Windsor Ontario and the Prohibition

You've heard of the Prohibition in the United States but, do you know about Windsor's role in it?  It took effect in January of 1920.  This Act was to ban the sales, consumption and maufacturing of alcohol.  Federal, state and local authorities were to enforce the prohibition of alcohol.  In Michigan, churches, businesses and community leaders had been working to ban alcohol since 1852.  This ban was put in place with the hopes of reducing crime, improve family life and increase employee productivity.  With all of this, came the introduction of smuggling rings.  When the ban spread nationally across the United States, they turned to Canada.

Windsor became a major route for smuggling bootlegged alcohol. These smugglers coined the name, Rum Runners.  They would cross the Canadian Border through the waterways between Ontario and Michigan.  These waterways became known as the "Windsor-Detroit Funnel."  When the waterways were frozen, alcohol was simply driven across or, skated across with smugglers pulling sleds full of alcohol.

Gangs began to capitalize on the smuggling trade.  The Purple Gang dominated Detroit, a group of killers and thugs.  They became a major supplier to Al Capone and his Chicago Empire.  The Purple Gang fell in 1929.  This is when Al Capone came into contact with Blaise Diesbourg, also known as "King Canada."  Blaise was a major figure in the smuggling and bootlegging business around Windsor and, became very successful.  Capone arranged with Blaise to have regular shipment delivered by plane to the U.S.

Harry Low became one of Windsor's very prominent rum runner.  He opened his own pool hall on Sandwich Street, now known as Riverside Drive in Windsor.  As prohibition came to a peak in the 20's, Low set up a bootlegging business for his pool hall customers.  Profits from this operation allowed him to move on to a bigger business.  He started running liquor from Windsor, across the river, to Detroit.  His success lead to him building one of Windsor's most treasured Historic sites, the Harry Low mansion, formally known as Devonshire Lodge, located in Walkerville.  The house is famous for housing Prime Minister Paul Martin.

The Devonshire Lodge has been recently restored and can be found at
2021 Ontario St in Windsor, ON

Hiram Walker played a big role in the prohibition.  Being born in the United States and, being an entrepreneur, he was looking to expand business into Canada.  He established a distillery in what was to become Walkerville and branded the name, Hiram Walker's Club Whiskey.  Walker had started out working as a clerk in a dry good store.  Eventually, he started his own grocery store and a vinegar distillery.  He was also involed in the grain business and had his hand in real estate.  He had an interest in distilling his own liquor but, with the prohibition laws, he was unable to do so. He did distill his first barrel of whiskey in 1854.  Hiram Walker was a major supplier of alcohol to the U.S. during the prohibition after the distillery was constructed in 1857.

Hiram Walker main office building, built in 1894

View of the Hiram Walker Distillery

Main office building after being restored in 1990.
2072 Riverside Drive East,  Windsor, ON

Speakeasies, blind pigs and saloons could be found underground or, hidden within store fronts and businesses across Canada and the U.S. Cocktail parties and elegant private clubs were very popular in the 1920's and, supplied with barrels of alcohol that came right from Windsor, ON.  The prohibition ended in December of 1933.

There are many more historical sites throughout the city that were involved in the prohibition.  You can learn nuch more online or, take the Rum Runners Tour along the river and learn the secrets of Windsor from the Roaring 20's.  www.rumrunnerstour.com

Written By:  Mike Crawford