On Monday, November 24th, the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society will present Beer, Bootleggers and Backrooms: When Whiting Went Dry, at the Standard Taproom, 1346 119th Street in Whiting. The program will be presented by Ron Tabaczynski of the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society and Jason Miller, proprietor of Standard Taproom.
Tabaczynski, Executive Director of the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society, says that when most people think of Prohibition, they picture Chicago gangsters like Al Capone—but the real story hits much closer to home. “Prohibition touched every corner of America, and every community has its own stories,” Tabaczynski explains. “Whiting had its share of secret stills, speakeasies, and clever ways to keep the good times flowing. In fact, there’s a good chance someone’s grandmother was a local bootlegger.”
The program will feature local tales of bootlegging and law enforcement and will explore how Whiting residents kept illegal drinking alive during statewide and national prohibition. It will also explore how post-Prohibition bars differed from their pre-Prohibition counterparts—and how today’s liquor laws still reflect that legacy.
The presentation begins at 6pm with doors opening at 5pm. Tickets are $15.00 per person and can be purchased online or at the History Center of Whiting-Robertsdale (Wednesdays, 4-7pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm). A limited cash bar will be available. All ages are welcome, but you must be 21 to purchase alcohol. Seating is limited.
The presentation is part of the Historical Society’s broader exploration of Prohibition history tied to the statewide traveling exhibit, “Hoosiers & Their Hooch: Perspectives on Prohibition,” which will be on display from November 17 thru December 17 at the History Center of Whiting-Robertsdale, 1606 119th Street, Whiting. The History Center is open from 4 pm to 7 pm on Wednesdays, and from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. The exhibit spans the dawn of the temperance movement in the early 1900s, the roaring 1920s, and the unprecedented repeal of a constitutional amendment during the Great Depression. The sights, sounds and experiences of the time period are brought to life by images and graphics from IHS's collections.
In addition, the era's conflicting cultures are demonstrated through colorful historic figures such as Edward S. Shumaker of the Indiana Anti-Saloon League, as well as the bootleggers, moonshiners and bathtub gin distillers who found their way around the law in Indiana. The Historical Society will also include material and exhibits from Whiting.
The exhibit gives visitors an update on what has happened between 1933 and the present day, demonstrating the effects prohibition has had on Indiana's regulatory landscape and how it is represented in modern culture. Hoosiers & Their Hooch: Perspectives on Prohibition is made possible by Kroger.
For tickets, click here.
