Larry Penkava
ASHEBORO — It’s been a long time between drinks. The last legal beer sold in Asheboro was quaffed on or about May 25, 1950.
The history of alcohol sales in Asheboro runs the gamut from anything-goes to outright prohibition. There was a time when distilleries were commonplace, as was the drinking of spirits.
But a change in attitude, led by puritanical Protestants, brought about a total ban on legal booze. So strong is that movement locally that Asheboro voters have rejected alcohol sales five times in the past 58 years.
However, it took decades for the Temperance movement to hold sway in Asheboro and North Carolina. It wasn’t until 1909 that the state voted for prohibition of everything except wine.
The 1800s could be characterized as wide-open when it came to alcohol, even in Randolph County. Brantley York, who founded the school which became Trinity College and later Duke University, wrote his autobiography in 1876. He writes that in 1817 his father’s family left Bush Creek and relocated on a farm in the Trinity area.
One of the first things his father did, he says, was to “erect a distillery, which was a very common establishment in those days. ... It fell to my lot to frequently aid the distillery especially at night ...”
York writes: “At this time (1876) it may be thought strange that any member of the church should follow the distillation of ardent spirits as a livelihood but the view entertained by even good people at the time of which I speak, were very different; for no one supposed it was wrong either to make or drink ardent spirits moderately; drunkenness only was regarded as a sin even by ministers. ... almost everybody around me, men, women and children, and even ministers of the gospel drank. ...”
By the 1870s, however, the Friends of Temperance were making inroads in North Carolina, claiming nearly 300 chapters in 1877. They were successful in getting a statewide referendum on alcohol in 1881, but were defeated by a 4 to 1 margin.
The second attempt, in 1908, succeeded and prohibition went into effect in North Carolina on July 1, 1909.
Exempted were wine and cider if sold at the place of manufacture.
The entire nation went dry in 1919 with the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.
In 1933, the 21st Amendment did away with prohibition, which included all of North Carolina.
From that date until 1950, Asheboro businesses could legally sell beer.
A number of residents can remember those days. Charlie Robbins said when he was a boy he used to deliver newspapers to an establishment on Park Street.
He said he saw people inside drinking beer.
Robbins said Trade Street had a couple of bars and was fairly rough in those days.
“That’s one reason people got sour on selling beer,” he said. “Used to it was pretty common to see people pretty tipsy, but that’s long in the past. I don’t care one way or the other, but we’ve done well without it.”
John McGlohon, retired Asheboro fire chief and former City Council member, grew up in Asheboro, noting that “I didn’t see a thing any different than today,” except that he believes there are more beer bottles and cans along roadsides now.
McGlohon said he recalls bars on Fayetteville Street and at Five-Points (Park Street and Albemarle Road). “I saw nothing wrong with them. I carried papers downtown and didn’t see any problems.
“I’ve always contended that people will go where they have to to get it,” he said.
Arlie Culp, retired from the Soil and Water Conservation office, said when he moved to Asheboro in 1950 there were places to buy beer.
“You could buy it in restaurants,” he said. “I bought a beer at the Old Hickory when I first came to town.” He said the Old Hickory was located on Fayetteville Street facing Sunset Avenue.
“I don’t know why they voted it out,” said Culp. “I’ve been at places where they had it and I can’t tell any difference.”
E.L. “Bud” Hedrick remembers when Asheboro had eating establishments that sold beer, from North Fayetteville Street to the southern end of town.
“I couldn’t necessarily tell any effects,” he said of beer sales, noting that there has always been alcohol in Asheboro. “Alcohol has been available in Asheboro ever since I can remember, not legal maybe. I can’t say the effect of beer changed the population any way at all.”
Hedrick said that while in military service during World War II, he was stationed in areas where open bars were permitted.
“They had less drunks than Asheboro,” he said. “I saw plenty of drunks in Asheboro during Prohibition.”
On March 25, 1950, Asheboro and Randolph County voted by a 5-to-1 margin to end legal sales of alcohol, with beer sales ending on May 25.
The city has had four alcohol referendums since then, with voters rejecting legal sales each time.
In 1965, an ABC referendum was called and, despite no organized effort to push passage, the vote had narrowed to 1,666 against to 1,042 for.
A referendum in 1977 proposed wine and beer sales as well as ABC stores, with an average of 2,571 votes against and 2,091 for.
A vote in 1985 was whether to have beer and wine sales, ABC stores and mixed drinks.
While alcohol was again defeated the margins had been trimmed.
Average votes against were 3,264 and votes for averaged 2,880.
A raucous campaign in 1994, featuring an organized effort for alcohol sales led by the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, and street marches by church-going anti forces, resulted in another victory for the drys.
On the ballot were beer, wine, ABC stores and mixed beverages, with the average vote 3,343 against and 2,932 for.
No more alcohol referendums have been held in Asheboro since then.
During the 58-year period since beer was voted out, the city has become surrounded by wet cities and counties, creating what some would call an oasis and others would describe as a desert.
