Did you know?
While Prohibition ended in the United States in December of 1933, the final remnant of the ban on alcoholic beverages wasn’t fully realized in Fayette County for 24 years — in January of 1957.
“Last booze taken from dungeon of jail,” said a headline on the front page of the Uniontown Morning Herald on Jan. 9, 1957.
The cache of whiskey that was confiscated during the height of Prohibition was stored in the “dungeon” of the Fayette County Jail.
By court order, the once illegal booty was earmarked for “institutional use.”
“President Judge W. Russell Carr yesterday directed Dist. Atty. Joseph E. Kovach to deliver the remaining 15 pint bottles to Brownsville General Hospital,” it was reported.
Those 15 pints would be used for “medicinal purposes.” Another 17 bottles of liquor were deemed unfit for human consumption, so they were destroyed.
That left eight pints that were turned over to the warden of the county jail so he could distribute them to the inmates whenever a physician prescribed them.
The room where the liquor had been stored was to be used by the warden for “proper use.”
Back in January of 1910, a Morning Herald carried the front-page story about a will it called the “Shortest Will Made by an Inmate of County Home.”
The Jan. 31, 1910, edition of the Morning Herald published the will in its entirety.
“Uniontown, Pa. 10-10. I hereby bequeath all of my personal property to Mr. Blair. Signed: Jas. Barthgate.”
James Barthgate had been considered one of the more prominent residents of Fayette City. In fact, at one time he’d been the town’s burgess.
But Barthgate had fallen on hard times, and he became a resident of the “poor house” shortly before his death.
Erastus O. Blair was the assistant steward of the county home, and Barthgate bestowed his property (which consisted of a few personal belongings) upon Blair because of Blair’s kindness to him.
It’s been nearly a year since the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began handing out fines for people caught texting while driving.
But back in January of 1924, there was another kind of front-seat automotive activity that created a bit of controversy.
“Not violation of law for three to ride in front seat of autos,” was the headline on the front page of the Jan. 14, 1924, edition of the Morning Herald.
A bulletin issued by the state’s registrar of motor vehicles cautioned members of the “highway motor patrol” that there were no laws governing the number of people who could ride in the front seats of automobiles.
Apparently some officers had been stopping motorists having three people in their front seats, and they made the third person get out of the cars and start walking.
“Patrolmen also were directed to cease demanding certificates of title from drivers unless under suspicion of not being properly possessed and were told there was no necessity for their operating cars in brake tests (check to see if their brakes were working properly) except in extreme cases,” the report said.
Of course, during a time of war, there were some rules that were added regarding the operation of motor vehicles.
In January of 1943, during the height of WWII, some drivers risked suspension of the licenses if they were caught joyriding.
“Police Checking Streets, Roads On Driving Ban,” said the front page of the Uniontown Evening Standard on Jan. 9.
The reason for the crackdown? Gas rationing.
“Direct checking on the new banned use of automobiles for pleasure and unnecessary purposes has begun in Fayette County, with the police on the lookout for instances of the practice and reporting them,” said the lead paragraph.
People were issued “rationing books,” and if they were stopped in the “gasoline shortage area,” they would have to prove: They were out shopping; attending religious services; procuring medical services; visiting the sick; attending a funeral; attending meetings directly related to their occupation or profession, necessary to the public welfare or the war effort or driving to meet an emergency involving a threat to life and health or property.
That meant, you couldn’t drive to “places of amusement, recreation or entertainment, such as theaters, parks, concerts, dances, golf courses, skating rinks, bowling alleys or athletic events such as races or games, or for sightseeing, touring or vacation travel, or for making social calls, except military personnel on furlough may use a ration for the purpose of visiting relatives or making social calls.”
I guess a quick run to the Dairy Queen was out.
Later, the U.S. government passed a wartime speed limit of 35 miles per hour, known as the “Victory Speed.”
Al Owens is a Uniontown native.