EMMETT BREEN'S
RED CROWN TAVERN
The Red Crown Tavern, a red-brick and tile structure, was constructed and owned by
Emmett Breen, a Parkville banker and developer. The main building, which generally
faced the west, housed a service station and a combination fountain and restaurant.
A screened porch, near the rear of the building, was only a few yards from a smaller
brick structure which comprised two motel units, separated by a two car garage.
Directly across the highway was "Slim's Castle," a combination service station and
cafe constructed by Charles (Slim) Myers. Bridget Breen's great uncle, Emmett Breen,
was the owner of the Red Crown at the time that the Barrow Gang had graced his
establishment with their presence. E.J. Breen obtained several items from the cabins
rented by Bonnie and Clyde and had passed down a couple of those items to Bridget,
that the Platte County sheriff's department let him keep. Among these items, were a
hypodermic syringe, two syringe needles, a vial that's labeled "Atropine Sulphate",
and a vial labeled "20 hypodermic tablets - morphine sulphate." In addition to these
medical needs, Barrow had also left behind, a pair of binoculars which carries the
inscription "Signal Corps. U.S. Army." A special thanks goes out to Bridget Breen.
Barrow Gang's drug kit - containing the syringe and Atropine and Morphine Sulphate meds
Drug Kit photo by Ed Kendrick - Courtesy of the Breen Family and Jim Spawn
Binoculars photo - Courtesy of Bridget Breen
In Blanche Barrow's memoirs, she told of Clyde and Buck's looting of an armory in Enid, Okla.,
and how they had obtained guns, ammunition and several pairs of field glasses, saying how they
needed the glasses, to scan the roads to see if they were blocked - so that they wouldn't drive into
a trap. Blanche had related how she had spent many nights with a pair of field glasses to her eyes,
watching while the others had slept. She said that she would sit on top of the car to get a better
view of the surroundings. She would also look at the moon and the stars through the field glasses.
Vintage Slim's Castle Ad
MORE ON THE RED CROWN FIRE
VINTAGE RED CROWN TAVERN MATCHES
Circa 1942 match pack cover from the collection of
Jim Spawn - Editor of "The Restorer" magazine
RED CROWN TAVERN BUSINESS CARD
1930s business card from the collection of
Jim Spawn - Editor of "The Restorer" magazine
Advertisement from the Red Crown that ran in the 1932 Platte County Fair Premium book
County Fair Premium book ad, from the collection of
Jim Spawn - Editor of "The Restorer" magazine
Red Crown Tavern & Gas Station
Advertising Blotter
Platte City, Missouri
Hideout collection item
Jim Lee, who's name appears on the above blotter ad, ran the Red Crown Tavern in the mid to late 1930s.
He and his family lived in the cabins. Later, he opened and ran a top notch restaurant in downtown Kansas City.
His son, Don Lee, followed in his footsteps and in 1960 bought the Savoy Grill, the oldest continuously operating
restaurant in KC. In 1965, Don bought the Hotel Savoy, Don remembers playing on the roof of the Red Crown as a boy.
Hotel Savoy & Savoy Grill
A Brief History by Valerie Lee
Barrow .45 Automatic that was found under the mattress in one of the cabins
Red Crown Tavern & Gas Station
Early 1950s photo showing the cabins on the left
Platte County Historical Society photograph
In 1957, a vehicle accidentally took out the Red Crown's canopy
Clay/Platte Press-Dispatch & Jim Spawn
RETURN TO RED CROWN HIDEOUT
