One Way to Skin a Cat: Grandma's Petticoats

Its hard to believe this little rocker played a big role during Prohibition, but it did. So did the little lady rocking in it. Nobody suspected a 90 year old woman of boot-legging. But, her widow's weeds and voluminous skirts held more belts than the one holding up her skirt and petticoat!

Grandpa's family came from French Canada just prior to Wisconsin Statehood. He was one of the younger children and U.S.-born in 1869. Grandma was born in France in 1872, immigrating with her parents three years later. Grandma's father was a hotelier (below left) and she was born in the living quarters of his French establishment. Grandpa's folks were farmers who went north in the late 1870s to open a hotel serving the logging industry.

Rue de la Barre 21

Grandma was a single child. Maybe that was why she had 14 children in 26 years. Grandpa and Grandma always lived near her parents and fairly close to his until Grandpa gave up farming to buy a hotel several hours distant. By the time Grandpa and Grandma bought the hotel, some of the older children had left the nest and the middle tier was there to do what needed to be done. The boys took care of the barn and helped their mother cook. The girls were chamber maids and staffed in the dining room.

It was Prohibition and there was indeed a bar area for socializing, conversation and cards. The bar sold pop, candy bars, and even cider. No doubt some was hard cider. All meals were served on schedule in the dining room, though the girls who served weren't permitted to enter the tap room. Sometimes they sneaked behind the bar, running and hoping to snag some candy on the way through. That's where they saw the most unusual things.

Their old grandma sat rocking away and knitting in the bar room. The hotel catered to traveling men and that's who frequented the bar. Two girls entering their teens thought some of the younger men were so handsome and were always amazed how those men would sidle up to Grandma, hugging and snuggling her. She was so old! Why would those good looking men pay so much attention to such an old lady.

Years later, the girls found out. Moonshine was kept under the gutter boards - under the manure - in the barn before being transferred to small bottles that were hidden in the folds of Grandma's skirts. She might have been 90 but she was adept at passing off the bottles. If revenuers were around, they were none the wiser. If there would have been suspicion, it was shame on the man who violated the skirts of a 90 year old woman. The little old lady was not deaf either; the telephone was on the wall adjacent to her bedroom door!

Whoever said there was more than one way to skin a cat knew what he was talking about.

Photos were taken by Kay and Thayis.