Chicago
The ratification of the 18th amendment to the Constitution in 1919 made the production and sale (including exportation) of alcoholic beverages illegal in the United States. This ushered in the beginning of what is known as the Gangster Era, a time that roughly spans from 1919 until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. The 1920s saw gangsters, including Al Capone, Dion O'Banion, Bugs Moran and Tony Accardo battle law enforcement and each other on the streets of Chicago during the Prohibition era. Chicago was the location of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, when Al Capone sent men to gun down members of a rival gang, North Side, led by Bugs Moran.
Washington Brewery Company
Like many others, the Washington Brewery Company died with the Volstead Act of 1919 which established Prohibition in the United States. The lot was purchased on May 10, 1924 by Charles E. Myers through the Munsey Trust Company. Rumors were that Mr. Myers was going to set up an Apiary. The brewery was demolished in September 1924 to be replaced by a public school. Today, the Stuart-Hobson Middle School, located at 410 E Street NE, stands on the grounds previously occupied by the Washington Brewery Company.