History: Minnesota Goes Dry on April 5th, 1852

UNDATED (WJON News) -- Several years before prohibition took effect, and even before we were actually a state the citizens of Minnesota voted to ban alcohol.

The Minnesota Historical Society says on April 5th, 1852 Minnesota went dry.  The citizens of the territory approved a prohibition bill by a vote of 853 in favor and 662 against it.  The measure outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.

The bill was declared unconstitutional later that same year in November.

Minnesota had only been a territory for just a few years at that time.  The territory was created on March 3rd, 1949.

The prohibition bill didn't impact a lot of people, the census population for the Minnesota territory in 1850 was only about 6,000 total people.  However, by 1860 the state's population exploded to 120,000.

Minnesota officially became a state on May 11th, 1858.

Get our free mobile app

Of course, years later the whole country would go try when prohibition took affection on January 17th, 1920.

However, this time around Minnesotans were not quick to jump on the dry bandwagon.  In 1918 Minnesotans failed to pass the 18th Amendment, but the next year the Minnesota Legislature ratified it making our state the 39th to do so.

Thirteen years later, more than 65 percent of Minnesotans voted in favor of repealing it.

READ RELATED ARTICLES

• Kensington Bank Opening Offices in St. Joseph, Sartell
• We're Up to the 3rd Snowiest Season on Record in St. Cloud
• Minnesota's April Weather Outlook
• Wood Fired Wednesdays Announce Music Line-up
• Dunkin' Still Planning St. Cloud Location Despite Delays