Windsor, the city known for roses and the auto industry… Except during the Roaring Twenties, when Windsor was home to Rum Runners, Bootleggers, Speakeasies, gangsters and outlaws – then it was known for a good time.
In 1927, the strict laws barring the manufacturing and sale of alcohol in Ontario since 1920 were changed. According to the Liquor Control Act, public drinking was prohibited (cue George Thorogood’s I Drink Alone), but not the manufacturing. And with the manufacturing of alcohol just a little ol’ stroll away in Walkerville, Windsor had much to celebrate. And how were these good Canadians expected to celebrate all by themselves? It was the rain after drought and the majority wanted their fair share and a good party; the Speakeasies and Blind Pigs were booming.
Across the river, Detroit and the entirety of Michigan was still under firm prohibition and boy were they thirsty. Canadians, being the polite compatriots we are, couldn’t keep all the good fortune for ourselves, so the Windsorites shared. Smuggling liquor across the Windsor-Detroit border was present during the entirety of the American Prohibition, but it reached a new height in the late twenties. The smugglers were so good at hiding liquor on their boats and in their garments that 75% of all liquor consumed in the U.S. during the prohibition crossed the Windsor-Detroit border. There was a demand and Windsor supplied – now that’s just smart business.
Successful Bootleggers became rich overnight and Windsor enjoyed glamorous fame it had never before experienced. Swanky mansions and large boats could be seen all along the riverfront and it was all done under the protection of the Canadian law. Exporting the alcohol from Canada was legal, even if selling it on the Detroit side of the river was not. Anything for a bit of coin, eh?
Like all good businessmen, the Rum Runners were aware that image sells. And so the area of Petite Côte along the Detroit River, in order to draw more customers, adopted the name LaSalle. That’s right, the town of LaSalle earned it’s name for the sake of fashionable parties, illegal trade, and alcohol. And with just three words, anyone could be in on the fun. Those looking for a break from dry Michigan could skip across the border, say the magic words, “Joe sent me,” and have a grand old time. Not sure who Joe was, but apparently he had a lot of friends.
The prohibition saw a rise in border traffic, Windsor’s fame and for a brief period, the economy. Windsor and the Detroit river became so prominent a place for cross border smuggling that Al Capone himself paid a visit for a business transaction. The era may not have always pretty, but Windsor sure made a pretty penny off of it.
Hallowell, Gerald. “Prohibition in Canada.” Historica Canada, 8 Dec. 2013. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prohibition/
Pearson, Craig. “From the Vault: Prohibition.” The Windsor Star, 22 Nov. 2014. http://windsorstar.com/life/from-the-vault-prohibition
Weeks, Elaine. “Windsor Went Wild in the Roaring Twenties.” Walkerville Times.
http://www.walkervilletimes.com/33/windsor-wild-20s.html