Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933. Prohibitionists first attempted to end the trade in alcoholic beverages during the 19th century.
The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution–which banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors–ushered in a period in American history known as Prohibition. Prohibition was ratified by the states on January 16, 1919 and officially went into effect on January 17, 1920, with the passage of the Volstead Act.
Despite the new legislation, Prohibition was difficult to enforce. The increase of the illegal production and sale of liquor (known as “bootlegging”), the proliferation of speakeasies (illegal drinking spots) and the accompanying rise in gang violence and other crimes led to waning support for Prohibition by the end of the 1920s.
In early 1933, Congress adopted a resolution proposing a 21st Amendment to the Constitution that would repeal the 18th. The 21st Amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933, ending Prohibition.
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Sale of Beer Becomes Legal
WASHINGTON, March 13, 1933 (UP) - President Roosevelt in a surprise move sent a message today to Congress calling for immediate modification of the Volstead act to permit the manufacture and sale of beer. The message follows:
"I recommend to the Congress the passage of legislation for the immediate modification of the Volstead act, in order to legalize the manufacture and sale of beer and other beverages of such alcoholic content as is permissible under the Constitution; and to provide through the manufacture and sale, by substantial taxes, a proper and much needed revenue for the government.
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Beer In Kentucky
In the March 24, 1933 edition of the Crittenden Press. Beer will be sold in Kentucky its sale was passed by the House on the night of April 6, 1933. A federal tax of $5 per barrel of thirty-one gallons will be received by the government. Thirteen other states besides Kentucky may sell beer within fifteen days from the time the beer bill was signed.
Crittenden Press, April 7, 1933, One License to sell beer here. Only one license to retail beer has been issued in Marion and that to Orme Drug Company Incorporated. While some others are expected, the number will not be large, due to the city, state and federal taxes. Orme Drug Company expects to have beer for sale Friday. It will be trucked here from Louisville. Whether the supply will be equal to the demand is a matter of conjecture.
From the old book titled Taxes Received 1926-1937 in the basement of the Crittenden County Clerk's Office these names were recorded for selling retail beer. They were owners of local eating places in Marion and on the outskirts of town. From 1933 to 1936, when the vote was was again to go dry. Orme Drug Company, Sullenger & Love, Gladys Cantrell,The Snappy Tavern, Givens Cafe, J. W. Rankin, The Curve In Restaurant, Homer J. Hughes, W. H. Crider, City Cafe, Stanley Hunt, E. B. Hunt, Velda Stubblefield – restaurant, Ray Johnson and Carlon Howard. (don't have names of all the locations that applied for beer license or sold it)
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No More Beer
The sale of beer locally didn't set well with many citizens of the town and county, in July 1936 a petition had been filed for election on local option to go dry. Crittenden Press, July 17, 1936. The prohibition forces of the county have been busy during the past few days circulating a petition for the purpose of calling an election to decide whether intoxication liquors will legally be sold within its boundary.
The petition, containing the names and post office addresses of 1,967 legal voters of Crittenden County is now on file in the County Judge's office. The date of the election has been set for Sat. Sept. 19, 1936, and will be held in all voting precincts in the county, and is held for the purpose of giving the voters the opportunity of deciding whether the sale of intoxicating liquors shall be prohibited.
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They Didn't Give Up
This election of Sept 19, 1936 was for local option by a vote of 1,705 as compared to 398 in favor of wines, liquor and beer. The totals surprised the most ardent drys as several leaders had previously expressed themselves as confident of victory, but not to the extent to which the final returns showed.
But this election was declared void by the Court of Appeals due to not being sufficiently advertised in advance. So in November the local Option Petition was being re-circulated among the voters to have another election for the vote.
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Crittenden Votes Dry
In February 1937 – Crittenden county voters favored local option by a vote of 1,295 to 297 in Saturday's balloting with the counting and final tabulation being completed early that night.
The driest precinct in the county, according to returns is that of Crayne where the cause of prohibition was victorious by approximately 15-1. 73 voters favored local option as compared to 5 who did not.
Of the 22 precincts in the county Blooming Rose was the only one that returned a majority opposed to the dry cause, the vote there being 17-10 and according to statics that is the first time in the history of the county when this has happened. The heaviest vote was in Marion No. 1 and in Fishtrap, No. 20, both precincts supporting the drys by votes of 117-32 and 13-3 respectively.
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Whiskey Traffic Only Got Worse
During the years of 1937-1939 after the county had voted dry, the sale of illegal alcohol beverages only got worse. In July 1939 a recommendation was written by the Grand Jury and given to Judge E. Jeffery Travis. It read “We the Grand Jury presiding at the last term of Court, 1939, by a careful investigation find the violation of the whiskey traffic is exceedingly deplorable in Crittenden county, particularly in and about Marion, Mexico, Dycusburg and Sheridan, and that those engaged in selling and buying are so completely organized that it is very difficult to find sufficient evidence to indict.
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What Needs To Be Done
Judge Travis states that doubtless the members of the grand jury felt that they were rendering the county's service and helping the county officers to rid the county of the boot-legging menace by adopting this resolution. I shall take this opportunity to suggest that if each member of the grand jury, or any other law abiding, peace-loving citizen of the county would constitute himself into a committee of one and do any reasonable amount of investigating of suspicious characters in his individual neighborhood, there would be no need for an “undercover man” or detective.
Since January 3rd, 1948, the records show there have been twenty convictions for selling and possessing illegal whiskey with a total of 630 days in jail and fines amounting to $600.00. The situation is deplorable but only recommendations, orders, criticisms or anything short of sworn testimony does not “hit the spot.” There must be sworn testimony before a judge can issue a warrant of arrest.
So if you want illicit stills, boot-leggers, drunks, crap-shooters, or other semi-outlaws in your community just keep still and swear to nothing. If you want to be rid of such undesirable citizens go before a magistrate, notary public or any judge with a right to administer an oath, and make such statements under oaths and I am sure a warrant of arrest will be issued and the culprit be tried according to law. Are you willing to help? Signed E. Jeffrey Travis, County Judge
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For one reason or the other, I don't think there were many that were willing to swear out a warrant for these bootleggers, not many would want to be known as an informer. Who really knows if it was for the money or for the thrill of doing something illegal and not getting caught, but boot-legging went on in the county for many more years. They were located all over the county.
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