Banquet Bridges the Prohibition Divide
In a display of small-town unity, the citizens of Palouse hosted a 'Wet' and 'Dry' banquet to focus on common infrastructure goals.
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.
A splendid example of the spirit that counts in community building was furnished in the town of Palouse last week when the “Wets” banqueted the “Drys.” In reporting the event the Palouse Republic says: 'You are cordially invited to attend a banquet given by the citizens of Palouse who have been known as favoring the wet policy, at the Gale Hotel, Monday evening, November 9, 1914, at 8 o’clock. We want to pave main street. We want a city park.' The invitation was accepted in good faith, with the result that a majority of Palouse’s leading citizens met around the banquet table Monday evening, and enjoyed one of the happiest events in the history of the community, matters of interest discussed openly and with the very best of feeling. This is the kind of spirit that makes a town worth living in whether it is wet or dry.
“This is the kind of spirit that makes a town worth living in whether it is wet or dry.”
Even in an era of intense political polarization over prohibition, the local need for paved streets and parks served as a unifying project. It serves as a reminder that local civic progress often requires setting aside ideological battles.
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