LOST IN THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST

LOST   IN  THE  SHADOWS  OF  THE  PAST

                                  Norman  V.  Kelly

 

For me personally, after thirty-two years of researching Peoria’s past, I sometimes actually got lost way back then.  There were a lot of shadowy characters in our history, especially during Prohibition which was 1920-1933.  There were areas in our town going way back to our early Bordello days and down by the river that shadows were not only menacing, but down right terrifying.  Once Prohibition ended it took a bit for Peoria to get back up on its toes, and that was helped by Hiram Walker.  In 1935 they opened the largest  distillery in the world here in Peoria.  Things got better downtown that is for sure.

 

Out of the shadows and in the alleys behind the hotels and some of the larger saloons in town a rather dark side of Peoria in the form of humans began to increase.  Gambling picked up and by 1940 we had about 225 of them within the city limits. Gambling perked up and the ladies from the red light districts began to filter into the downtown saloons, bars, dive and dumps a little bit more than they ever had before.

 

By 1941 our pet gangster, Bernie Shelton was here with his brother and gambling was not much less than an industry around here. Don’t give him blame of credit for that, he had a gangster life down in Southern, Illinois but as an ex-con his activity here was not only restricted but monitored as well.  From the saloon in the wee hours of the mornings, a few hours before the sun came up, the place seemed to throb with activity.  There was a bit of gun play and knifings, along with a few muggings going on.  Peorians read all about it in the morning and evening newspapers and the do-gooders built another church.  By 1937 along with our over 200 taverns there were 102 churches in this town.