PROHIBITION

PROHIBITION. Efforts forbidding the manufacture, transportation or sale of intoxicating beverages has a long history in Dubuque. The following chronological list of events was found in Franklin T. Oldt's History of Dubuque County.

1838 In March, 1838, the citizens assembled at the Methodist church and organized a temperance society with Judge Lockwood president and John Plumbe, Jr., secretary, and decided on a basis of total abstinence.

1840 At the monthly meeting of the Catholic Temperance Society in March, 1840, over three hundred persons were present, including many ladies; nineteen persons took the pledge. Among the speakers were Quigley, Benton, Davis, Bradford, Goodrich and Collins, nearly all of whom were lawyers. The Protestants also had a large temperance society. It was thought at this date that soon one-third of all Dubuque would have signed the pledge.

1841 "A complete temperance reformation has been effected by the zeal of the Catholic clergy among its much abused Irish citizens in whose hands the glass has given place to implements of industry. Nor is the reformation confined to them alone — it has spread throughout the community, embracing every class and every denomination. Almost every Irish Catholic has signed the pledge of total abstinence. (Bloomington, April 16, 1841)

1851 George L. Dickinson kept a popular temperance hotel in 1851. A strong temperance movement swept the city early in the fifties;the Maine liquor law was advocated by many.

1855 A bill for the suppression of intemperance was opposed in the legislature by Representative Samuels on constitutional grounds; this prohibitory law was passed in February, 1855. In March, 1855, when the Bishop of Dubuque issued a communication to his clergymen favoring the passage of the Iowa Prohibition law, the Tribune, really a Knownothing sheet, commended the act in warm terms, while the Herald laughed at the incongruity ; the latter published twenty-five objections to the law. Immense temperance meetings were held here while the bill was pending. One of the big meetings of Protestants thanked Bishop Loras for his letter to the Catholics of Iowa. Rev. W. Guernsey, a fiery Congregational minister, called Ben. M. Samuels, who had opposed the prohibitory law in the legislature, the "gutter champion." The Bishop later said he favored no political party — was simply in favor of temperance and against the liquor interests. The Germans of Dubuque did all they could to defeat the prohibitory law. They held mass meetings and passed resolutions denouncing the bill. Action against liquor dealers who violated the Iowa prohibitory law was taken in July, 1855, by the seizure of liquors.

Prohibition marked the time when Dubuque developed the reputation as "the state of Dubuque." The image of Dubuque residents being less than enthusiastic about prohibition began on the first "dry" Saturday in 1916 when movement on the bridge into Illinois had to be stopped until the traffic snarls leading to "wet" Illinois were cleared.

The number of East Dubuque liquor licenses soared despite a doubling of the license fee. Little effort was made to apprehend those bringing liquor back into Iowa. Mobs of Dubuque residents were also found in East Dubuque on the evening before January 16, 1920, the day Prohibition became a national policy.

Fear of unannounced visits by state liquor agents led local bartenders and citizens to develop methods of hiding their illegal liquor. It was said that the lanterns shining from belvederes on several Dubuque homes were used to signal bootleggers. After the construction of some buildings, basements were dug to hide liquor storage.

One bartender hid his store of liquor in an unused elevator shaft. Another resorted to a hole in the floor. When a bottle was needed, it was lifted through the hole. Unannounced searches by state agents led to a brick being dropped through the hole breaking whatever evidence lay below. Boat owners often appeared to have two anchor ropes dangling in the water-one actually tied to their favorite brand of liquor.

Bootleggers were estimated to have made $100 million dollars in the first year of prohibition as beer went from a nickel to a quarter a glass. Such profits attracted mob interest. It was said that bootleggers used the old DUBUQUE BREWING AND MALTING COMPANY. Violence was directed at property and people. On April 13, 1933, Prohibition was officially repealed in Iowa.

The era was the background for a musical comedy, JOE SENT ME! written by Paul HEMMER.

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Oldt. Franklin T. History of Dubuque County. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/franklin-t-oldt/history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl/page-10-history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl.shtml

Ibid. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/franklin-t-oldt/history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl/page-12-history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl.shtml