Political reform, women’s suffrage, and the forces that brought statewide prohibition in 1915.
Written by Devon Sloan, June 2025
On January 1, 1915, Prohibition reached Arizona – 5 years before it took effect throughout the rest of the United States! How did that happen?
Well, there is a theory that it started because women got involved, but don’t blame them – they were on a different mission, just trying to claim their rights and responsibilities of citizenship! In the early 1800’s the women’s suffrage movement started. It slowed during the Civil War and picked up afterwards when the National Women’s Suffrage Association started and eventually became the National American Women’s Suffrage Association in 1890.
In the West women may have enjoyed a favored status because of their scarcity. Some Western males apparently were drawn to suffrage as a way of enticing women to migrate to the West. Suffrage may also have been viewed by Western males as a means of paying a debt to women for hardships they had to endure as pioneers not used to the Western ways. Some native-born Westerners wanted both prohibition and suffrage, and then there were the miners and European born who wanted suffrage, but not prohibition. Some people also came from backgrounds where alcohol was not a common part of life, which made them more receptive to the idea of prohibition.
In November 1912, the year Arizona became a state, suffrage was on the ballot, and 65% of the men supported it. In December that year, the discussion shifted to include temperance which gained significant traction in Arizona due to the movement’s arguments about the negative impacts of alcohol on society. This was a time of great social and political change in the United States, and citizens were often interested in using the government to solve social problems. Prohibition was seen as one way to do this. Women pointed out that due to drinking, the cost of living increased, showing that millions of bushels of grain were being used to manufacture whiskey and beer. This made pork, lard, and meat more expensive. They also pointed out that money should be used for irrigation and not liquor. In addition, women believed that prohibition would help to address social problems such as poverty, crime, and domestic violence.
Due to significant opposition to the law, particularly from businesses that relied on alcohol sales, it still took three years to get the law passed but pass it did and was law until 1933. But between 1915 and 1933, people didn’t stop drinking in Arizona or Oro Valley.
According to Buster Bailey, a true character who lived in the Oro Valley area from 1927 to 1995, there were stills throughout Catalina State Park and even one on the historic Steam Pump Ranch. Although Buster had many jobs throughout his time in Arizona, his real claim to fame was as a bootlegger, operating his still near the waters of the now dry Buster Spring where you can see what remains of his still. Buster said that although it was illegal to buy or make whiskey, it was easy to buy the ingredients for it in town – sugar, cracked corn, oak chips (for color), Fleischmann’s yeast. With some water and some patience, you could have good moonshine within a week. The ingredients cost about $1.00/gallon and would sell for $22.00/gallon at the beginning of prohibition. When Buster was in the Army, stationed in New Guinea, his captain heard about his expertise, and suggested he make some moonshine. After being tested by a camp doctor, Buster was making about 10 gallons per week for the troops.
Read more about Buster Bailey.