Kennewick’s Saloon Keepers Pivot to Soft Drinks
As Washington State approaches prohibition in 1916, local bar owners prepare to trade spirits for sodas, card tables, and light lunches.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The state-wide prohibition law’s going into effect at midnight December 31 will mean the final turning of the key in only one lock in the city. The doors of the Rainier Bar will close forever. Bert Loyd, the proprietor, who several months ago purchased a half interest in the Kennewick Club, will move across the street and assume an active part in the management of the business with Guy Haydon. Neither J. M. Hawkins, of the Merchant’s Bar, nor H. J. Claussen, of the Hotel Kennewick Bar, expect to lock their doors for longer than a day or two. They will continue to dispense drinks with foam on the top and fizz on the bottom but without the old-time 'kick.' Mr. Hawkins does not intend to change the name of his place of business other than to drop the word 'Bar,' which may be succeeded by the word 'Club.' He intends to install card, pool and billiard tables and to operate a soft drink bar. Mr. Claussen expects to do much the same, making a specialty of light lunches. Mr. Hawkins, who arrived in 1902 when Second Street was deep sand and sagebrush, noted: 'It is going to seem a little funny to be handing out soda pop... I am just making a guess that it is not going to be any harder for me to get used to handing it out than it is for the other fellow to get used to drinking it.'
“I have lived in Kennewick a good many years... I have received some very attractive offers from liquor houses who want me to start in business in some of the wet states, but Kennewick is my home.”
This transitional moment captures the resilience of small-town entrepreneurs facing sudden regulatory upheaval. Much like modern businesses pivoting in the wake of shifting economic landscapes, these tavern owners prioritized community continuity and adaptation over closure.
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