From White Ribbons to the Ballot Box

Pickerington’s Long Journey from Prohibition to Progress

Members of the Pickerington Woman’s Christian Temperance Union pose for a group portrait around the turn of the twentieth century. Seated in the front row are: Jennie Stemen, Catherine Fishbaugh, Sarah Shoemaker, Catherine Miller, Jessie Ricketts, Lindora Taylor, Mary Bish. Standing in the middle row are: C.J. Brill, Mary Beals, Jemima Taylor, Edna Curtis, Julie Stoner, Martha Moore, Mary Harmon, Rebecca Alexander, Saphronia Clippinger. Lastly, in the back row are: Mary Harris, Lizzie Kraner, Nettie Handshey, Ella Arthur, Abigail Sharpe, Caroline Schultz, Catherine Robinson and Emma Courtright. *Photo courtesy of Photohio.org*

May 19, 2025
By Eve Copeland

In May 2025, voters in Pickerington Precinct A approved three ballot measures that ended more than a century of restrictions on alcohol sales in the city’s historic Village district. The measures legalized the sale of wine and spirituous liquor—bringing with them the promise of economic revitalization and the arrival of new businesses like Local Cantina. See also: “Pickerington Precinct A Approves”

But this was more than a vote about business. It was a historic milestone rooted in the legacy of Pickerington’s own Prohibition-era activism, which once placed the community at the center of a national cultural revolution.

The White Ribbon Women of Pickerington

Long before alcohol was constitutionally banned in the United States, women in Pickerington were already organizing against its influence. In the early years of the 1900s, the Pickerington chapter of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) met regularly to campaign for sobriety, civic morality, and women’s rights.

According to Methodism in Pickerington, O., 1812–1905 by H.E. Brill, members of the WCTU—mostly from the Methodist Episcopal Church—held bi-monthly meetings in one another’s homes, opened with hymns, and took turns reciting scripture. They tackled bold and complex issues such as: “Shall we try to exclude the saloons from our village?”, “Is cider harmless?” and “Does justice demand the ballot for women?”

Image courtesy of Ohio History Connection

Members wore the iconic white ribbon—a national symbol of the WCTU—and were fined a penny if they forgot it at home. Their mission was clear: to banish the saloons from Pickerington and protect families from its “ravages.” Brill praised the women’s influence, writing that their work had “resulted in much practical good to the entire community.”

A photo from the Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society shows these WCTU women gathered in solidarity, illustrating their quiet but powerful presence in shaping public policy. These women weren’t only concerned about alcohol—they were at the forefront of broader cultural shifts that contributed to both the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) and the 19th Amendment (women’s right to vote).

In this 1917 image of Columbus and Center Streets, locals gather for the annual Pickerington Village Labor Day Parade. The building on the left housed Valley House Hotel & Tavern (where gazebo stands now) and the building on the right was a tavern (soon-to-be Local Cantina).

Pickerington Saloons

While these women lobbied for temperance, the town itself had no shortage of drinking establishments. By the 1870s, with the construction of the railroad and an influx of laborers, Pickerington hosted at least half a dozen saloons.

Notable watering holes included the Valley House Hotel & Tavern (where the downtown gazebo now stands), Max Guggenheim’s saloon near the old railroad depot, and others in buildings later home to Fenstermaker’s Pool Hall and Shoemaker Hardware.

The reasons were as practical as they were cultural: Central Ohio’s abundance of corn, the rise of local distilleries, and widespread whiskey consumption made alcohol an everyday staple. In fact, according to Ohio history records, frontier Ohioans in the 1800s drank several quarts of alcohol per week on average—creating both social challenges and business opportunities.

Prohibition Led to Increased Crime

Congress enacted the Volstead Act to provide guidelines for how law enforcement should enforce the 18th Amendment. The Act granted exemptions for alcohol used in religious rites and medicinal purposes, which led to loopholes—resulting in the creation of new churches and the rapid growth of pharmacy chains. Farmers were also permitted to sell unfermented fruit juice.
*The image above is of a Prohibition-era wine brick. The packaging included “warnings” about how to store the juice—lest it accidentally ferment into wine.*

Prohibition officially began in 1920 with the passage of the 18th Amendment, banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol across the United States. But instead of eliminating alcohol-related problems, Prohibition gave rise to illegal speakeasies, organized crime, and underground markets. Enforcement proved difficult, and public support for the ban steadily declined.

To legally reverse Prohibition, Congress couldn’t simply repeal a law—it had to amend the Constitution again. That’s why the 21st Amendment was passed in 1933, making it the only amendment ever passed to repeal another. It also returned control of alcohol laws to the states, giving local governments the authority to regulate alcohol sales as they saw fit.

In Ohio, control went one step further—down to individual precincts. That meant communities like Pickerington had to vote themselves “wet” again, one ballot measure at a time. For nearly a century, parts of Pickerington remained dry by default, a lingering effect of the town’s early 20th-century values.

A Vote for the Future

This spring’s vote marks the end of an era. With the ballot issues passed, the Village district can now welcome full-service restaurants and entertainment venues, bringing with them the possibility of downtown revitalization. For businesses like Local Cantina, the approval clears the way to open a new location at the former sheriff’s substation on East Columbus Street.

Yet, this shift also honors the democratic legacy of those WCTU women. Their activism sparked civic engagement and inspired generations of public discourse. And while their mission may have been to remove alcohol from Pickerington entirely, their spirit of local control continues to influence how the community chooses to govern itself today.