Monday, September 17, 2012

The Volstead Act, and Bovine Genealogy

The big news was Hobart's upcoming election, but a small front-page item noted the passage, over a presidential veto, of the National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act.

Volstead Act
(Click on images to enlarge)
From the Hobart News of Oct. 30, 1919.


The 18th Amendment to the Constitution had been ratified back in January 1919; the Volstead Act provided its definitions and rules for enforcement. The State of Indiana, as we know, had been officially dry since April 1918 — and had been developing its bootlegging skills ever since. Prohibition-with-a-capital-P, when it took effect in January 1920, would simply mean that thirsty people around Ainsworth and Hobart could no longer make a short drive westward to the open conviviality of legal saloons in Illinois.

(Note the obituary of Anna Anderson — I'm wondering if the daughter it mentions was the same Tekla Anderson who was all over the glass-plate negatives, e.g., here, and here.)

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The previous week, at his Ross Township farm, William Lennertz was selling some distinguished cattle.

Lennertz public sale
From the Hobart News of Oct. 23, 1919.

How do they come up with these names?? "Bossy" and "Elsie" not good enough?

I've largely ignored the Lennertz family of Ross Township, and I don't know why, except that I have to largely ignore some people, or this project would become unmanageable.

I believe this William was the son of Mat and Barbara Lennertz, born circa 1893, but I don't know for certain.

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