Monday, February 18, 2019

Early 2oth Century Marketing Strategy

In 1937, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners, in response to a petition signed by 132 “citizens, taxpayers, and voters,” passed a resolution to ban the sale of beer on Ocracoke Island. It was not until 1978, when Howard's Pub opened, that beer was again legally for sale on Ocracoke. In the late 1970s an ABC store was established. And only in 2006 was the sale of liquor by the drink approved. Nevertheless, various alcoholic beverages were usually available from local bootleggers. I recently heard the following anecdote from about 1940:

An islander approached J......... B........., one of the local bootleggers, inquiring about purchasing a bottle of liquor.

"You're lucky," J......... replied. "There's been a run on liquor lately, and I only have one bottle left."

After a brief pause, J........... added, "What would you like, rum or vodka?"

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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous2:52 PM

    I have been reading a few back postings everyday. I just read the 2010 nation Lighthouse Day post. There is a goldmine in these old posts. It would make a heck of a book. A lot of the comments are also worth their weight in gold. Since today is a rainy day across the state I have decided to continue to reading more of your posts. A Daily Reader. (thanks Philip for making al the back posts available)

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