Happy Hour in Hillsdale

Alongside the businesses that sprang up in downtown Hillsdale were bars where men could find a retreat 

from the propriety and sobriety required by some of the stodgier members in the community. The stretch along Broad Street  became known as "Whiskey Row" for the richness of choices where a man could find a drink. The masculine atmosphere of the saloons undoubtedly offered comfort to gentlemen who found that the travails of their day needed soothing away. One of the bars belonged to Art Triechman. His saloon was located in the Flatiron building, located between Howell and Broad streets. 

The drive toward prohibition was a powerful force, however, coming to Hillsdale earlier than 1919, when the 18th Amendment was passed by Congress and ratified by 36 states. A booklet enthusiastically promoting the glory of Hillsdale, written by L.P. Reynolds in 1915, reports that Hillsdale went dry in 1909. As well as bragging that the city of Hillsdale has "No Cyclones or Tornados," "Safety From Inundation" and "No Danger of Conflagration," Reynolds also assures the reader that "Nobody in Hillsdale is seen reeling and staggering under the influence of liquor." 

JoAnne P. Miller