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How prohibition forever changed policing in Seattle

caption: Prohibition agents seized and destroyed 350 gallons of moonshine on February 24th, 1925 at 1115 East Pike Street in Seattle.
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Prohibition agents seized and destroyed 350 gallons of moonshine on February 24th, 1925 at 1115 East Pike Street in Seattle.

On a recent SoundQs segment we learned about legendary Seattle figure Roy Olmstead. Olmstead was a former cop who became the most successful bootlegger in the country in the 1920s.

On this episode we do a deeper dive into what prohibition looked like in Seattle and how it played out differently for another larger-than-life figure: black business owner and community leader Doc Hamilton. He ran a booming barbecue joint and was Olmstead's biggest customer.

Listen to the episode by clicking the play button above or on your favorite podcast app. SoundQs is a weekly podcast where our KUOW reporters tackle questions submitted by our listeners.

Have a question about the Seattle region for us to answer? Drop it here:


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