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806. Milton, Pensacola, and Prohibition 1915

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Prohibition was thrust on America by the passing of the 18th Amendment in 1919 with 68% approval from the House and 76% of the Senate. In spite of President Woodrow Wilson's veto the act became law after Congress overrode him. Known as the Volstead Act, the act of possessing, manufacturing, or sale of certain alcoholic beverages was made illegal across the United States. However, what began with good intentions would end disastrously as illegal booze gave rise to the power of organized crime that is still with us today. Prohibition was finally repealed with the passing of the 21st Amendment but the damage was already done. But the roots of prohibition began long before 1919 and there was great discord even on a local level in Northwest Florida.


In the articles from 1913 below, you can see the issues of the coming fight between the prohibitionist and the anti-prohibitionists. By 1915, the issues were still not resolved as both sides took to the editorials in the following newspaper articles. Each side lined up across from one another depending on their philosophy on the issue. In Milton, some of the most notable citizens strongly voiced their opinion in a News Journal article on the matter. The great debate in 1915 would become a "wet" or "dry" debate that certainly had its roots firmly entrenched in the growing temperance movement of the day!


One of those citizens of Milton was Wiley Joel Williams Jr. who was born on June 15, 1876, the son of Wiley J. Williams Sr. (1829-1920), a former tax collector, and Margaret L. McDavid (1833-1924). Wiley Jr. was a dry goods merchant as well as a bank teller for the First National Bank in Milton. In 1915, he was the city clerk of Milton prior to passing away at the age of 96 and subsequent burial in Milton Cemetery.


Another was John Taylor Stewart (1867-1938) who was born in 1867 in Milton, Florida, the son of Samuel T. Stewart (1839-1900) and Sarah Allen (1839-1919). He was a well-known grocer in Milton for almost fifty years and was also a large landowner in the area. He was married to Miss Clara Allen (1868-1943), the daughter of David Allen of Bagdad, Florida. It is said that John could trace his ancestry back to the "royal house of Stewart of Auld Scotia."


A third definitely in favor of a "dry county" was David Terrell Williams (1865-1937) born on March 19, 1865 in Santa Rosa County, Florida. He was the son of Wiley Joel Williams Sr. (1829-1920), a former tax collector, and Margaret L. McDavid (1833-1924). David would marry Willie Mae Pou (1870-1956) and would become widely known as a merchant of groceries for forty years. He would pass away from a lingering illness on March 7, 1937 and was buried in St. John's Cemetery.


And last but not least was the notable John Thomas Diamond who laid out his argument in two columns of "pros" and "cons"! John was born in Jay, Santa Rosa County, Florida on September 26, 1879, the son of Peter Lazarus Diamond (1849-1929) and Mary E. Ezelle (1863-1934). His father was a member of the Confederate home guard during the Civil War and would marry his wife on December 23, 1877 at the hand of Justice of the Peace D. C. Byrne. Peter and Mary would spend their life farming the lands of Santa Rosa County. Their son John dedicated his life to public service especially in the field of education. In 1918, he was a agriculture teacher in Escambia County, Florida and would later become the superintendent of public instruction in Santa Rosa County in the early 1900's. He would also spend 27-years on the State Board of Control. He would marry Essie Godfrey (1880-1933) in 1909 and after her death he married Mae Moreno (1893-1968) in 1935. John would pass away on December 23, 1963 and was buried in the Cora Baptist Church Cemetery in Jay, Florida.


Even those in Escambia would join the debate as Walter Sumner Garfield (1868-1939) openly challenged those who voiced their opinions anonymously thus hiding behind the "pen!" Walter was the son of Albert George Garfield (1831-1898) and had moved to Pensacola where in 1898 where he was working for the Pensacola Electric Light & Power Company. He had married Cynthia Adelaide Turner (1872-1946) in November 1896 in Pensacola and one son was born to this union, W. S. Garfield Jr. Addie happened to be related to many of the city's kings of commerce through her sisters Mrs. John A. Merritt, Mrs. J. Whiting Hyer, Mrs. J. S. Leonard thus binding their families with her own influential Turner family. From 1903-191916 Walter was the president of W. S. Garfield & Company, which was a local ice & coal company. In 1916, he and a partner opened the Gulf Cup & Still Company that manufactured turpentine stills, sap cups & gutters, and turpentine aprons. Three years later he was the secretary and treasurer of the W. A. Ray hardware company at 2 South Palafox Street. In 1930, he had moved on to Dothan Alabama where he was the manager of a grain elevator. He would marry Cynthia Adelaide Turner (1872-1946) in November 1896 in Pensacola and had one son Walter S. Garfield Jr. Upon Walter's death in 1939, he was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.


In the end, the "wets" of 1915 won the vote, which would only delay the inevitable Prohibition Act of 1919.


Pensacola News Journal 10-2-1913


Pensacola News Journal 10-15-1913


Pensacola News Journal 10-15-1913


Pensacola News Journal 10-10-1915


Pensacola News Journal 10-10-1915


Pensacola News Journal 10-10-1915


Pensacola News Journal 10-18-1915


11-20-1915 Tampa Tribune

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