Davenport, IA...short whiskey history

[Jono]

http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/historyofdavpart3.htm

"In 1842 Thomas Wood built a grist-mill and distillery on the river bank in Davenport, near the lower saw-mill. He ground corn for the farmers and distilled corn into whisky. The investment was not sufficiently profitable to encourage the enterprise, so it ended in a few years. This was the first and, so far as is known, the last whisky distillery in Davenport."

I guess his hooch was not too profitable..or good...hard to imagine..in those days..lots of trappers, Indian trade...illicit, pioneers, local military forts..probably discouraged though...etc.

http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/bootleggers.htm

Davenport Democrat & Leader

Davenport, Scott, Iowa

Jan. 1, 1922

THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN DAVENPORT WAS ONE OF THE WETTEST SPOTS ON THE MAP

[Jono]

Now beer was another story....good site:

http://www.go-for-it.co.uk/Davenports/Tour/index.htm

http://www.go-for-it.co.uk/Davenports/Tour/index.htm

[Jono]

Re beer..... http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/07/28/news/local/doc488e3a7d86a47587876783.txt

"Pre-Prohibition, Rock Island was home to most of the industry with Rock Island Brewing Co., which was created after a merger of three smaller breweries. Iowa experienced slightly earlier prohibition regulations than Illinois, although both eventually ruled to ban alcohol before the national amendment prohibited it.

“Iowa had always been a hotbed of Prohibition activity, especially around Des Moines,” authors Kious and Donald Roussin wrote.

After Prohibition ended, Davenport came on strong with beer brands such as Zoller’s and Uchtorff.

After the 1930s and ’40s, most of the breweries closed, and the Quad-City brewing industry went on hiatus for about 50 years until some microbrewers entered the field."

http://www.ebeercans.com/Uchtorff-Beer/1000/

http://www.taverntrove.com/items/33729.asp

http://www.pubcrawler.com/Template/dsp_historic_points_zoom.cfm/flat/ID=12874