The Temperance Experiment: A Dry Billiard Parlor in La Conner
An 1878 advertisement for a local business offers a look at the unconventional rise of 'temperance billiard halls' that combined community recreation with strict abstinence.
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.
Maryland House, La Conner, W. T. No pains will be spared in keeping up the reputation of the house, which has been appreciated in the Territory. No liquors sold. Everything neat and clean. Billiard tables kept for the convenience of patrons. Billiard games will be played with the tables furnished with new cushions and balls, and in case the players choose, tea or coffee will be served instead of intoxicating liquor. Terms moderate.
“In case the players choose, tea or coffee will be served instead of intoxicating liquor.”
While modern 'sober bars' or 'alcohol-free social spaces' are often marketed as trendy wellness innovations, this 1878 advertisement reveals that rural Washington pioneers were already experimenting with alcohol-free recreation nearly 150 years ago to provide social alternatives for the community.
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