SOUSAS  PROHIBITION IN  PEORIA

                     NORMAN  V.  KELLY

 

Starting in 1922 through 9-28-1929 Sousa visits to Peoria certainly included Prohibition starting January 16, 1920.  ALL of our Taverns were closed and well as our Distilleries and breweries…since the Civil War we were the Alcohol Capital of the World that stopped in September of 1917.

When Prohibition began in 1920 Peoria’s future looked Bleak Indeed. Then in 1929 Great Depression

Woodruff  Soft Drink Parlor License saved the day…The tavern owners bought soft drink license by 1921  166 of them by 1922 there were just over 200…THEY WERE  CONFECTIONARIES   The lights went on…Downtown woke up.  Sousa was the Band King but JAZZ was king in Peoria coming from New Orleans  Saint Louis and Chicago…The Vaudvillians came..we built 2 hotels for them and of course Live entertainment and the FLAPPERS   KIDS ETC. Newspapers started calling Peoria  ALCOHOLIC  CAPITAL OF THE WORLD REPUTATION  was A BAWDY  LUSTY  WIDE OPEN GAMBLING TOWN IT STAYED WITH US UNTIL September 1946.

 

History tells us that it has a tendency to repeat itself….that we should learn from

History based on that theory I e mailed

A Fire CHIEF  Assistant  suggested that since John Phillip Sousa was playing here at Dingledine  TODAY that maybe they should think about having a FIRETRUCK parked out front  you know  just in case

 

Sousa died the very year I was born   1932  give a second to do the math  and wonder;  “What is that old man doing up there?”

 Sousa died in Reading, Pennsylvania  May 6,

1932 .  Final public appearance.