Peoria’s Prohibition: 1917

Peoria’s Prohibition: 1917

New Year’s Day dawned bright and cold that first day of 1917 in Peoria, Illinois, located in what some folks called the ‘heart of Illinois.’ The ice harvesters would be busy that week cutting the ice slabs from the river,
Once folks could pretty much walk across the river from East Peoria to Peoria, the harvest got under way. The coal gatherers remained busy from early October through the bitter winters folks faced here in the middle of America. Peoria folks were used to weather of all kinds, and the winter of 1917 would prove to be as bitter as the other winters around these parts.

Peoria began as a trading village, then grew into a town, and in 1845, it became a city. There were a lot of villages and towns that sprung up along side the Illinois River, at least 30 others, but it was Peoria, Illinois that grew head and shoulders above all the rest. Early on, once our first distillery began making whiskey, the growth was truly astounding.

Although the government census was taken every decade the progress of Peoria was marked not only by it’s human population but it’s buildings as well. Our town was only 9.1 square miles tucked in along the river and busy as a bee. The county was 629 square miles and 28 miles wide, that is East to West and 32 miles North to South a vast rural, farm area that fed off the growth of the city as the city fed off the county’s growth. The census, according to government figures in 1910, showed 66,950 folks lived within our city limits, increasing to 76,121 in 1920. Peoria, “The gem on the Illinois River” was on the grow and quickly became the main attraction between Chicago to our north and Saint Louis to the south. The city was also known as the “Alcohol capital of the world.” As I mentioned the city’s growth was connected closely with the growth in the county and just look how it grew. According to the 14th. census 111,710 souls lived out there within the vastness of Peoria County. Since I brought up alcohol, I’ll fill you in a bit on why we were so closely connected to whiskey.

WHISKEY AND BEER, OH MY

During my twenty-eight years of researching my favorite town I have heard a lot of explanations as to why Peoria had so many breweries and distilleries. My favorite answer is the ‘water’ Yes, sir it was Peoria’s deep and clear well water that brought these makers of booze and beer to our fine shores.
Another is “the Illinois River.” Now that made me laugh when I considered the fact that the Illinois River flowed past a number of cities, not just Peoria, Illinois. There were numerous other reasons, all interesting of course, but like so many things told about Peoria a thin red thread of truth ran through those statements, however most of what was said was simply not true.

The reason that the breweries and the distilleries came to Peoria was so simple that it was over-looked. Keep in mind that early on in America’s history, and I mean way back in the middle of the 1800’s a lot of Americans
practiced some type of temperance. That’s right Prohibition. The grand state of Maine is an example that comes to mind since in 1851 they became a dry state. The temperance and anti-saloon people were active from that moment on with only one goal and that was to leave America completely DRY and free of old John Barleycorn. ( Amen brother.) Believe me when I tell you that the grass roots movement to abolish every saloon in the land was effective in many areas of America. Temperance groups, initially made up of religious women, rapidly grew in America and many other church leaders were out to make America dry. As this movement became more and more successful the makers of beer and booze were on the run. Not so here in Peoria, Illinois. Our local government was here with open arms to any and all the beer and whiskey makers that cared to come here. The city fathers offered not only incentives, like cheap sites, our diverse work force looked like a dream come true for these distillers and brewers and the men were eager to have the jobs. So they headed for Peoria, Illinois and we were mighty glad to have them. An example was the Leisy Brothers of Iowa. As soon as that state went dry the boys packed up and moved to Peoria, Illinois. Think they came here because we had ‘water?’

So, look no further for the answer because it was simply this. The beer and booze makers came here because we wanted them here. Truly, folks it was that simple. Of course we had the water, hell the Illinois River is a pretty long body of water and certainly we had some wells but they played no major role in the selection of Peoria as a site to make their products. Alcohol in Peoria was well established…it defined us early on, and together the city, its people and booze thrived.





A SAMPLE OF OUR SPIRITED PAST

Keep in mind by 1850 we were heavily into the whiskey business and the beer in Peoria was made by German brewers beginning in 1836. Mr. Cole returned to town in 1843 and opened up the Cole Distillery. During the eighteen hundreds we had as many as 17 distilleries perking away along our riverbanks and they distilled incredible amounts of whiskey. I won’t bore you with those stats, but they were impressive. The names ranged from Atlas to Corning to Woolner Brothers. That large number stayed with us, employing men, buying farm goods, causing growth and employment here in Peoria, Illinois and most importantly…population growth for the city and the county. No one really came to Peoria for the view…they mainly came for the available jobs. Peoria folks could see the haze, smell the mash up and down the river and that meant employment to many of them.
I can imagine that it was an environmental nightmare…can’t you?

The number of breweries and distilleries declined and fluctuated for reasons that are too numerous to discuss here, however by 1900 the number of distilleries dropped from 13 down to 10 in 1904. By 1912 there were only 8, and by 1917 there were six. American, Clarke, Corning, Great Western, Standard and Woolner. So I think it is safe to say that we were indeed the ‘Alcohol Capital of the World.” Even though the actual numbers declined these distilleries grew in size absorbing others as they grew. Keep in mind that throughout America there were as many as 700 distilleries and of those 100 made booze for other reasons than drinking. They were scattered about America but nowhere did they have a concentration like we had here in Peoria. Later many folks said that we were the “Alcoholic Capital of the World.” Peoria was always the butt of jokes throughout most of its history.

MAYOR, MAYOR: WHO’S THE MAYOR?

Initially our mayors were presidents and held the office for one year.
Mayors held the office for first one year then two and finally four years.
We had some strong mayors, some weak, some useless and others probably not worth mentioning. The ones we named streets after were:
Gale, Bestor, Cooper, Barker, Reynolds, Brotherson, Kinsey, Clarke, Bryan, and those that I failed to mention because I forgot them. We named a bridge after McCluggage, a high school after Woodruff, and the civic center after Carver. But of all those men, and they were all men, the one that in my opinion had the most influence on Peoria, Peorians and who we were was Edward Nelson Woodruff.

Woodruff was first a mayor, our 45th. in 1903, for a two year term. He would go on to win a total of eleven times and would be our mayor through twenty-four years. In the following years he would lose to Tolson and O’Connor, winning again in 1909. Now just think of this: After that he would battle politician after politician for the next six elections, winning every time. In 1919 he lost to Michel, but won the following election. He won the election in 1935 then lost the next two elections to Dave McCluggage before he took over again in 1941, the crucial war years. Triebel took over after the war was over, thus ending Woodruff’s political career. Triebel stopped gambling in Peoria, but it was Woodruff that had the major influence on how the city grew and what reputation we would have over the years. A lot of what you read depicts Triebel as some grand reformer. Well, he wasn’t and I could use his on quotes to prove it. As an example he took office in May of 1945, but it was not until September of 1946 that he made his big “stop gambling” speech. Does that sound like an impatient reformer to you eager to change Peoria, Illinois? Woodruff was a tremendous influence during Prohibition and World War 11 here in Peoria, Illinois. I could prove that to you but this narrative is about Prohibition in Peoria. Woodruff’s role in that era will be enough proof of his influence.

World War 1

So Peoria, Illinois survived the winter of 1917, our population was growing, our businesses were thriving and people lived a normal, reasonably happy life right here in the old river city. There was talk of war, but Americans, and Peorians were optimistic that the war would stay where it belonged, which was “Over there.” Some Peorians were joining the service, and women were joining the Red Cross while some nurses left to go to Europe. These were super patriotic people who just wanted to help. There was no call for massive troops and life stayed pretty normal as the promise of spring
nodded its sweet head in April of 1917.

Here in Peoria the deadly headlines that April 6, 1917 about America declaring war on Germany did not come as a shock, but it was the most upsetting news they had ever heard, that is collectively as a town. Immediately the “boys” began lining up to “fight the Hun,” and the local papers followed each and every bit of the devastating news. In all, according to reports, over 5,500 of our men went off to places unknown. It was all about saving Europe and supporting the Doughboy, as the soldiers were called. Peoria, Illinois excelled in doing both.

For Peoria that meant a loss of manpower and as the men moved out of their jobs, especially in the distilleries and breweries, men with their families moved in. Our factories, Avery and Holt, along with many others began producing war products from gloves, to tractor treads for the war effort. The town was buzzing with the electrifying news and Peoria, Illinois was at war. During the war manufacturing firms both large and small produced just over 1000 different products of one kind or the other, not all for the war effort, of course. That meant employment for a lot of new men that moved in to our city. Truth is that during the first ten years of Prohibition our population grew by just slightly more than 18,000. Pretty impressive if you consider the circumstances we found ourselves in here in Peoria.

As the summer began many of our young men were long gone, and a new Peorian was in town. The work force was a bit older, but the town never skipped a beat. Our downtown courthouse was the center of attraction as folks migrated down there just to talk over the war. “Old men” sat around the courthouse talking and watching the crowd go by. Peoria was a hub bub of activity and the news from the newspapers about the war was the topic from early morning until dusk. In the evening when the men came home they had no TV or radio to sit around, instead they talked…that’s right they talked over the supper table and they worried and prayed for the safety of our boys in Europe. Some Peorians were ham operators and some managed to put together “home made radios” which were starting to become popular. Bradley Polytech had a small radio station of some kind, and the radio began to spread as the years went on. Finally in 1927 Enos Kohler went on the air right out of his home in the Peoria Heights, with WMBD. Weren’t those early radios called crystal sets?

The town flourished, the factories hummed, the stores in downtown were busier than ever, and our restaurants were full. We had 220 taverns that packed folks in and the beer and whiskey flowed. We had over 100 churches that cashed in as well as prayer groups met to pray for our troops and their safe return home. Peoria took on an even friendlier “hometown feeling,” and life was good. After all what Peorian did not have a relative, loved one, neighbor or friend in the Army? Very few, I would say.

You know it was a funny thing, but unless you had a loved one in the service, life seemed to pretty much go on as usual. It was not until later, after our troops really entered the trenches, that reports of casualties began to appear in our paper. For most folks it was an exciting time, but the reality struck them hard when names of their sons, friends and relatives brought the fear or death and injury home to Peoria.


YET ANOTHER SHOCKER


Now remember, many of the employees of the distilleries and brewers left their jobs here in Peoria to fight the war to end all wars. Well, that’s what Peoria believed along with the rest of America. Those jobs were filled by the men that stayed behind and by those that arrived in Peoria for the express purpose of getting a job either in the booze business or perhaps in one of the many factories we had in Peoria. In August of 1917 some secretary of something or other announced that the distilleries and the breweries would all have to shut down by September 8, 1917. WHAT? Shut down? Now you can talk about outrage, because the men in this town who fed their families off the paychecks from these places were stunned. Their shock turned to anger and the place, as they say, was up for grabs.
I don’t want you to forget about the temperance people…the so-called DRYS. They were busy, busy as could be. It was not lost on them that the war was a perfect time to attack once again. Conservation was the theme they hid behind and they went on an all out campaign to the people of America to Conserve. Why? Why to send bread and food to the troops. And Peoria, like most of American, I suppose, fell for that pitch as well. They handed out pamphlets, went door-to-door and bought newspaper ads as well. We did have a few billboards here in Peoria and more than once the
“Progressive Drys” as they liked to call themselves, had colorful ads placed
on them. You might be asking what it was they were selling? Well remember their agenda has always been “National Salvation,” in other words
“ A Dry America.” If they had to crawl before they ran…well they understood that and they were experts at it. The ads, which included a patriotic picture, said things like this: “Food Will Win The War.” The ads
always referred to wheat, some were about corn and always about SAVING food for the war in Europe. Another campaign of signs and ads had a picture of our Doughboys running over snow holding rifles with bayonets fixed. The caption in large letters asked this question: “THEY ARE GIVING ALL. WILL YOU SEND WHEAT?” Hell, that sounds fair…but according to the local farmers there was more than enough wheat and corn and everything else to see us through this war. It would be a hard task to find a prominent Peorian that would tell you the war would last ‘forever’ Fact is folks here thought that it would last maybe a year…or “something like that.”

The net result was the closing down of the breweries and the distilleries so that America could preserve the precious agriculture assets to feed the troops in Europe…the Europeans and of course America herself. How noble was that? Sounds great except the real reason for doing it was simple enough…to shut down America’s distilleries and breweries and get on with the DRY’s Temperance Movement. It was led by their leader Wayne Birdwell ( birdbrain) Wheeler. Honestly…it was that simple. Now when you get the United States Government on your side the job could be done…and it was. Peoria, Illinois, as of September 8, 1917 would lose jobs, taxes and security to the “Drys.” It made the temperance folks politically strong and just as happy as they could be. Next step was to dry up the entire United States permanently and believe me folks that triumph was just around the corner. The tax from beer and whiskey was massive…and now the government…because of these religious people, was being forced to close down the breweries and the distilleries. Talk about biting the hands that feeds you. That was the sentiment of most Peorians…and they let the newspaper reporters know it.

Peoria had always had its temperance groups, marching, meeting on the streets, marching, marching in and out of taverns. Most Peorians…well the Wets, thought they were comical. Even when Carey Nation came here at the turn of the century, they were not impressed. The Red Ribbon Club, a group of ladies here in town, was constantly rallying and marching in the streets decrying “John Barleycorn.” Prominent speakers, mostly ardently religious men and women came in to town to decry the evils of booze. These people were positive that the real root of all evil was alcohol

Even our local newspapers warned the ladies that they were “biting the hand that fed them,” since some of their husbands and sons were employed in the beer and booze making business. Those warnings fell on deaf ears. After all, the temperance people were doing “God’s work” that is all that mattered to them. So, President Woodrow Wilson and the men of the Congress and the Senate, pushed by Wheeler, decided that America was not doing enough for the “War Effort,” and in their wisdom they decided to do something about the problem.


WAR TIME PROHIBITION ACT

Remember folks this is long before the ‘real’ Prohibition Act was on the lips of every American citizen. This act was really an attempt to conserve food- stuffs…or so the president said. What it said in plain English was this: No foodstuffs could be used to make booze or beer…it was really that simple. Of course there were whys and wherefores and a lot of this and a lot of that. But…to the dismay of the working folks in Peoria it meant the end of the jobs that were connected with the making of beer and whiskey. And…that meant the loss of jobs in related occupations as well. Just think of it all of the brewery and distillery workers would be out of a job in one short month. Hundreds of other jobs were indirectly connected to these breweries and distilleries and I can tell you it was doom and gloom here in town. Farmers that were used to selling everything they grew to Peoria…were devastated. So the United States Government gave the owners of these businesses one month to shut down. Of course that meant all over American but no single city was to be devastated like your hometown…Peoria, Illinois. I mentioned there was anti-German sentiment in America and I can tell you that the temperance people leaped on that sentiment like a fish on a worm. Immediately the beer makers became the first victims. The DRYS made it clear that most of the breweries were owned by Germans…and that ploy worked. The implication was this: “Look at all that money being sent back to Germany.” The breweries were gone even more quickly than the distilleries. Some of you may recall that the Japanese fared little better during WW 11.

The Lever Act was a so-called conservation act aimed at saving our resources, which included everything a farmer grew or raised. We had meatless Tuesdays and sugarless Thursday and Sunday there was no gas to be bought for those lucky people who had motorized vehicles. Of course the government raised taxes on almost everything. Wilson was determined to remind the people that “We are at War.” As I mentioned most folks went about their daily tasks here in town, talking about the war but not allowing it to bother them too much. Believe me this Food Conservation/ Prohibition Act caught Peoria’s attention and in the worst possible way…the pocketbook and the stomach.





I HOARD…YOU HOARD…WE ALL HOARD


That’s a strange looking word and usually means a bunch of Mongolians running over your land. Of course that is spelled horde. No wonder we have such trouble learning how to spell. But here in Peoria, Illinois during that month before the distilleries shut down it had a whole new meaning. I guess you could be kind and just say Peorian’s were just saving a bit of booze for the uncertain future. The local liquor distributors took a view of it that sent folks tearing off to the local stores for beer, wine, beer, whiskey of every sort and anything else they thought might be scarce. And…buy they did. The newspapers got into the act by selling large ads to these businesses and the race was on. Of course the local beer and booze makers understood the problem and they added every worker and bottle line they could to meet the demand. It reminded one alderman of ants gathering food for the winter. To drinking Peorians it was simply the smart thing to do. I can tell you that many people…even those that did not drink hoarded for the investment possibilities and it paid off big time.

Later reports of complaining wives made the newspapers and of course the religious leaders chastised the men that spent grocery money for booze instead of food. Hell, many of the men thought they were doing what any sensible drinking man would do…hoard the stuff…and they did. Believe me during WW 11 hoarders turned that act into the art of the black market…but that is another story.

In good old America and certainly in Peoria the demand went up and you guessed it so did the price. In the end that month proved to be a boom to the local economy and certain state, local and Federal taxes. See how all that worked out?

TAVERN TAVERN ON THE CORNER

We had well over two hundred taverns in town and perhaps 75 out in the county. Many Peorians worried about the fate of these businesses. Among them the drinker…the cooks…the waiters and waitresses…the farmer…
the whores…the gamblers…the drunk…the pickle man and the peanut man, were all worried for many different reasons. Landowners that owned the buildings, truck drivers and cleaning people, you name it, Peoria’s very social and economic life revolved around these taverns and their fate was very uncertain. What would we do without our taverns? City and county officials were among the major worriers as well as they clearly could see that their tax base was about to erode…and politicians hate that fact like a thief hates bright lights.

In Peoria we had the Irish, the Germans, the Italians, the Lebanese and many, many other ethnic and diversified groups living here in Peoria, Illinois. The local tavern or the neighborhood tavern came about as these ethnic groups settled in different parts of the city. Now remember…we are only 9.1 square miles of city, so when I say different parts of the city that meant they were still pretty close together. The southend…the northend…the west and east bluffs and of course the downtown and near downtown area. So far these taverns were not affected, nor were they told to close down. But to many local folks the handwriting was on the wall.

Averyville was a village of 5,000 or so folks and they were always “in the way” so to speak. When Peoria talked about the bridge we call McCluggage there was a lot of politicking going on. Let’s face it the Peoria politicians wanted to annex Averyville and the battle was on. When the new bridge was to be built, Peoria politicians wanted some control over that area…but they had to annex Averyville to get it. Finally in 1926 or so the deed was done…it was a battle…physically and politically and finally the Supreme Court ended the battle. Averyville was ours. That meant the folks there…the businesses and of course the taverns would be in the control of the City of Peoria. I brought up taverns because they played a special role in our history. Not only before Prohibition but all during our history and Averyville had their fair share.

Food, beer and whiskey…that’s what our taverns sold and they were a major business in our town. Now the Irish and all the other groups I mentioned had a tendency to go to their own local taverns. They went to their own neighborhood taverns not only for the ethnic food that they craved but for plain old social reasons. They knew the owner, the bartender and of course most of the folks that patronized the places.. It reminds me of “Cheers’ and the song that went along with that TV program, “where everybody knew your name.” Also the police, called Rounders in the 20’s who patrolled these taverns knew every living soul that frequented these places. If he did not know you he would come up and ask who you were. Now, don’t you see how that system worked to preserve peace and quiet in these tavern and our neighborhoods? It worked like a charm. Peoria, although diversified, had its own prejudices and believe me these systems of local taverns did more to preserve the peace than another hundred cops would have done

So that was the picture during the month of August and early September of 1917. Where would it lead us? What would happen when the breweries and the distilleries shut down? What would happen to all those wonderful taverns? Of course, some of them were despicable dumps…but all of them had their customers…the good, the bad and the ugly. Could Peoria, Illinois really survive all these changes that were coming down the pike? Peoria, Illinois…no beer… no booze… no life? Well, history has recorded those events and I will reveal them as we move into 1918.

FARMER, FARMER IN THE DELL

Remember how big our county was, and those vast rural lands out there? Well, for over six decades the farmers in Tazewell, Peoria, Woodford and surrounding areas had it made in the shade…as Peorian’s used to say. Think of it. As many as 17 distilleries and five to eight breweries waiting here in Peoria for the farmer to bring in his harvest. A ready market…just think of that. Now…the farmer for the first time was in a political/temperance bind that he had no way out of at all. Some folks even thought that the temperance movement really began in the rural or farm area. They thought it was a rebellion against the citified folks and there is some historical truth to that theory. Few Peorians had the capacity or desire to get at the root of all these issues. They had a job, a family and a wonderful home…they wanted to keep it. The farmers certainly wanted their farms to grow, their families to thrive no doubt about that. Why on earth would they want Prohibition? Religious beliefs drive people in compelling ways and believe me that passion was what was driving the anti-saloon and temperance people here in Peoria at any rate, so I am sure some farmers had ambivalent feelings about Prohibition.. It amazes me how they could care less about America and towns like Peoria, Illinois and their very financial survival, but they were doing God’s work. It was truly a religious movement, and who could stop it? Apparently no one and certainly not the elected officials who were put in office by the temperance people to push and vote on Prohibition in America.

One important thing that people here in Peoria, Illinois bought hook, line and sinker was that the prohibition of food products for the making of booze and beer was just a “Temporary Law.” That’s what we believed here folks…just a temporary thing. Why as soon as this war is over the ban would be lifted and our breweries and our distilleries would be back in business. The returning doughboys would be home, they would have their jobs back and life would be fine. WRONG.


PEORIA: 1918

Peoria was getting used to the fact that their breweries and distilleries were
sitting in the dark. Actually a couple of lines were open in one of the
distilleries to produce alcohol for the government and for “Medicinal Purposes.” Some men maintained maintenance jobs in the distilleries and breweries to be ready when the food ban was lifted. Many of the men managed to get jobs in the factories that made wartime products and Peoria began to realize that they could indeed endure this temporary setback. After all we were at war, and Peoria could be and was just as patriotic as any other American city. So, Peoria moved ahead. However…what was going on in Washington, DC that would change their lives forever seemed to be hidden in the war headlines and articles here in Peoria, Illinois. Prohibition…with a capital “P” was looming its monstrous head again…and this time it looked like there was going to be real trouble “Right here in River City” and that did not bode well for Peoria, Illinois.

So here we were…it was 1918, Peoria had survived the initial shock of the beer and booze makers closing and things were settling down to normal. The war raged and now our troops were in the thick of things. Peorians endured the minor irritation of the conservation going on and things got back to normal. Remember the farmer continued to suffer…of course they sold their products but the day of the easy…ready market here in Peoria was gone. They managed to survive because people have to eat. But as far as a ready market, in fact an eager market that was all a thing of the past. How long would all this last? How long could they endure? Even the most optimistic Peorian had no real idea. It was in the hands of the government ‘And that “ain’t good.” The only people content with the situation were the DRY.

In downtown Peoria huge crowds would gather as our men were sent off to the war, parades would snake through the town, flags were waved, soldiers marched and bands played. Now some of these men were draftees and not exactly happy to be among those chosen, but Peoria was at its patriotic best, and the band played on.

Most of the men folk retired to their favorite saloon after these rallies and they were happy that at least those places were still open. The hoarders could still hold onto their cached booze as long as the taverns had supplies. They were dwindling of course, and the price was higher but at least they were still there. Again, they were open for the food, the beer, the booze and the gathering of the “bar talkers.” We had our share of liquor stores as well and so far their doors were still open. All was not lost...yet.

JUST ANOTHER SURPRISE


Just before they closed our distilleries Peoria made roughly one third of all the whiskey produced in the United States. They paid something like 35 million in taxes annually and virtually supported the City of Peoria, Illinois for 67 years. The whiskey trust led by Mr. Greenhut, living here in Peoria, was working to keep a few lines open in two of the distilleries . A small amount would be used for medicinal purposes and some would be used for making alcohol that was called denatured. The United States Government authorized as many as 16 toxins to be distilled with this alcohol. Of course that made the damn stuff poison…pure and simple. Not to worry it was branded with warnings…big black letters…no less. Later too…the phrase “Rot Gut Booze,” was all too common here in Peoria, Illinois. Of course that killed people…mainly the poor alcoholics in town that would literally drink anything…anything at all that even hinted at having alcohol in it.

Peoria always had a few men that loved to brew their own whiskey…yes we had some that was called White Lightning…and White Mule…but whatever it was called it was still almost s potent as the denatured alcohol.

Peorians were being told through their local newspapers that the government had estimated that this temporary prohibition would save forty million bushels of grain, thousands of tons of coal, and countless other savings. All of this would benefit the war effort. Of course all Peorians…well the WETS wanted to hear was this news: Reports indicated 232,404,870 gallons of whiskey was already stored in America’s warehouses. Peorians were happy to know that thousands of those gallons were stored right here in Peoria, Illinois. The government never mentioned the thousands of jobs that were being lost…but the local papers did carry quotes from folks making that complaint known.

I mentioned J.B. Greenhut, a man that came to Peoria in 1856. He became a very wealth man, and certainly made himself known here in Peoria and within the alcohol business world. Actually he dealt in tin while he lived in Austria, but got in the much more lucrative business of booze when he came here. He soon headed up the Peoria Cattle Feeding Company and led the Whiskey Trust that included distilleries all over America. A highly respected man in this town I can tell you that.

THE SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS

I am not going to tell you that my relatives…and yours were ignorant of the ways of Congress…but I suppose that is probably close to the truth. Keep in mind the turmoil in Peoria during 1917 and 1918. What with the war, the loss of our loved ones, Food Prohibition and the closing of our source of income, things were pretty chaotic…to say the least. So, when the 66th. Congress convened in Washington, in 1919 they pretty much did it without the knowledge of the typical, hard-working Peoria.

Keep in mind that the anti-saloon people, along with the temperance people had finally consolidated their efforts and by the end of 1917 there were 25 DRY states in the United States. Now that was quite an accomplishment indeed. Now the final goal…for some their lifetime goal was near. All they needed to do was to get the Congress to agree to amend the Constitution of the United States. Just vote ‘Yes’ for the 18th. amendment and God would have been served.

Here in Peoria with the war news, small articles about this new Congress were printed and I am sure some folks read them. I certainly know for a fact my relatives did not read them. But this was America and all of us are represented and if there were going to be an amendment change surely there would be a tremendous debate over it and the representatives from Peoria and this area would protect us. That’s what a majority of Peorians believed. And…don’t forget we had the whiskey lobby and our own J.B. Greenhut. They would fight for the right of Peoria to make whiskey…surely they would. Right? Wrong!




THE WAR IS OVER!

It’s over over there and the war to end all war makes the world a safe place once again. In Peoria the news was received at 1:52 A.M. in the news rooms of Peoria’s newspapers. It was now November 11, and the war had been over since 11-11-1918 they just did not know when the last shot had been fired. What glorious news. The men that first received the news were a bit skeptical because there had been one hoax on them…and they were cautious. This hoax was perpetrated on THE STAR and they fell for it like a ton of bricks. As soon as the news came over the wire that morning of November 7, 1918 the men went into action. Soon young men were running around down town holding newspapers and yelling…EXTRA, EXTRA WAR IS OVER! Well the outcome of all that over eagerness cost the paper some trust from Peorians to say the least. They quickly sent a check to the local Red Cross for $375.00 after admitting their mistake.

After some phone calls and contacting the newspaper bigwigs the news was judged accurate.…and their excitement began to boil over once again.. They thought of waiting for a decent hour to tell Peoria, but quickly telephone calls were made to their own homes. The newsroom workers gathered together with the pressmen and the news spread. Secret stashes of booze suddenly appeared and in between telephone calls the men celebrated.

Of course once the folks at home were up and awake the calls all over town were made. The system was quickly overwhelmed…remember this is 1918.
Before sunup folks from Peoria and out in the county began to gather downtown around the courthouse square. They walked and biked and rode every kind of vehicle that had wheels. Horse and buggy, carriages, and men and boys on horseback. As the crowd grew the noise increased as they greeted each other. I don’t think they hi-fived in those days, but there was a lot of hand shaking and hugging going on.

At 7:30 that morning Mayor Woodruff threw open the doors of the city hall and summoned every politician he knew along with his many friends. He notified the police and the fire department and ordered them to notify the taverns in town that they were not to open until he told them to do so. The mayor proclaimed the day a holiday and left it up to the local business men to decide if they wanted to open or close. The crowds were pouring off the streetcars carrying every kind of noisemaker they could find. Toy drums, garbage cans, metal cans and pots and garbage lids. Some people brought every kind of instrument except a piano with them as they jammed the area around the city hall and the courthouse. It was pandemonium with a huge smile…”My God! The War is over!”

The mayor then tacked a huge sign on the door of the city hall. This time he made it a proclamation. All stores would close at noon and he ‘ordered’ ALL Peorians to come on downtown and celebrate.

PEORIA CELEBRATES

By 10:00 AM thousands of folks were jamming the downtown area. Slowly the streets filled up and people were elbow to elbow, yelling, screaming, banging on everything they could find. Cars that had driven downtown were now hopelessly stalled and people were sitting all over them like park benches. Although the taverns were closed…Peorians were now in the habit of carrying flasks and the alcohol began to flow. People that lived close-by quickly supplied their friends with some libations and things were really getting to be fun…if you get my meaning.

The word spread that the mayor was going to speak and the crowd crowded in even tighter waiting to hear from their favorite mayor. Of course no politician worth his salt was going to pass up and opportunity like this so they too battled their way to the courthouse steps. By now local bands were finding each other and impromptu parades…led by these musicians wound
through the streets. The crowds managed to make way for each new group playing the patriotic songs of WW 1. Peoria had a few buildings that rose up above the street, a couple as high as ten stories, and as the bands strutted by tons of shredded fell down upon the heads of the band and the people that lined the streets.

Reporter from the newspapers recorded the mad scene, reporting that one long line of about 1,500 kids held hands and snaked their way round and round the courthouse square. At noon every church anywhere near downtown began to ring its bells, mesmerizing the crowd. Religious groups stood together, their hands in the air, thanking God for the end of the war.
The folks wanted no part of the speeches after all and were delighted by the arrival of military bands that formed groups before marching off down Main Street and then around the courthouse. Once the band passed, folks fell in behind them only to be followed by another band. It was a wonderful, magic time that lasted until late that afternoon.

Finally, the politicians got their chance to speak, but by then the crowd was a bit subdued and ready to listen. Well those that had not consumed too much of old John Barleycorn, at any rate. The crowds were invited to the Coliseum, which held 7,000 people and to the Shrine Mosque as well for patriotic music and of course speeches from the local politicians and religious leaders. Many of the older folks were glad to have a place to head for that promised a seat and maybe a little less noise.

Now all Peoria wanted was to bring their doughboys back home. Next they wanted the breweries and the distilleries opened up and their town back to work and a normal life. They got most of their doughboys back home safely, but their breweries and distilleries were going to have to be listed “Missing in Action.” For a lot longer any single person in Peoria could even imagine. That nightmare would include their taverns as well. But that was down the road and right now the war was over and that was all that counted. Sadly the real truth was about to be revealed to the City of Peoria, and believe me it was not going to be good news.





THE AYES HAVE IT

When the Senate got the proposal to ban alcohol in America and vote on the Eighteenth Amend it took 13 hours to pass in a one-sided vote in favor of the bill. Not to worry we did have a House of Representatives and a President…didn’t we? Someone will stop this stupid bill…just you wait and see.
Wrong again.

When Congress got their hands on the Senate bill they debated all of one working day, minus breaks and lunch of course. They then voted in favor of the amendment overwhelmingly. So…there it was. The next step was to send it to the state governors for ratification or defeat. They gave the bill 7 years…that’s right…seven years to be law or just another failed bill. Less than thirteen months later the bill had easily won ratification and it needed three-fourths of the States to agree. Hell…it was not even a contest. The DRYS had conquered.

Remember at least twenty-five states are already dry…different varieties of prohibition in one county…perhaps different in another. Now, all counties in all states in all 48 states would be dry as a bone. That’s what the temperance folks had prayed for and with God’s guidance they had one. Hallelujah! Well it did not take the People in Peoria and the rest of the world to find out just how insane this new law was. It also brought to America the most corrupt, dangerous, gangster-ridden thirteen years in its history. The DRYS had won the battle…now the war was just starting. Hallelujah indeed.

So the Prohibition Act…the 18th amendment was sent off in a bill to be rejected or approved. It took One year and 8 days to be ratified. Here in Peoria the folks still thought that Prohibition would be rejected. Or…according to some quotes in town. “The dang thing won’t last more than a year or so.”

RATIFICATION

Now all of this was done with the guiding hand of the temperance woman…and get this…she never even had the right to vote. That would come with the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Gender neutral as far as voting was concerned was the goal and a majority of Peorians were all for it. Believe me when I tell you that here in Peoria, Suffrage was a lot more heatedly debated than Prohibition. Now we had both. Harding died and Coolidge became President of the United States. Maybe he would do something about this damn Prohibition Law. Wrong again.

On January 1, 1919 Mississippi was the first State to ratify the new Prohibition law. Nebraska and Tennessee seemed to have tied were the 36th, and that is all they needed. Poor little Rhode Island never ratified the Act and people here in Peoria bragged about them and their defiance. Now the laws would prevail upon the land and peace and tranquility would permeate the very souls of all the sober Americans. That’s what the temperance idiots preached. Just look what Billy Sunday said, the great preacher who helped lead his disciples on the long journey to Prohibition. By the way he never came to Peoria, Illinois until 1934. He was greeted and treated like a major hero even though the fools that adored him had just lived through thirteen years of financial difficulties and the most corrupt, violent times of our history.

The preacher said: “ The REIGN OF TEARS IS OVER. The slums will
Be a memory. We will turn our prisons into
factories and our jails into storehouses and
corncribs. Men will walk upright now, women will
smile and children will laugh. Hell will be forever for
rent.”

So the “Noble Experiment” was just down the road. Peoria had managed to survive through the Temporary Prohibition and now what? The Prohibition law would not begin until January 16, 1920 and that meant that there was still time to either adjust or move to another city. With that thought Peoria began to agitate over the fact that the distilleries and Breweries were still closed. They began to contact politicians to get something done. The doughboys were coming home to the horrible fact that not only were their jobs gone the booze was too. Many of them stated that what they dreamed about was sitting around the taverns here in Peoria and just talking. Just “Hanging Out” as we say today, but now what? The jobs were gone and now they were certain that their taverns would also bite the dust. What a hell of a mess they faced. Some of them told the press…”We should have stayed in Europe.’’ It was bleak here in town and the returning veterans seemed to take it worse than the rest of Peoria. Perhaps they had more to lose? Right at that moment the only hope they had was to have the distilleries and the breweries open up. At least they would have six months of a job, and the taverns and the liquor stores could replenish their supplies of beer and booze. Was that too much to ask? They’d risk their lives for America at least she could give them this one break. Wrong again.

1919: MORE OF THE SAME?

New years Eve was a wild, wild scene here in Peoria, Illinois and the folks here decided that this just might be the last really Happy New Year. There was plenty of beer and booze in town and the WETS tried to drink it all. The DRYS were happy…since I don’t know what they do for New Years Eve let’s just forget about them.

What I am going to do here in 1919 is really show you what Peoria was all about. I might bore you a bit on some of the statistics, but if you have a true interest in our town I’ll try to paint you a picture.


CEREAL BEER

What is cereal beer? Peorians joked that they thought it was like something you were supposed to pour on cereal. Most folks scoffed at it even when they found out that this product was so-called near beer. I guess we could relate to a product available today that smells like beer…even taste a little like beer but has little or no alcohol in it. Only one I can think of is O’Doul’s. But since the government allowed the product breweries did began to produce it. One brewery had BEVO. The Pabst plant produced PABLO and the great Schlitz organization brought out FAMO. Stroh’s produced a line called LUX-O. All of these near beers were frowned upon and one reporter here in Peoria stated that the consensus in Peoria was that the stuff was just colored water and was not worth the glass it was bottled in. Other near beers popped up and then faded. Still the local taverns as late as 1919 still had some supplies of decent beer and some whiskey. No real beer drinker would drink this colored water when and if the real stuff was still available. Beer was much shorter on supplies than booze was and beer drinkers were “Learning to accept the hard stuff.” Does that surprise you?

So as we jump into 1919 the final year before the real Prohibition hit us I will tell you that some of our bars were pretty tough back then and were controlled only by our tough cops. In 1916 Officer Enos was accidentally
Killed and Officer Norman Gray was killed inside one of our bars in 1917.
1917 saw the death of Sam Moffatt and Officer Carr was killed in 1918.

1919: PEORIA DEFINED

1919 was a pretty typical year when it comes to describing the downtown area of this marvelous city. So I might bore you with this, but to me it was always fascinating to me how really huge Peoria, Illinois really was. Again, not in miles but for shear entertainment, employment opportunities and our fascinating downtown area. Keep in mind we were IT. Peoria was surrounded for miles by small towns, vast open space and farms that dotted the landscape. To visit Peoria, Illinois was something to look forward to and believe me people came from all over to spend time here. They were fed, they drank, they gambled, ladies of the evening, live entertainment and of course ‘moving pictures.’ We had our seedy, bawdy and dangerous side but that just added to the over all entertainment of this great city. We had prostitutes, madams, gaming table, booze, beer and as the kids say today, ‘whatever.” This was the place to be and Peoria grew as a result of that reputation s being a wide-open bawdy town. Still some folks never drank, never gambled and certainly had nothing to do with the “ladies of the night.” Some visitor told the press that even though Peoria had some rough spots, it was the “Jewel along the Illinois river.” Now we faced Prohibition…what would that bring to Peoria?


PEORIA: IT’S GOT THIS AND THAT

Since I have spent the last twenty-eight years in research of Peoria one thing dawned on me rather early. With all the great history books and the historians the one real historian over-looked was the newspaper reporter.
Just think of what they have recorded over the years. Certainly here in Peoria they did their jobs day in and day out, year after year. Ever wonder how many newspapers were here in town? I bet most of today’s Peorians would tell you about the STAR and The JOURNAL, but there were many, many more. Just look what newspapers were here in 1919. Some were small, some daily, some weekly, but they all employed people and they all recorded out history. Some were biased and one-sided but most were just trying to survive financially as they brought the news to the people of Peoria, Illinois.

Located in our downtown area were these newspapers: Please excuse me but I have no desire to italicize all these newspaper names…so I’ll just use a capital letter here and there.

Peoria Morning Transcript Daily Bulletin The Family Friend Illinois
Journal of Labor Sunday Journal Transcript The Polyscope Retail Merchants Journal Illinois Retail Merchants Journal Peoria Evening Journal The Tech Peoria Evening Star Peoria Labor Gazette. One or both of these papers were printed in German: Peoria Sonne and the
Sonntags-Glocke.

Here is a question that I have never been able to answer…from any source. Why did we have so many Notary Republics in town? We had 428 of them and they represented every type of employment from lawyers to the guy next door. Think of that. They got anywhere from a dime to a quarter to notarize someone’s signature but it just struck me as strange that they would all be listed. I was a notary and believe me “I guarded my seal with zeal.” That’s humor son…in case you over looked it.

CAN I BUY THAT IN TOWN?

The answer to that was an astounding ‘Yes.’ I am only going to name a few products available here. I can tell you that well over 1000 different kind of ‘things’ were made here and in 1919, in spite of our setbacks, people seemed to be getting along fine. Unemployment has always been a problem because so many able-bodied men and women move into Peoria looking for a job, but most of them found one.

We had numerous companies in town dealing in lumber, steel and tin. A dozen or so printing firms and three huge paper mills grew up here in Peoria, Illinois. Machine shops of all kinds competed with the small manufacturing companies here in town. We made mattresses and cigars along with tire and car and truck makers. Horses and horse racing were big in town and many companies made every kind of rig connected with a horse
possible…including the carriages and buggies and sleds. We were the center of bicycle events and people came from all over to the horse and bike races held here. Voss Brothers could sell, repair and build any kind of bike that was imaginable at the time.

Hungry? In the downtown area we had 14 ‘lunch rooms’ which would prove important here in Peoria once alcohol had to really go ‘underground.’
Seventy-eight restaurants were available as well as 82 meat markets, scattered around and convenient to patrons.

To process that meat we had 8 wholesale meat processors including Armour’s and Swifts and a huge stockyards that employed hundreds and grew to be a massive business in town. All that success spawned other businesses, and here it was trucks to move all that material, Of course we did not just sell all of these things locally, and that begot trains. Peoria was extremely important where trains were concerned when it came to shipping our products across the nation. We had 14 steam driven train companies visiting Peoria, along with three electrical rail companies. They all moved freight and people and were a vital link to Peoria’s success.

The farmers in Peoria…some were actually within the city limits…were blessed to have this eager market so close to them. Eight milk dealers were in town and home delivery was made mainly by a horse drawn vehicle. Two large milk companies included Church’s and Roszell.

Downtown included a cluster of stores that brought people from all over this area to Block n’ Kuhls, Bergners and countless other businesses called millinery stores. Szolds was a store located in the southend and stayed here in Peoria many, many years. I think there is a Szolds now over near Sunnyland.

Men’s stores were busy places and we had twelve of them. Early Peorian’s were not quick to discard anything…especially shoes. Here in town we had 57 shoe repair shops and if you wanted your shoes shined you had 16 shoe shine parlors to pick from. (Ladies Welcome.) Music was big and we had 12 music stores and 43 music teachers and a music conservatory.

We had 125 doctors…registered that is, two midwives and 9 occulists and aurists (for the ear) all located downtown. Of course we had a plethora of quacks. There are 120 nurses in Peoria and many of them are free-lance ladies, some of course work in the hospitals and doctor’s offices of all kinds, palm readers, fortune-tellers ‘Gypsies’ star gazers and cults. We had an active KKK and every other kind of weirdo you could imagine. As I said we had everything you could possible imagine…if you had the price. That was my town…Peoria, Illinois heavier manufacturing was growing with Holt, soon to be manufacturing Caterpillars. There was Avery and Keystone, however these big employers were actually outside our city limits. Any wonder why our leaders wanted Averyville and Bartonville to annex to Peoria? I didn’t think so.

We had glassmakers, newspapers depots as they called them…we called them news stands. There were veterinarians with a huge practice connected with horses and cattle. I can tell you only the rich took their dogs and cats to vets…the animals lived or died…and then another stray would stop by and it would start all over again. It isn’t because the folks did not care they simply did not have money to spend on pets. There were no dog foods like we know today. Dogs lived off scraps, bones and whatever else they could scrounge. Hell, there were plenty of men in our town that lived the same way. Life could be tough and believe me in 1919 it was not much better.

Peoria had publishers, real estate agents, fish and ice companies and tons of roofers and carpenters of all kinds. Plumbers, bricklayers, builders and excavators of all shapes and sizes. Coal was huge in Peoria and that industry employed a lot of men, that’s for sure. They dug it, hauled it and shipped it and in every yard that did not have a basement the coal was piled up. On of my jobs as a kid was to see to getting that damn coal in…and I hated it.

The making of stoves and furnaces was also a big business in Peoria along with painters and cement handlers. The town was the center of everything imaginable and people came in on the weekends by the thousands. We had
37 tailors and 11 undertakers and sometimes the two combined their talents to take the deceased to the “great beyond.” We had 4 talking machine companies and I am not certain what they did. You could hail or call a cab and even be driven around in a limo. They would rent you a touring car or a wagon for a hay rack ride.

We had thirteen theatres downtown, where “moving pictures” were shown and of course some of them had Vaudeville available for folks as well.
We had the Columbia, Garden, Empress, the huge Hippodrome at 213 S. Jefferson and the beautiful Orpheum .The imperial and Lyceum on Fulton and the palace that was located at 1203 S. Adams. Later it would be rebuilt up on Main Street. The Princess was a cute little theater along with the Majestic and the Apollo. Just think of that entertainment and then think of a town out in the Country. The draw to Peoria, Illinois was incredible. Cars were coming into their own and Peoria built an electric car called the Glide and many trucks were built here as well washing machines were big business as were jewelry stores and drug stores. Teddy Roosevelt was riding in a Glide built by Peoria Bartholomew when he uttered these famous words…well for Peorians, that is. He said the drive he was driving on was the “Worlds most beautiful drive.” Keep in mind he was a politician. But those words became famous in Peoria and later the local radio station in 19e7 was assigned those call letters. Of course to the uninformed that meant The World’s Most Beautiful Drive. This too was just another myth concerning Peoria, Illinois. Mr. Kohler remembered the great man’s name and used that phrase as his own. Rasio Station WMBD, 1470.

We had three hospitals in town and many current people have no idea that they were built by religious people. Proctor, Saint Francis and Methodist were competing religions in Peoria and believe me that carried through in these hospitals as well. Is it true today?



A GREAT LITTLE TOWN

Population in the city was 76,120 and counting the adjacent areas the population was 91,899 with many more way out in the county. The folks in town were getting used to finding other employment and we were so diversified that the adjustment was a lot less painful than anyone could have imagined. With just 10 miles of the city 105,000 people lived and that is a lot of consumers.

We had 30 grade schools, three high schools, 8 parochial schools and Bradley Polytech Institute, which included a Horology school. We had a total of 12,313 kids in school, plus the folks at Bradley. Steam and packet boats were still coming into Peoria and they were big business. Peoria Water Company handled the growth rather well, and many people had all the conveniences of the modern home. Of course many lived in poverty, were homeless, living along the river and some were just plain bums.

We had a lot of ‘Colored’ people living in Peoria, and 30 designated ‘other races.’ We had 32,275 male voters registered and most of them actually voted when called upon. Peoria led the nation in park and beautiful parks for any city our size. There were ten parks and they were used by most folks in town almost weekly. Of course Grand View Drive was the pride of Peoria even though some of it ran into Peoria Heights. That was another village that did not want to become park of Peoria, Illinois and has not to this day. This was the drive that Roosevelt raved about.

Peoria always had a good police and fire department. They had 65 call boxes where police could report in and 388 fire alarms along many of our streets.
Of course we had too many lawyers and not enough doctors or dentists.
In Bryan Ogg’s book on Spirits in Peoria there is a picture of the steamboat David Swain. It has a long banner attached to it that said Peoria paid 35 million in annual taxes for alcohol. They tried to influence the do-gooders but that like everything else did not stop the temperance folks.

Another thing ignored by the DRYS was the fact that most of the important buildings in downtown Peoria were financed by beer and whiskey money. Did that make any difference? Hell no. The large banking business grew because of the excess millions these whiskey and beer barons had. It brought in educated bankers and finance people, but none of that had any influence once the temperance people gained some political power.

Taverns paid an average of $169,472 just for the liquor license fees in town, and of course most of what they sold, rented, leased or owned generated money for the city coffers Can you imagine how many people were employed in all these taverns, and just how many depended on the salaries from this business alone? Soon I will tell you about the Prohibition Act and the Volstead Act and how they shaped Peoria’s history.

FINAL COMMENTS ABOUT 1919

America lost one of it’s favorite sons when Teddy Roosevelt died, he was certainly liked and admired here in town. That was sad news but the WETS cheered when the local newspaper reported that right here in Peoria there was $75,536,150 worth of bonded whiskey stored in our warehouses. That does not mean it tasted better than any other whiskey, but the taxes are paid. People who were later called ‘Bootleggers’ took note of this bit of news as well. The government is still holding to the food prohibition and the folks in Peoria have a two pound limit on sugar. They are not fooling anyone because everyone knows there is no shortage of sugar or anything else for that matter. The Feds are trying to stop men from buying vast quantities of sugar for stills. Of course that does not work. I’ll tell you more about stills when they really begin to perk and irritate the DRY agents.

Next there is a fuel shortage and that closes our high schools and all the stores in town reduce their hours that they are open. Peorians are irate and the talk is that it is just another government manipulation. Of course everyone is disgusted with local politician and the Senate and Congress for not lifting the stupid ban on the breweries and distilleries. Peoria is not happy with the president…whoever the hell he is. Remember…that law was “Temporary” and Peorians are up in arms. So…what do they do about it? Why they go to the saloons and gripe about “The damn politicians Big strike over at Keystone and police say 35 shots were fired. No body killed, and Peorians wonder if the police exaggerated the battle or those steel workers are horrible shots.

THE FINAL WORD

All hope is gone this June of 1919. The Senate and the Congress passed the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and it has come back ratified by three-fourths of the States. It is over…there is no hope. The hoarders were right. Now what in the hell are the WETS going to do for a drink in this town? Believe me when I tell you they manage to work it out.

Already robbers and hi-jackers are active attacking boxcars with whiskey in them. Around the state and here as well, police say there have been 37 bank robberies. Peorians tell the press these guys are getting money together to buy booze from bootleggers. From the evidence they are probably correct.

And so we say goodbye to 1919, since 1917 it has been a depressing time for the WETS as they waited to see what was going to happen to the breweries and distilleries in their hometown. By the time 1919 ended all the questions had been answered…all in the negative. Peoria now was trying to get ready for the “Roaring Twenties.” Although there was plenty of doom and gloom to contend with Peoria would survive…thrive and grow during the upcoming decade. I can tell you it surprised the hell out of everyone…especially the DRYS.