Cholera, Politics and Prohibition: Historic Columbus Taverns

Written by on March 18, 2013 in Bars - No comments

Why would you name a bar the Hey, Hey? Well now I know why and I get to tell you and I get to sound smart. Apparently, it’s a throwback from prohibition times when someone would knock on the back door and say “Hey, hey the beers here.” Not exactly the Enigma Code but I guess you stick with what works.

In Historic Columbus Taverns, Tom Betti and Doreen Uhas Sauer give detailed accounts of Columbus bars, taverns, hotels, restaurants, and other less scrupulous establishments where a guy – and after a considerable amount of time a girl – could get a drink and have a good time. Betti and Sauer start as far back as the late 18th century when Columbus was little more than a collection of shacks on the frontier, and finish in the mid 20th century when Columbus had matured into the sprawling metropolis we know and love today – although one might be surprised at how much has changed since the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The best parts of Historic Columbus Taverns sets the founding of, running, and often times repurposing of Columbus bars in a much broader context. Showing what it was like in the city during cholera outbreaks – spoiler alert: it wasn’t pretty. Describing how the Civil War impacted Columbus – spoiler alert: it wasn’t pretty. Telling about the socio-economic and political challenges of the times – spoiler alert: they’re fairly relatable to the challenges we have today. And ultimately tying that broad historical context to the role drinking establishments played – a shocking amount of politics and public policy was decided in bars. The pair must be commended on not only what I imagine was an exhaustive amount of research but on how they transform that research into something which is engaging and interesting to read. I’m fairly certain they tricked me into learning some history about the town I call home. How dare they?

At times it can get confusing. As it turns out there have been a lot of bars in Columbus. Also as it turns out things like street names change over the course of 200 some odd years. You might find yourself lost. Adrift amongst names, dates and street names trying to figure out where this bar was and where it is today, But the authors give us fair warning. By their own admission “every other building seems to be a tavern or saloon, [so] it won’t matter.” The take home point here being don’t worry, just enjoy the stories.

And that’s what the book does best; it gives us stories. Stories that give us a link to the past, stories we can re-tell to our friends and stories that make us look smart. What It gives us is context. I’m not ever going to sit at the Hey, Hey scratching off lottery tickets without thinking about someone in the 1920’s knocking at the back door whispering “Hey, hey the beers here.” I’ll never get a burger at Ringside without thinking “Damn this place has been here since the early 1900’s.” It gives all us lushes out there a line to the past. An historic validation for drinking the way we drink and loving the bars we love. So raise a glass, read this book, and become a more informed drunk.

This is a guest post by John “Pappy” Venturella. Writer, geologist, and Cash for Gold extraordinaire. He enjoys beer if it’s cheap and martinis if they’re dry. On the weekend he likes to chew bubblegum and kick ass, but frequently runs out of bubblegum.

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