When prohibition came to Indiana, Evansville’s 1,200 local brewery workers faced the prospect of having to move away to find employment. There were 210 local union bartenders and 287 saloon owners and liquor dealers, many of whom turned to dispensing soft drinks. Evansville was hit harder than other Indiana cities since it had some of the largest breweries in the Midwest.
My Great Grandfather Peter Hammerstein was a saloon owner before prohibition. As I understand it, he went to work in security for Cook’s when liquor became illegal. If anyone knows anything at all about Peter Hammerstein or Hammerstein’s Saloon, please, please let me know.
Jeff
Jeff, The Evansville directory shows a saloon operated by P. H. Hammerstein at 1 S. Fourth Street. His name didn’t come up as being related to the 1920 whiskey ring conspiracy. He was probably an upstanding citizen because he was appointed Sheriff Habbe’s bailiff in 1918 and was involved in elections in 1921 (as a Fourth Precinct Election Clerk).
Peter Hammerstein was also mentioned in this newspaper article: http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=663891
…and here! http://browning.evpl.org/newsearch/carddetail.asp?id=108651