Fayette County Historical Society opens speakeasy exhibit
The Fayette County Historical Society will commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage as well as Prohibition in their spring exhibit called "People of the Pike,'' opening Oct.4 at Abel Colley Tavern and Museum in Menallen Township. Pictured is a recreation of a store that served as a cover for a local speakeasy during Prohibition.
The Fayette County Historical Society will commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage as well as Prohibition in their spring exhibit called "People of the Pike,'' opening Oct.4 at Abel Colley Tavern and Museum in Menallen Township. Pictured is a recreation of a store that served as a cover for a local speakeasy during Prohibition.
The Fayette County Historical Society will commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage as well as Prohibition in their spring exhibit called "People of the Pike,'' opening Oct.4 at Abel Colley Tavern and Museum in Menallen Township. Pictured is a recreation of a store that served as a cover for a local speakeasy during Prohibition.
The Fayette County Historical Society has opened a “speakeasy” as part of its “People of the Pike” exhibit, highlighting the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage and the start of Prohibition.
“Fayette County was always an agricultural county, and there was a history of alcohol production in this county,” said Jo Loftstead, of Masontown, historical society secretary.
The exhibit is a part of the “People and Places of the Pike” exhibit. It is open at the Abel Colley Tavern & Museum, 7083 National Pike E., Smock, on Thursdays and Sundays from noon to 3. Admission is $5 per person. Masks are required.
Fayette County was home to several illegal and unofficial speakeasies. Local suffragettes, in turn, were active in the Volstead Act, which ended Prohibition. Lofstead said women were very active and organized in the county. The right for women to vote was proposed as an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution before it was proposed as the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment passed in Fayette County, although it failed at the state level before it was federally ratified, Lofstead said.
“The other thing that impressed me was the organization that the women in Fayette County put together. They had a very dynamic group,” she said, adding members came from all parts of the county including Perryopolis, Brownsville and Connellsville.
The movement began with a tea hosted by Sarah Cochran of Dawson, which is a highlight of the exhibit.
“It was certainly a countywide effort. It was extremely well organized and very well administered,” Lofstead said. “Obviously women are very active in politics today, and of course this was quite a watershed moment.”
A tea was planned to launch the exhibit, but it was postponed to Oct. 4 and 11 due to the coronavirus. The exhibit includes a speakeasy and a tavern paying homage to one of the early female tavern keepers. The exhibit also includes her liquor license, which she received in 1788.
Lofstead said people have been enjoying the exhibit so far.
“They’re really impressed by the detail of it. There’s a lot of info that’s here,” she said. “If someone comes and reads all the displays, the documents we have posted, it takes a good solid hour and maybe longer than that to go through it.”