Brad Holden

Prohibition came early to Washington State--in 1916--and kicked off an unforgettable era of nightlife. Prohibition went national in 1920 and a network of roadside inns, taverns and dancehalls just outside of Seattle's city limits thrived well into the rockin' 1950s, providing illicit entertainment for those seeking a good time. Spurred on by early car culture and strict liquor laws, places like the Spanish Castle, The Jungle and The Black Cat sprang into being. Commonly called roadhouses, many of these remote outposts existed along two newly-built and parallel stretches of county highways - far from the prying eyes of city police. Fabled speakeasy operator, "Doc" Hamilton founded some of the earliest of these hideaways. Join authors Peter Blecha and Brad Holden as they uncover the fascinating era of forbidden nightclubs.

Seattle has a long tradition of being at the forefront of technological innovation. In 1919, an eager young inventor named Alfred M. Hubbard made his first newspaper appearance with the announcement of a perpetual motion machine that harnessed energy from Earth's atmosphere. From there, Hubbard transformed himself into a charlatan, bootlegger, radio pioneer, top-secret spy, millionaire and uranium entrepreneur. In 1953, after discovering the transformative effects of a little-known hallucinogenic compound, Hubbard would go on to become the Johnny Appleseed of LSD, introducing the psychedelic to many of the era's vanguards and an entire generation. Join author and historian Brad Holden as he chronicles the fascinating life of one of Seattle's legendary figures.

Prohibition consumed Seattle, igniting a war that lasted nearly twenty years and played out in the streets, waterways and even town hall. Roy Olmstead, formerly a Seattle police officer, became the King of the Seattle Bootleggers, and Johnny Schnarr, running liquor down from Canada, revolutionized the speedboat industry. Frank Gatt, a south Seattle restaurateur, started the state's biggest moonshining operation. Skirting around the law, the Coast Guard and the zealous assistant director of the Seattle Prohibition Bureau, William Whitney, was no simple feat, but many rose to the challenge. Author Brad Holden tells the spectacular story of Seattle in the time of Prohibition.