History keeper, storyteller, and library assistant Blaze Burton will be giving a presentation entitled “The Highway 51 Booze Caravan, Part 1” on Wednesday, July 22, at 6:00 PM at the Iron County Museum in Hurley on a unique episode in Wisconsin history that took place in Iron County in 1920 as the Volstead Act, which prohibited the manufacturing, distribution, and transportation of alcohol, was in effect. \
This event is the first of a two-part presentation that explores one of the first attempts by tavern owners to traffic large quantities of whiskey from Chicago to Hurley via an auto caravan (the second part, which explores the aftermath of the incident and the lasting effect it has on the area, will be scheduled for a future date).
Presenter Blaze Burton is works for the Mercer and Winchester Public Libraries as a Library Assistant, where he specializes in preserving, documenting, and sharing local history. He gives public presentations at both libraries on a variety of topics, including early resorts, lost locations, Prohibition, and crime.
