Midway Village talks about how the 18th amendment impacted Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The Midway Village Museum on Saturday hosted “Tipsy History,” a unique historical event in the Victorian Village.

Visitors were able to discover how the 18th Amendment changed daily life in Rockford and see a transformed 1920s dry town. Reenactors and historic interpreters taught prohibition history through fun skits featuring federal raids, bank heists, illegal distilleries and speakeasies.

Patrick O’Keefe of the Midway Village Museum says, “There was bathtub gin being made, there was bootleg beer being made there’s a lot of stories about the gangster activity in Rockford and it’s all probably partially or mostly true but it really helps us make a fun day and really connect us to our past.”

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