Back to the Roaring ’20s with the Historical Society of Forest Park

It’s January 16, 1920, and Forest Park is preparing for one last night of legal drinking! At midnight, Prohibition takes effect, banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquor. For a village known as the “Watering Hole of the Western Suburbs,” things are about to get interesting. Before the ban, Forest Park’s tavern culture was thriving. While neighboring Oak Park and River Forest embraced temperance, Forest Park attracted anyone looking for a drink. Oak Park’s temperance advocates enlisted Henry Austin to buy out remaining taverns and reportedly dump their liquor down the sewer. Oak Park stayed dry until 1973! Forest Park had 42 saloons when the 18th Amendment was passed. Each paid $500 for a liquor license, making Prohibition a serious financial blow to the village. When Prohibition took effect, Forest Park went dry, too. Many saloons closed or changed businesses, and the village raised water rates and other taxes to offset lost revenue. But the part