The Dakota Farmers’ Leader (Canton) of August 14, 1896 on page two contained the following headline: “All the “Blind Pigs” at Huron Have Gone Out of Business – Trade Did Not Justify Keeping Open and Paying $40 Per Month Fine.” The story went on to explain that all the ‘Blind Pigs’ at Huron had gone out of business.
At a meeting of the city council the other night it was decided to require the druggists to take out license, or rather compel those who sell bottled beer to pay fines, the same as the proprietors of ‘blind pigs’ and disorderly houses.”
The term “blind pig” originated in the 19th century and referred to a low-end place where people could get illegal alcohol during prohibition. A location that served illegal liquor and also featured the game of Faro was known as a blind tiger.
Many establishments would sell tickets to see an attraction, such as an unusual animal. Once inside, the owner would serve a complimentary drink that would circumvent any laws of prohibition. The term “blind pig” probably came from the original blind Tiger; however, there are also other possibilities.
Some stories have the origin being reference to someone getting blind drunk from drinking cheap whiskey. Blind pigs and speakeasies did not end after prohibition. They continued to operate in many urban and rural areas. History indicates that a Detroit Police raid on an after-hours blind pig was the start of the 1967 Detroit riots.
In 1919, area newspapers published a story with a Gregory, S. D. dateline of April 5 with the following headline: “Concentrated Form of Booze is Found”. The story reported:
“A ‘Blind Pig’ without anyone in charge was discovered at a point on a road leading south from the flouring mill at this place. At this point were found 30 bottles of concentrated liquor. Leading to the spot where the bottles were hidden was a well beaten path, indicating that the owner of the unique ‘blind pig’ had secretly told his customers where the stuff was hidden. The liquor was in little two-ounce bottles, and instructions wrapped about each bottle stated that when the concentrated liquor was mixed with water the contents of each bottle would make from five or more gallons of ‘good whiskey,’ the amount of water to be added determined the degree of ‘kick’ desired by the user.”
In 1909 the women of Lignite, North Dakota took a strenuous hand in the suppression of blind pigging in their town. “A dozen wives and mothers of the place armed themselves with hatchets, revolvers and gasoline, and after demolishing the contents of a blind swinery baptized it with gasoline and set it afire, burning it to the ground. They then notified the keepers of four other booze joints in town to quit or a like fate would befall them.”
Earlier, in 1893, “An exasperated wife and mother smashed in the windows of John Farrell’s blind pig at Madison, then went inside and smashed every bottle, jug and mug, in the establishment. She then took her husband and marched him home!”
A petition was circulated in Pierre in 1896 which was addressed to the mayor and city council which asked that the institution known as “blind pig” or “disorderly house” be allowed to continue operation. The reason being that their closing would be a detriment to the business of the city. The Pierre Journal reported that “the petition will be presented to the council. We will publish the petition and list of all signatures in full in tomorrow’s edition of the paper.”
The Mitchell Capital of May 15, 1896 contained the following story:
“Fairfax Hotel Stoned – The hotel at Fairfax (assumed to be a blind pig and disorderly house), owned by Joseph Wiard, was stoned the other night about 2 o’clock by unknown parties and all of the windows broken. Wiard had become very obnoxious to his townsmen and was accused of keeping a disorderly house. This demonstration was intended as a hint that his presence was no longer desirable. There were a number of guests in the hotel at the time, who were badly frightened.”
In March of 1916, that same hotel once again made the headlines of local and regional papers. Most stories telling of this incident had a simple headline – “Eloping Couple.”
“Ewalt Grewel,” the papers reported, “a well known Tripp county rancher, and Mrs. Phoebe Vandelvelden, wife of a Gregory saloon keeper, have been arrested by the Gregory county authorities on a statutory charge, following their capture after they had eloped. The eloping pair traveled by automobile, and evidently intended to make their way to northern Nebraska, but when they reached the vicinity of Fairfax the road became so muddy and their progress was so slow they decided to make a stop at Fairfax. They reached a Fairfax hotel at about 2 o’clock in the morning and were given a room, the landlord supposing they were husband and wife. Their identity soon was discovered and they were taken into custody by Sheriff Hertz and placed in the county jail. States Attorney Ford promised to not prosecute the woman for past offenses if she would leave the state, but she refused to accept the offer, and now, upon conviction with her affinity, will be subject to a term in the Sioux Falls penitentiary.”
The early years of the 20th century were a time of innovations. The automobile had come to stay. People enjoyed the new fashions brought about in the wake of the First World War.
With the vote, women had reason to hope that their social status would change for the better.
Author Author Clarence Shoemaker, originally published in the Gregory Times-Advocate on August 6, 2025