• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact
Saturday, June 10, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
San Clemente Times
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Best of San Clemente
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Graduation Special
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Money Matters
    • San Clemente Trolley Route Map
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Triton Football Preview
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Best of San Clemente
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Graduation Special
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Money Matters
    • San Clemente Trolley Route Map
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Triton Football Preview
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
San Clemente Times
No Result
View All Result

Historical Happenings: San Clemente First to End Prohibition

Staff by Staff
January 30, 2020 3:50AM
in Opinion Columns, SC LIVING, SC Living Headlines, SOAPBOX
Historical Happenings: A Call Out to the Community

Tom Marshall

0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Tom Marshall

By Tom Marshall

One hundred years ago this month, Prohibition was enacted by the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, banning the manufacture and sale of all alcoholic beverages.

The effort to outlaw booze backfired big time. People actually drank more after the ban was imposed. It also gave rise to criminal enterprises, including the Mafia.

Thirteen years later, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution ended Prohibition. To make alcohol consumption legal again required the issuance of new liquor licenses. A couple of restaurants in San Clemente received the first two liquor licenses in the entire nation. 

According to newspaper clippings at the time, immediately after the 21st Amendment became law, the San Clemente City Council voted unanimously to issue permits to sell light wines and beer to the Aquarium Café (where O.C. Fresca now sits at North Beach) and Travaglini’s Café (on El Camino Real, where South of Nick’s operates today.)

That our little Spanish Village by the Sea would be the first in the nation to legally sell alcohol should not have surprised local residents at the time. San Clemente had gained quite a reputation for bootlegging activities. 

There was a trap door at the end of the pier at the time. So-called “rum runners” would pull their boats loaded with illicit hooch under the trap door in the dead of night. 

According to the late Jack Lashbrook and other old-timers previously interviewed, if any tourist or local citizen happened to be walking on or fishing from the pier, some big guy with a crooked nose would ask, “You’re not going to be here long, are you?” The correct answer was, “I’m just leaving.” 

The cases of booze would then be hoisted up through the trap door and loaded onto a waiting truck. To ensure safe passage through town, one of the bootleggers would call the police to report a terrible crash on “Blood Alley” south of town. The two on-duty cops would rush down there. Meanwhile, the truckload of spirits would leave town in the opposite direction.

After a time, the local police became suspicious of these false alarms. The next time scofflaws tried that trick, law enforcement was waiting for them at the top of Avenida Del Mar. The bootleggers were arrested. 

This happened on a weekend, so the question became what to do with all the hooch. It was decided to store it in the judge’s chambers for safe keeping until court opened on Monday.

Again, according to Lashbrook, when court opened Monday morning, half the booze had disappeared. We are told that not a lot of time and effort were spent trying to find out what happened to it.

Longtime resident and current San Clemente Matriarch Lois Divel, among others, confirms that our fair city was known at the time for having the best stocked liquor cabinets in Southern California. 

So, on this 100th anniversary, hoist one for San Clemente’s role in ending Prohibition. You can use sparking apple juice, if you prefer.

Tom Marshall is a member of the San Clemente Historical Society and a retired journalist.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Tags: bootleggersConstitutionHistorical HappeningsNorth BeachO.C. FrescaOrange CountyPoliceProhibitionSan ClementeSouth of NicksSpanish Village by the SeaThe Aquarium Cafe
ShareTweetPin
Staff

Staff

Related Posts

Dana Wharf Whale Report: Blue Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales Make for Busy, Exciting Summer Trips

Dana Wharf Whale Report: Blue Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales Make for Busy, Exciting Summer Trips

June 9, 2023
Department of Energy Announces Grant Awardees to Facilitate Talks of Hosting Spent Nuclear Fuel

Department of Energy Announces Grant Awardees to Facilitate Talks of Hosting Spent Nuclear Fuel

June 9, 2023
InWonder Academy Looks to Provide Dream School Experience

InWonder Academy Showcases Experimental Learning After First Full Year

June 9, 2023
The Happening Club Promotes Socialization for Adults with Disabilities

The Happening Club Promotes Socialization for Adults with Disabilities

June 8, 2023
Next Post
Grom of the Week: Jacob Crouse

Grom of the Week: Jacob Crouse

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

SC Times Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get the SC Times delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Dana Point Times
  • The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Best of San Clemente
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Graduation Special
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Money Matters
    • San Clemente Trolley Route Map
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Triton Football Preview
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media