Prohibition Criminal Cases

Historical Note:This collection consists of 6379 documents from criminal cases regarding the enforcement of the state and national prohibition laws by the Rockingham County Circuit Court. On March 10, 1916, Virginia enacted statewide prohibition with an act of the General Assembly–commonly known as the “Mapp Act.”  This act made it “unlawful to manufacture, transport, sell, keep or store for sale, offer, advertise, or expose for sale, give away, or dispense, or solicit in any way, or receive orders for or aid in procuring ardent spirits.” After national prohibition went into effect in January 1920 after the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the National Prohibition Act(Volstead Act), was enacted in 1919(effective in 1920) to provide legislation for the enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment.

Series Content:The documents within the collection are criminal cases from the Rockingham County Circuit Court that range from 1916 to 1933. The state of Virginia or the city of Harrisonburg, Elkton or Dayton is the plaintiff in almost all cases.

Series Organization:The documents are organized by each criminal case, alphabetically by surname.

Example image: True Bill from “Commonwealth v. Samuel Rosson, et all” 

Affidavits for Ardent Spirits

Historical Note:The common carriers of ardent spirits were required to keep records of any alcohol that was transported until an amendment of the Mapp Act in 1920 required that the clerk of the circuit court of each county assume the duty; removing the burden from the transportation companies.

Series Content:This series documents the individual to whom the alcohol was shipped, the amount and type of alcohol received, the date of delivery, and the consignee. The majority of the affidavits are from the carrier companies Southern Express, Adams Express, and Wells Fargo. 

Series Organization: They are alphabetically arranged by county locale and further organized chronologically.

Example Image: “Printed Affidavits form authorizing the transportation of medicinal alcohol to Bridgewater in Rockingham County Virginia for personal use in 1916.”

Liquor Inventory Records

Series Content:Contains inventory records of the alcohol on hand of commercial businesses who were permitted, by court license, to sell alcohol. 

Series Organization:These records are organized alphabetically by name of the commercial entity.

Example Image: Monthly liquor record for Aldhizer and Sons Druggists.

Commercial Liquor License Applications

Series Content:Contains application materials for licenses for the manufacture, use, and sale of alcohol. Applicants include druggists, manufacturers, wholesalers, and various retail establishments.

Series Organization:These records are arranged alphabetically by the name of the commercial entity applying for a license.

Example Image: “Commercial liquor license application signed by David H. Alger”

General Prohibition Records

Series Content:Contains general correspondence and legal documents that do not necessarily belong to any individual criminal case, but provides additional context. The records include reports from the court clerk and local sheriffs, correspondence from the Virginia Prohibition Commissioner’s office, correspondence from the Governor’s office regarding pardons and other matters, as well as correspondence with state authorities. Also includes petitions for a referendum on the sale of beer and wine in Rockingham County.

Topics addressed include the handling of ardent spirits, moonshine stills, and permits received by the Rockingham Circuit Court. Includes correspondence, reports, invoices, form letters, and inventories.

Example Image: “Report of all stills captured by the sheriff and his deputies in Rockingham County.”