Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—On Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host Adam Krakowski for a talk on his new book, “Vermont Prohibition: Teetotalers, Bootleggers & Corruption.”
Vermont became the nation’s second dry state in 1853. But some locals refused to comply, and inept law enforcement led to ineffective consequences. What was intended to increase wholesomeness forced a newly carved detour toward crime and corruption. Early laws, such as the Liquor Law of 1853, targeted distilled spirits while conveniently protecting cider. As regulations tightened, morals loosened. Without legalized booze, smugglers imported liquor from Canada, and bootleggers ensured that domestic speakeasies kept the liquor flowing. Crime ran so rampant that Newport, Richford and Lyndonville residents relocated to escape rum-running gangs. In Vermont Prohibition, author Adam Krakowski discloses the tumultuous side of Vermont’s temperance movement.
Adam Krakowski is a decorative and fine arts conservator in Quechee. He holds a BA in art history, a minor in museum studies and an MS in historic preservation from the University of Vermont. He has worked at museums, historical societies, art galleries and restoration firms all over New York and New England, and was the recipient of the 2010 Weston Cate Jr. Research Fellowship from the Vermont Historical Society on the project “A Bitter Past: Hop Farming in Nineteenth-Century Vermont.” He is also the author of “Vermont Beer: History of a Brewing Revolution.”
This event is free and open to all. Phoenix Books Rutland is located at 2 Center Street in Rutland, Vermont. Copies of “Vermont Prohibition” will be available for attendees to purchase and have signed. For more information, please call 802-855-8078 or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.
