21,700 The women were garment workers, they'd come up for different 628 00:34:21,867 --> 00:34:24,600 training sessions and they would sing their songs. 629 00:34:24,767 --> 00:34:26,867 They were wonderful people. 630 00:34:26,867 --> 00:34:28,500 [narrator] Many of the garment workers who came here 631 00:34:28,667 --> 00:34:33,767 in the early 20th century were escaping a difficult life. 632 00:34:33,767 --> 00:34:37,000 The garment industry at the time was a brutal one. 633 00:34:37,166 --> 00:34:39,367 This was exemplified by the Triangle Shirtwaist 634 00:34:39,367 --> 00:34:41,100 factory fire of 1911. 635 00:34:41,266 --> 00:34:42,767 [flames crackling] 636 00:34:42,767 --> 00:34:45,266 [narrator] The sweatshop practices at this lower 637 00:34:45,266 --> 00:34:48,700 Manhattan factory would lead to a terrible tragedy. 638 00:34:50,767 --> 00:34:54,066 These women were locked into the building that was producing 639 00:34:54,233 --> 00:34:56,467 the garments under the justification that 640 00:34:56,467 --> 00:34:57,800 that prevented loss. 641 00:34:59,467 --> 00:35:04,000 146 young, mainly immigrant female workers 642 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,166 died in that fire. 643 00:35:06,166 --> 00:35:09,166 They either burned to death or jumped from the top floors 644 00:35:09,333 --> 00:35:10,367 of the building. 645 00:35:11,367 --> 00:35:14,266 [narrator] In the years after this awful fire, 646 00:35:14,433 --> 00:35:17,400 organizations like the International Ladies' 647 00:35:17,567 --> 00:35:21,066 Garment Workers' Union gained thousands of members, 648 00:35:21,233 --> 00:35:24,100 ensuring better pay and conditions. 649 00:35:24,100 --> 00:35:28,500 But Unity House gave them something money couldn't buy. 650 00:35:28,667 --> 00:35:29,867 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] For many of these garment workers, 651 00:35:30,033 --> 00:35:31,800 this would have been the only vacation 652 00:35:31,967 --> 00:35:33,166 that was affordable to them. 653 00:35:33,333 --> 00:35:34,867 It would have been life-changing. 654 00:35:34,867 --> 00:35:38,600 The idea was to get workers out of the city for a week or two 655 00:35:38,767 --> 00:35:42,467 a year, get some fresh country air, and educate themselves. 656 00:35:43,967 --> 00:35:46,166 [narrator] And in 1956, 657 00:35:46,166 --> 00:35:50,367 Unity House would receive its crowning glory. 658 00:35:50,533 --> 00:35:53,900 [Arthur] We have 1,152 upholstered seats, which 659 00:35:54,066 --> 00:35:56,200 was pretty much filled every night. 660 00:35:56,367 --> 00:35:59,767 The union members came here, and even though they were 661 00:35:59,934 --> 00:36:03,467 almost minimum wage workers, they came dressed up in all 662 00:36:03,634 --> 00:36:05,900 their fine evening gowns, and they looked beautiful. 663 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,500 [narrator] Yet, while union members enjoyed 664 00:36:09,667 --> 00:36:10,967 the entertainment here, 665 00:36:11,133 --> 00:36:15,066 criminals were lurking all around. 666 00:36:15,233 --> 00:36:18,667 During the 1950s, the union did not control the garment 667 00:36:18,834 --> 00:36:21,367 industry here in northeastern Pennsylvania. 668 00:36:21,533 --> 00:36:24,467 It was in the hands of the mob. 669 00:36:25,900 --> 00:36:28,567 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] The local mob boss was an Italian-American named 670 00:36:28,567 --> 00:36:32,000 Russell Bufalino, and his influence was absolute. 671 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:33,867 As well as the garment industry, 672 00:36:33,867 --> 00:36:36,266 he controlled the elections, He controlled policing. 673 00:36:36,433 --> 00:36:37,667 He controlled everything. 674 00:36:38,367 --> 00:36:42,400 [narrator] Mob-run factories offered a lifeline for many 675 00:36:42,567 --> 00:36:46,166 in low-income Pennsylvania towns, and the industry's 676 00:36:46,166 --> 00:36:49,700 notorious sweatshop practices began to return. 677 00:36:50,767 --> 00:36:55,100 But Bufalino had underestimated the union, and there was one 678 00:36:55,266 --> 00:36:58,900 member willing to take on his gang. 679 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:04,000 [narrator] In the Poconos, the resort of Unity House had become 680 00:37:04,166 --> 00:37:07,000 a haven for the International Ladies' 681 00:37:07,166 --> 00:37:08,867 Garment Workers' Union. 682 00:37:08,867 --> 00:37:14,266 But in the 1950s, one frequent visitor was fighting a battle 683 00:37:14,433 --> 00:37:16,166 against organized crime. 684 00:37:17,867 --> 00:37:20,166 One member of the union who will go down in history 685 00:37:20,333 --> 00:37:23,367 was a fearless lady named Min Matheson. 686 00:37:24,467 --> 00:37:26,767 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] Matheson grew up in Chicago in a fiercely 687 00:37:26,767 --> 00:37:28,300 progressive household. 688 00:37:28,467 --> 00:37:31,800 Her father was a union activist who had frequent violent 689 00:37:31,967 --> 00:37:34,066 encounters with thugs and racketeers. 690 00:37:34,233 --> 00:37:37,166 [narrator] Her bravery came in the face 691 00:37:37,333 --> 00:37:39,367 of extreme personal danger. 692 00:37:39,533 --> 00:37:42,767 Min's father was shot by gangsters in Chicago 693 00:37:42,767 --> 00:37:45,000 after speaking out against Al Capone, 694 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,900 but thankfully he survived. 695 00:37:47,066 --> 00:37:49,900 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] But her brother, who was a union organizer 696 00:37:50,066 --> 00:37:53,767 in New York, was murdered with an ice pick in 1949. 697 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,700 [narrator] Bolstered by her family's history 698 00:37:57,867 --> 00:37:59,166 of taking on criminals, 699 00:37:59,166 --> 00:38:03,567 Min Matheson was tasked by the union with signing up 700 00:38:03,734 --> 00:38:06,200 garment workers in mob-controlled workshops. 701 00:38:07,567 --> 00:38:10,066 [Alcock] This led to her being in direct conflict 702 00:38:10,233 --> 00:38:12,900 with mob boss, Russell Bufalino. 703 00:38:13,066 --> 00:38:15,500 Apparently on one occasion, she even pointed her finger 704 00:38:15,667 --> 00:38:18,567 in Bufalino's face and shouted, "I'm twice the man 705 00:38:18,567 --> 00:38:20,000 you'll ever be!" 706 00:38:21,166 --> 00:38:24,567 [narrator] Min Matheson was also critical in striking a new deal 707 00:38:24,567 --> 00:38:27,500 with factory owners, using the facilities here 708 00:38:27,667 --> 00:38:29,567 at Unity House. 709 00:38:29,567 --> 00:38:32,467 [Dr. Kwami] In 1953, the union organized a drive 710 00:38:32,467 --> 00:38:36,367 for Pennsylvania workers, and it culminated in a nine-week strike 711 00:38:36,367 --> 00:38:39,000 and production ground to a halt. 712 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,967 Eventually industry management agreed to meet Matheson 713 00:38:42,133 --> 00:38:44,800 and other union leaders at Unity House. 714 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,567 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] Talks lasted all day, but eventually the union won 715 00:38:49,567 --> 00:38:53,567 a 6% increase in wages for their workers and a decrease 716 00:38:53,734 --> 00:38:54,967 in working hours. 717 00:38:55,767 --> 00:38:58,900 [narrator] During her time in Pennsylvania, Min Matheson 718 00:38:59,066 --> 00:39:03,000 saved many from exploitation in mob-run sweatshops, 719 00:39:03,166 --> 00:39:07,500 and the union signed up over 10,000 new members. 720 00:39:07,667 --> 00:39:12,266 But in 1969, many of these workers were on hand to see 721 00:39:12,433 --> 00:39:15,000 Unity House hit by a terrible fire. 722 00:39:15,166 --> 00:39:17,166 [flames crackling] 723 00:39:17,166 --> 00:39:18,900 [Arthur] It burnt down the whole building, 724 00:39:19,066 --> 00:39:20,800 and really nothing could be done. 725 00:39:20,967 --> 00:39:23,867 People just came and sat around here and cried. 726 00:39:24,900 --> 00:39:27,667 [narrator] But Unity House would bounce back, 727 00:39:27,667 --> 00:39:32,100 and the main building that still stands today was constructed. 728 00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:37,467 [Arthur] This building opened in 1972, and back then 729 00:39:37,634 --> 00:39:38,834 the bar was popular. 730 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,100 Everybody came here and had a cocktail before dinner. 731 00:39:42,266 --> 00:39:44,867 [narrator] But during Arthur's time as general manager, 732 00:39:44,867 --> 00:39:49,200 attendance at Unity House began to decline. 733 00:39:49,367 --> 00:39:52,300 One reason was most of the members who really enjoyed 734 00:39:52,467 --> 00:39:54,700 using Unity House had passed away. 735 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:58,100 [Rodriguez-McRobbie] Union membership fell from its peak of almost 736 00:39:58,100 --> 00:40:00,767 half a million members in the 1960s 737 00:40:00,767 --> 00:40:03,200 to 160,000 members 738 00:40:03,367 --> 00:40:04,867 in the late 1980s. 739 00:40:06,367 --> 00:40:10,000 [narrator] Also, cheaper airfares provided competition 740 00:40:10,166 --> 00:40:14,467 for vacationing Americans, and the resorts of the Poconos 741 00:40:14,467 --> 00:40:16,700 began to close. -[Morgan] When suddenly 742 00:40:16,867 --> 00:40:19,400 Americans could jump on an airliner that will 743 00:40:19,567 --> 00:40:22,000 take them to Honolulu, why have the Poconos? 744 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,100 And by that time, the Poconos had a little bit 745 00:40:25,266 --> 00:40:28,767 of an association with working-class people. 746 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:33,100 [narrator] Unity House shut its doors to tourists 747 00:40:33,100 --> 00:40:35,100 at the end of the 1989 season, 748 00:40:35,266 --> 00:40:39,166 and was slowly overtaken by the forest. 749 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:48,066 Today, local event organizer Savannah Rose is working 750 00:40:48,233 --> 00:40:51,700 to bring parts of the site back to life. 751 00:40:51,867 --> 00:40:55,367 The history here just makes you wanna restore it. 752 00:40:55,533 --> 00:40:58,367 We bought the venue in 2022. 753 00:40:58,533 --> 00:41:01,400 Ever since then, we've been kind of renovating as many 754 00:41:01,567 --> 00:41:03,900 buildings as we can. We've upgraded the lake house. 755 00:41:04,066 --> 00:41:07,000 At our amphitheater, we host a variety of different 756 00:41:07,166 --> 00:41:09,467 music events and festivals. 757 00:41:09,634 --> 00:41:12,100 [narrator] While it's unlikely the resort will be fully 758 00:41:12,100 --> 00:41:15,767 restored to its former glory, the memories made here 759 00:41:15,767 --> 00:41:18,867 by thousands of people will live on. 760 00:41:19,033 --> 00:41:23,000 I love this job, and I did it for 20 years, and I was happy, 761 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,100 and I was really sorry to see that it closed. 762 00:41:25,100 --> 00:41:27,867 As far as I'm concerned, I could have gone on forever 763 00:41:28,033 --> 00:41:29,000 with this job.