Lawrence In Perspective

Wet or Dry: Prohibition in 19th-Century Kansas

| 2016 Q4 | by Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D. | photos from the Kansas State Historical Society, kansasmemory.org
 LMH

John Walruff Brewery Lawrence

From the opening of Kansas Territory until the mid-1980s, the availability (or lack thereof) of alcoholic beverages was a recurring political topic, with endless nuances and little enforcement. A few of the prohibition efforts with attention to Kansas territorial legislatures enacting several laws, include: “An act to restrain dramshops and taverns and to regulate the sale of intoxicating beverages passed in 1859.” Section 6 of this law stated it was unlawful to “sell intoxicating liquors to any persons intoxicated or who are in the habit of getting intoxicated, or any married man, against the known wishes of his wife.”


Other provisions of these early laws prevented to sale of alcohol to Native Americans and slaves. In some instances, the laws aimed at Native Americans were supported by tribal leaders. Prohibition discussions occurred during the various constitutional conventions, with Lawrence women presenting to the members of the Topeka Constitutional Convention a “memorial” with 90 signatures. However, despite many efforts to control the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, such provisions were not included in the Wyandotte Constitution because the founders of Kansas did not want adoption of the constitution making Kansas a “free state” (banning slavery) to be sidetracked because of a controversy over provisions for sale of alcoholic beverages.

In spite of prohibition sentiment, Kansas was not “dry” in the early years of statehood. Lawrence was home to the Walruff Brewery, established in 1867 by Christian Joseph Walruff. Located on northern end of Maine Street, the Walruff Brewery was the only one in Lawrence at the time. In 1870, Christian’s brother John became a silent partner in the business by providing the capital for the operation under his wife, Elizabeth’s, name. “Kansas Breweries and Beer,” by Cindy Higgins and published with support from the Free State Brewery, describes the three-story Walruff Brewery, officially the Lawrence Brewery and Beer Gardens.

    Resting on a heavy walnut foundation, the mail brewery’s upper section housed a drinking parlor on two floors where tap beer sold for five cents a glass. … The brewery gardens stretched across five wooded acres complete with lawn bowling, swings croquet wickets, strolling peacocks, and a shooting gallery. Further treats were available, too, at long rows of canopied tables with bountiful servings of pickled herring, boiled ham rye bread, pretzels, and Swiss and Limburger cheeses, according to a member of Buch’s Brass Band, a popular music group that played at Walruff’s brewery.

By 1872, John was the sole owner of the brewery, which produced more than 2,000 barrels of beer a year. He had a monopoly in the Lawrence with 23 saloons and five wholesale liquor dealerships. Given this success, John was one of the leading antiprohibition supporters, fighting the emerging efforts for a state constitutional amendment banning the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages.

In 1880, Kansas voters (males of course) adopted a constitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. They also elected John P. St. John, a strong prohibition advocate, as governor of Kansas.

 LMH

John Walruff Brewery Lawrence


In the late 1870s, prohibition supporters had been active, and several national temperance meetings were held at Lawrence’s Bismarck Grove. The first national meeting occurred in September 1878 and lasted for 10 days. Attendees listened to numerous speeches, musical performances and “praise meetings,” where individuals professed their gratefulness for not drinking alcohol and thanked mothers who taught their daughters to be temperance supporters.

In addition to detailing the events of the meeting, the Sept. 3, 1878, issue of the Lawrence Daily Journal contained an extensive description of Bismarck Grove. The author wrote of the beauty of the grove in effusive language:

    Few Lawrence people have an adequate idea of the magnitude and beauty of Bismarck Grove. The conformation of the surface—perfectly adapted by nature for drives and walks; the picturesque little water basin; the finely formed panoptic plateau for the accommodation of audiences of any size or quality; the convenient adjacent areas of sparsely timbered prairie for the quartering of baggage wagons and camping; all this covered by grand old trees whose youth knew no civilized presence … .

Most residents of Douglas County have little idea of what Bismarck Grove was like in the late-19th century. The Sept. 3 article included an extensive description of the amenities for visitors.

    The line of the main entrance is hemmed in by the many booths and stands always necessary in such places. Following to the left the visitor soon reaches the “Grand Pacifics” of the place. The Dicker House and the Morton House stand side by side, each with table room for 300 or 400. Still further to the left is the great barrack with its double tiers of berths, sleeping car fashion, the straw in the beds being plentifully decorated with clean linen and good blankets. To the right of the barrack, upon the summit of a slight elevation, is the grand stand with its “audience room” for 4,000 people who are protected from sun and rain by generously overspread tarpaulins and pine roofing. Beyond the grand stand, to the east, is the Bardell House, with its comfortable accommodations, full tables, and courteous corps of assistants. Turning from the Bardell House to the south and following the circuitous drive towards the main entrance, one passes a second series of smaller stands, including photograph gallery, baker’s shop, candy factory, etc. In the southeast quarter of the grounds are circular swings, shooting galleries, and various other attractions of a similar nature.

The 1878 national temperance meeting was one of the first major events held at Bismarck Grove, attracting approximately 2,000 people. National temperance meetings were held at the grove in 1879 and 1880. Bismarck Grove also hosted chautauquas, church encampments, old settlers reunions and fairs. It had its own depot, and the Kansas Pacific Railroad often offered special prices for passengers coming to these events.

Enforcement of the 1880 prohibition constitutional amendment was lax. One of the major issues for women supporting suffrage was the enforcement of prohibition laws against local drinking establishments. After an unsuccessful campaign for equal rights for women and blacks in 1867, Kansas women focused on achieving the right to vote in municipal elections, which was accomplished in 1887. Frances Willard, president of the Woman’s National Christian Temperance Union, wrote Gov. John Martin in 1888 to see if the municipal voting rights for women in Kansas were having an impact on the enforcement of prohibition laws in local communities. (Martin’s response is not available.)

Thus, the 1880 constitutional amendment did not end the availability of alcoholic beverages in Kansas, and it “stayed on the books” until 1949. The 18th amendment established national prohibition in 1920 until it was repealed in 1933. Liquor laws in Kansas remained complex. For example, in 1937, the Legislature categorized beer with an alcohol content of 3.2% or less as a cereal malt beverage (not an intoxicating liquor) available to anyone 18 years of age or older. The 1949 Liquor Control Act set up a complicated system to regulate, license and tax “package liquor” by county option. “Liquor by the drink” was illegal until 1986, but alcohol had been available via various options of private clubs.

Thus, prohibition in Kansas has a long and complicated past. Many of the 19th-century efforts were tied to the hope that Kansas would be a free and progressive state, leading the country on issues that had troubled older states. Many of the early prohibition supporters were also advocates for women’s rights because it was believed intoxication damaged homes where women had little recourse against their husbands or fathers. Treatment of alcoholism remains a concern, but these days, many Kansans enjoy their beer, craft beer, wine and mixed drinks at a variety of business establishments and at home as part of their daily life.



Share.

196 Comments

  1. My coder is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on several websites for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform. I have heard very good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!|

  2. Great ? I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all tabs and related info ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, web site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Excellent task..

  3. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog!|

  4. Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive learn something like this before. So nice to find anyone with some original thoughts on this subject. realy thanks for beginning this up. this web site is one thing that is wanted on the net, someone with a bit of originality. helpful job for bringing something new to the internet!

  5. I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs? I wouldn’t mind publishing a post or elaborating on most of the subjects you write related to here. Again, awesome weblog!|

  6. Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.|

  7. Terrific article! That is the type of information that are meant to be shared around the internet. Disgrace on Google for no longer positioning this post upper! Come on over and discuss with my site . Thank you =)|

  8. Can I simply just say what a comfort to uncover a person that actually knows what they are discussing on the internet. You definitely realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to read this and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular since you definitely have the gift.

  9. There are actually lots of details like that to take into consideration. That is a nice level to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as basic inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you carry up where the most important factor can be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged round things like that, but I’m certain that your job is clearly recognized as a good game. Each boys and girls really feel the affect of only a second?s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.

  10. It is indeed my belief that mesothelioma is usually the most lethal cancer. It’s got unusual properties. The more I really look at it the greater I am persuaded it does not respond like a true solid tissue cancer. If mesothelioma can be a rogue virus-like infection, then there is the potential for developing a vaccine along with offering vaccination for asbestos uncovered people who are vulnerable to high risk involving developing potential asbestos relevant malignancies. Thanks for revealing your ideas on this important health issue.

  11. Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a blog website? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept

  12. Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your web site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and just could not come across. What a great website.

  13. naturally like your website but you have to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will definitely come back again.

  14. However more necessary than any style classification, the game was conceived with the thought that we might accept players as our collaborators, that we would put energy again of their palms, ask them to make choices, and allow them to deal with the results of these choices.

  15. What i don’t understood is in reality how you are now not actually a lot more smartly-liked than you may be now. You’re very intelligent. You understand thus considerably with regards to this subject, made me individually consider it from numerous numerous angles. Its like women and men are not involved unless it’s one thing to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always take care of it up!|

  16. First off I want to say great blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing. I have had trouble clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas out. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or tips? Thanks!|

  17. Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Many thanks

  18. Today, with the fast way of life that everyone is having, credit cards get this amazing demand throughout the economy. Persons throughout every discipline are using credit card and people who are not using the card have made up their minds to apply for even one. Thanks for expressing your ideas in credit cards.

  19. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this blog. I really hope to view the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own website now 😉

  20. I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Superb work!

  21. Spot on with this write-up, I seriously feel this amazing site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the information.

  22. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after going through some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I came across it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!

  23. You should take part in a contest for one of the highest quality websites on the net. I’m going to highly recommend this web site!

  24. I seriously love your blog.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own personal blog and would love to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Cheers!

  25. Thanks for your advice on this blog. A single thing I would wish to say is the fact that purchasing electronic devices items from the Internet is not something new. In reality, in the past 10 years alone, the market for online gadgets has grown significantly. Today, you could find practically just about any electronic gadget and devices on the Internet, including cameras and also camcorders to computer elements and games consoles.

  26. The very next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t fail me just as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, but I really thought you would have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something you can fix if you weren’t too busy seeking attention.

  27. I was recommended this web site via my cousin. I’m not sure whether this publish is written via him as no one else recognize such exact about my trouble. You are incredible! Thanks!

  28. The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not disappoint me just as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely thought you would probably have something helpful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something that you could possibly fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.

  29. I blog often and I truly appreciate your information. This article has really peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new information about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed too.

  30. You’ve made some good points there. I looked on the internet for more information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.

  31. The things i have seen in terms of laptop or computer memory is there are specs such as SDRAM, DDR and so forth, that must match the technical specs of the motherboard. If the personal computer’s motherboard is very current while there are no computer OS issues, changing the storage space literally takes under one hour. It’s among the list of easiest pc upgrade methods one can visualize. Thanks for discussing your ideas.

  32. You’re so cool! I do not suppose I have read a single thing like that before. So great to discover someone with original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is required on the web, someone with some originality.

  33. It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this outstanding blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this blog with my Facebook group. Talk soon!

  34. Situs Judi: Platform Togel Daring Terluas dan Terjamin Situs Judi telah menjadi salah satu situs judi daring terbesar dan terpercaya di Indonesia. Dengan beragam pasaran yang disediakan dari Grup Semar, Situs Judi menawarkan pengalaman main togel yang tak tertandingi kepada para penggemar judi daring. Pasaran Terbaik dan TerlengkapDengan total 56 market, Ngamenjitu memperlihatkan beberapa opsi terbaik dari market togel di seluruh dunia. Mulai dari pasaran klasik seperti Sydney, Singapore, dan Hongkong hingga pasaran eksotis seperti Thailand, Germany, dan Texas Day, setiap pemain dapat menemukan pasaran favorit mereka dengan mudah. Langkah Main yang SederhanaSitus Judi menyediakan petunjuk cara main yang sederhana dipahami bagi para pemula maupun penggemar togel berpengalaman. Dari langkah-langkah pendaftaran hingga penarikan kemenangan, semua informasi tersedia dengan jelas di situs Portal Judi. Hasil Terkini dan Info Paling BaruPemain dapat mengakses hasil terakhir dari setiap pasaran secara real-time di Ngamenjitu. Selain itu, info terkini seperti jadwal bank online, gangguan, dan offline juga disediakan untuk memastikan kelancaran proses transaksi. Bermacam-macam Macam GameSelain togel, Situs Judi juga menawarkan berbagai jenis permainan kasino dan judi lainnya. Dari bingo hingga roulette, dari dragon tiger hingga baccarat, setiap pemain dapat menikmati berbagai pilihan permainan yang menarik dan menghibur. Keamanan dan Kenyamanan Klien TerjaminPortal Judi mengutamakan keamanan dan kenyamanan pelanggan. Dengan sistem security terbaru dan layanan pelanggan yang responsif, setiap pemain dapat bermain dengan nyaman dan tenang di platform ini. Promosi dan Bonus MenarikSitus Judi juga menawarkan bervariasi promosi dan bonus istimewa bagi para pemain setia maupun yang baru bergabung. Dari bonus deposit hingga hadiah referral, setiap pemain memiliki kesempatan untuk meningkatkan kemenangan mereka dengan bonus yang ditawarkan. Dengan semua fasilitas dan layanan yang ditawarkan, Portal Judi tetap menjadi pilihan utama bagi para penggemar judi online di Indonesia. Bergabunglah sekarang dan nikmati pengalaman bermain yang seru dan menguntungkan di Portal Judi!

  35. This is the perfect webpage for anyone who wishes to understand this topic. You know so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a subject that’s been written about for many years. Excellent stuff, just great.

  36. Hi, I do think this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may revisit once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

  37. Howdy, There’s no doubt that your site could possibly be having web browser compatibility issues. When I take a look at your site in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent blog.

  38. My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!

  39. Thank you, I’ve recently been looking for information approximately this topic for a long time and yours is the greatest I have found out so far. However, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you positive about the source?

  40. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to your blog before but after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly pleased I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!

Leave A Reply

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code