When rum running moved to Lake Ontario By Richard Palmer One of the most interesting periods of Great Lakes maritime history was the Prohibition era between 1920 and 1933. This was a nationwide ban on the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages under the 18th Amendment known as the Volstead Act. This led to the formation of criminal syndicates that, among other activities, smuggled alcoholic beverages in from Canada. It did not work well and led to some of the worst corruption in American history. It took years to bring the problems associated with bootlegging and rum running that ran rampant on the Great Lakes under control. In August, 1929, residents of Oswego as well as those at all ports at the northern end of Lake Ontario learned through the newspapers that rum running syndicates in Detroit were planning to transfer their operations to Kingston, 60 miles directly across Lake Ontario.The reason for their decision is said to have been due ...
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