May, 2010
Will Rogers once said that "Oklahoma would remain dry as long as its voters were sober enough to stagger to the polls."
It was a pretty accurate commentary long after Rogers' 1935 death, but it changed in 1959 when Oklahomans voted overwhelmingly to repeal prohibition. Oklahoma had been officially dry since statehood in 1907.
But that hadn't kept anyone from having a cocktail. Liquor was available by free delivery 24 hours a day from bootleggers; cocktails and wine were served at banquets and in clubs, restaurants and hotels. Bootleggers freely distributed business cards bearing their telephone numbers, and many had current price lists on their reverse sides. Private clubs that required membership cards flourished, but memberships were available free or for a minimal one-time fee of $1 dollar to anyone.
OETA's award winning documentary series Stateline takes a look back at a time when Oklahoma had Prohibition--And Liquor Too.
Related Links:
Oklahoma Historical Society
Pete's Place
Viewing archived files from 2012.
1303 - CSI-UCO
Original Broadcast Date: 1/23/2012Airing Feb 2nd @ 7pm Stateline #1303 – “UCO-CSI” Television shows like “CSI,” “Criminal Minds” and “The Profiler” have inspired a wave of high school graduates to ent...