Temperance in the West

The first temperance movement in the frontier was Kansas in the 1870s in Hays, Dodge City, and Albilene. Those sodbusters of the Plains didn't go for saloon life and all the rowdiness that went with it. The pioneer of the plains did his drinking privately in his barn :)

In the 1880's women joined the temperance movement in Topeka and Lawrence by annoying and angering most everyone in business. These women would sit outside the saloons and make lists of patrons and marched through the streets singing about these violators of sobriety. They also, of course, got thrown out of saloons on a regular basis.

The best known of these women prohibitionists was Carrie Nation.
Supposedly her first husband died of alcoholism and she devoted her life to fighting against it. In 1901, she reportedly smashed up 2 saloons and did considerable damage to both. She used a "hatchet to do God's work" by defacing artwork and threatening customers. She was an erratic, fanatic and claimed that the Lord appointed her to rid Kansas of the evil of alcohol. She was a frequent visitor to jail, but was seldom hurt or injured. She died in 1911 and was remembered as bringing "praise and considerable scorn on Kansas."

On March 10, 1881, Kansas offically banned alcohol and the first speakeasy was opened for business the following day. It was also reported that before the law was passed, citizens bought up extra supplies for weeks (for months if wealthy enough) to ensure that enough alcohol was in storage.

Prohibition lasted 2 decades without much effect...ending in 1901.