THE THIRTIES IN PEORIA, ILLINOIS

               THE  THIRTIES IN PEORIA, ILLINOIS

                             NORMAN  V.  KELLY

 

Owned Gambling Casinos-  Gone 3-4 days rumor was that

They paid $80,000.00  RANSOM

Dr. Parker   Peoria Dentist  gone 7-8 days   One day he was seen walking over the bridge to Peoria:  Police arrested 5 people  three of them members of the same family  also the lawyer that was the go between.

They were found guilty and sentenced to various terms.

 

1932   FDR  Elected…I can tell you this time the WETS…those people that allowed the Drys to throw America into Prohibition and over a decade of most dangerous  crime ridden time in America’s History.

 

1933:   April 7, 1933  Huge crowd downtown mostly men  waiting for MIDNIGHT  Clock at Sacred Heart

Surrounded 8-10 Beer trucks  Scared the drivers   buy the WARM BEER right off the truck   2.5  Amended the Volstead Act…

 

Then  12-5-1933   21^st Amendment…Prohibition ends…In Peoria The taverns had beer and at 12:01  4-7-1933 Whiskey  it was an all night celebration.

 

Truth is it meant JOBS   Next day Hiram Walker announced Largest distillery in USA  Peoria was back to work and we were once again the Alcohol Capital of the World.