The Seattle PI Reports on the History of Seattle's Speakeasies

Prohibition emptied the front rooms of bars like Seattle's own New Pal Bar shown here. The PI reports, "On January 1, 1916, Prohibition began in Washington State, making the production, distribution and possession liquor illegal. The law passed three years before the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited liquor in the rest of the nation, and it lasted seventeen long, dry years, until December of 1933. But Prohibition didn't mean the end of party - it just meant the party went underground. Washington State, in particular, became a hot bed for thinly-veiled speakeasies due to corruption within law enforcement and proximity to Canada (where liquor remained legal). By 1931 a survey reported that Washington State, alone, was home to approximately 4,000 speakeasies."

To read the entire article with a historical look from the Museum of History and Industry, click blog title above.