Bootlegging and Rum-Running in Jacksonville

[Metro Jacksonville]

Bootlegging and Rum-Running in Jacksonville



Advocates for prohibition thought that once liquor licenses were revoked, reform organizations and churches could persuade the American public not to drink, smugglers would not oppose the new law, and saloons would disappear.  However, the opposite effect would happen.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-oct-bootlegging-and-rum-running-in-jacksonville

[BridgeTroll]

Great article... some of our posters must have some family stories about that time...

[Dapperdan]

This goes well with the PBS Ken Burns Documentary on Prohibition. You know, another one of those "wastefull and liberal" shows that public television gives us.

[billy]

My late uncle had a story about cases being offloaded at the beach.

[billy]

I was going through old issues of Yachting at the JU library years ago, and there was an article about sailing into Jacksonville from the Bahamas with bottles stowed in the bilge.

[hillary supporter]

Great story Ennis. You are a treasure for introducing us to the priceless history of our beautiful city.

[Overstreet]

The Ashley Gang (Florida Folk group) has a song about the Ashley Gang(outlaws).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQtOqVH3Pm8

[KenFSU]

Holy crap.

Possibly my favorite MJ article yet, and I've been reading daily for a long, long time.

Epic work, Ennis.

[thelakelander]

This goes well with the PBS Ken Burns Documentary on Prohibition. You know, another one of those "wastefull and liberal" shows that public television gives us.

The Ken Burns Documentary is what inspired me to dig a little into Jacksonville's past on this topic.  This is an era in Jacksonville that has always been of interest to me.  You never hear much about it but given Jacksonville's status in the state at that time (ex. largest city, largest railroad station in the South, major urban maritime industries in DT), you just know there had to be a lot of crazy things going on here.  Once Burns mentioned McCoy and rum row, (found out he was a Jacksonville boatyard owner from a quick google search), my digging went into overdrive.

[Tacachale]

Awesome.

[Jason]

Fantastic article!

Couple all of that with the "crazy" movie buisness antics during those times and you got yourself one HOT active city!

[Ernest Street]

Great work Ennis!   For years as we tear into these Riverside houses and scratch our heads..I've reminded folks that: "There was no A/C back then and they had some Damn Strong whiskey"

[urbanlibertarian]

For more reading on the subject look here:

http://www.jaxhistory.com/Jacksonville%20Story/Jacksonville%20from%201920%20to%201941.htm#PROHIBITION

[urbanlibertarian]

From http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4M7A_Florida_Baptist_Building_Jacksonville_FL

FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION BUILDING (Rogers Building). 218 W. Church St. 1924-1925. Commercial style. H.J. Klutho, architect. 5 stories, brick. One of the last buildings constructed during the city's renaissance, following the great fire of 1901. Housed the Prohibition Bureau and the Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Treasury during the Prohibition Era. Private. N.R. 1984.

[thelakelander]

The Florida Baptist Convention Building today: