How El Paso And Juárez Turned Prohibition Into A Border Boom

Prohibition started a thriving, criminal underworld, landed good people in jail spawned corruption everywhere and cost lives. In El Paso, it just moved the party a couple of miles south.

Prohibition started in the USA in 1920. (1918 for the 915.) At that time, El Paso's population was 77,560. By the time it was repealed in 1933, we had over 102,000 and many of the new faces and businesses were peeps that originally just stopped by for a drink.

While it caused all kinds of chaos across the USA, it was a shot, (pun totally intended), in the arm for El Paso and Juarez.

Tipsy Tourism In El Paso

The 18th amendment was a win - win for El Paso and Juarez. People flocked here from all over the United States to enjoy a beautiful, domestic stay while spending their nights whooping it up in J - Town. A short walk or a quick street car ride took them into a foreign country that had no problem at all selling booze to thirsty customers.

Juarez was loaded with bars and night clubs like the legendary Kentucky Club which has been operating for over 100 years. Kentucky Club Fun Fact: It was actually founded by an American Whiskey manufacturer, forced out of the USA by prohibition.

Americans wanted their booze and Juarenses wanted them to have it.

If anything, alcohol consumption around here went UP during prohibition despite the new amendment that forced all the El Paso bars ... nearly 300 by some counts ... to close up.

We had a few "hole in the wall" joints and speakeasy's in El Paso and the laws meant to keep them closed weren't exactly, "rigidly" enforced. The party was absolutely in Juarez though and people, including the rich and famous, came in droves to join it.

El Paso even began a national ad campaign across the country to let everybody know the party was on in the "wettest" spot on the Rio Grande.

A party "pattern" that stayed in place for decades and decades. Despite the after effects of 9-11 and drug cartel related violence, Juarez has quietly kept the party going. Not as many Americans cross over today but plenty still make that bridge hop for a good time, nurtured by a bad time.