Off the Record: Scandal, mystery, fortune and fame all part of self-guided driving tour of Quincy

QUINCY — Off the Record, the newest self-guided driving tour offered by SeeQuincy, is now available to the public.

The Off the Record Guide launches with the release of a second edition of this piece that reveals former Quincy area residents and places of intrigue. True crime stories, fascinating characters and legendary tales of Silver Screen stars, history makers, adventurers, gangsters and felons are revealed through storyettes and local places, dating back to 1805.

The characters showcased hail from various eras of Quincy’s history and have very different stories, with the exception that they’ve all left their mark, near and far. Among the featured content is Thomas Scott Baldwin, Mary Astor and The Red Light District.

Baldwin was the showman whose success inspired the naming of Quincy’s airport, Baldwin Field, and Baldwin School. In 1887, he made one of the earliest recorded parachute jumps from a balloon, and on July 4 of the same year, he performed his second jump in Quincy‘s Singleton Park at 30th and Maine (now Baldwin School). Baldwin designed his own airplane, making history with the first airplane flight over the Mississippi River in 1910. Approximately 200,000 citizens lined the riverfront to watch Baldwin fly the Red Devil from St. Louis to Illinois.

Mary Astor was an American film star born in 1906 as Lucile Langhanke to Otto and Helen Langhanke of Quincy. She was signed by Hollywood moguls by the age of 14. She shared the spotlight with Hollywood icons like Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Astor‘s crowning role was her indelible performance as the lying Brigid O’Shaughnessy in “The Maltese Falcon.”

Quincy held a key spot on the upper Mississippi that brought a spirited mix of entertainment and riverfront business. Social gathering establishments grew and prospered on Front Street. Disguised by a front room, riverside bordellos generated a booming river culture. Centered near the waterfront at the foot of Oak Street, the initial red light district flourished for decades legalized by city council.

Unhampered by authorities, there were “50 brothels on Maine below Third Street” at the turn of the century. By 1918, local officials were calling for an end to such longstanding practices. Eleven brothels remained. A red cloth over the transom signaled services available and the term “red transom district.”

In a press release, Holly Cain, executive director of SeeQuincy, said, “We are excited to release a fresh version of this guide. People are interested in the unique stories surrounding the characters featured here and the sometimes scandalous eras of our city.”

Off the Record contains a map with locations associated with each entry as well as suggestions for nearby eats, sips and shopping experiences.

The guide is available for download on SeeQuincy.com. Copies may be requested by calling 800-978-4748 or picked up at the Villa Kathrine Tourist Information Center, 532 Gardner Expressway.