3,520 Bars Quit in Indiana; 547 in Indianapolis

From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, April 3: Indiana is Dry! At the stroke of midnight last night 3,520 bars in Indiana, including 547 bars in Indianapolis, closed in accordance with the law enacted by the 1917 state legislature prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicants. There was little hilarity in celebrating the passing of John Barleycorn. Downtown bars did not seem to do any more business than usual; many of the saloons had sold much of their stock before the closing day. Some of the 15 distilleries in the state will continue to make alcohol for the government and a few of the state’s 35 breweries will manufacture soft drinks. Haag drug stores were the first druggists to take out permits to receive shipments of grain alcohol and to sell intoxicating liquor for medicinal, mechanical and sacramental purposes.

“3,520 Bars Quit in Indiana; 547 in Indianapolis,” The Indianapolis Star, 3 April 1918, p. 1:1

Advertisement:

#onehundredyearsago #prohibition #saloons #bars #intoxicants #JohnBarleycorn

Trench System Being Dug to Aid Loan Drive

From The Indianapolis News, Tuesday, April 2: Soldiers stationed at the Speedway aviation depot wielded picks and shovels today in the warm spring sun constructing a network of trenches on vacant ground at Ohio and Alabama Streets, opposite City Hall. Indianapolis is not expecting an attack from German troops; the trenches are not to be defensive but are a novel offensive weapon in the third Liberty Loan publicity campaign. The system of zig-zag front line trenches of the latest design, compete with barbed wire entanglements, will provide the city’s citizens with the actual conditions under which our soldiers in France are fighting the Germans. The completed trenches will be manned by troops from Ft. Harrison and visitors will be able to look through periscopes across “no man’s land” just as the soldiers “over there” watch the German foe.

“Trench System Being Dug to Aid Loan Drive,” The Indianapolis News, 2 March 1918, p. 1:5

#worldwarone #LibertyLoan #propaganda #CityHall #FortHarrison

Various Homes Give Up Hoarded Flour Stores

From The Indianapolis News, Friday, March 29: Following the confiscation of eighteen sacks of flour at an Indianapolis home earlier in the week and the seizure of nine sacks of flour yesterday, Stanley Wyckoff, Marion County food administrator, made it clear that he proposed to uncover all flour supplies that he could find that exceeded the food regulation limit that a city family may have of at any one time of 24½ pounds, and a farm family of 49 pounds. Several persons brought hoarded flour to Wyckoff’s office or telephoned the office to report excess amounts that they had in their homes. Flour turned in by these hoarders varied from 50 to 200 pounds. Wyckoff took the flour off their hands and paid them cash for it at the market price. He will turn over the flour to local bakers.

“Various Homes Give Up Hoarded Flour Stores,” The Indianapolis News, 29 March 1918, p. 1:5

Advertisement:

#worldwarone #foodrationing