90 Years Ago Today | July 2, 2025
North Carolina’s first ABC Store opened in Wilson County on July 2, 1935, effectively marking the end to North Carolina’s 26 year prohibition.
Prohibition was repealed by the federal government on December 5, 1933 following ratification of the 21st amendment to the US Constitution, but it wasn’t until 1937 that the NC General Assembly passed the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act. So, what happened in the four years between them?
In 1935, it was estimated that 85% of North Carolinians were already living within 50 miles of liquor stores in either Virginia or South Carolina. Recognizing this, the NC General Assembly passed House Bill 1491, which allowed County Commissioners of 18 eastern counties, including Wilson, to hold a vote on whether to allow the sale of liquor in their jurisdictions.
Criticism & Pragmatism
Despite this choice, NC residents and lawmakers were still culturally very critical of alcohol’s impact on society. North Carolina was, after all, the first state to enact a statewide prohibition on alcohol– 11 years prior to the federal ban. To assess their options before making a decision that would affect the entire state, the NC General Assembly appointed an independent taskforce to weigh the pros and cons of two popular strategies that were taking hold across the country: the license system and the control system.
The first would license privately owned businesses for the sale of alcohol, whereas the control system was characterized by more state involvement, specifically in the sale of liquor. In the their review, the taskforce found that control systems across the country tended to maintain public welfare better than licensed businesses that were more interested in revenue than responsible liquor sales. Beyond the benefits to public health & safety, the taskforce also found that control states were effectively reducing the need for property tax increases through the revenue generated by liquor sales. It was a win-win.
After two years of careful deliberation, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act was passed by the NC General Assembly in 1937. This established the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Commission and allowed NC’s counties to vote on whether to authorize the sale of liquor within their jurisdictions.
90 Years Ago Today | July 2, 2025
On July 2, 1935, North Carolina’s first ABC Store opened in Wilson County, effectively marking the end to North Carolina’s 26 year prohibition.
Prohibition was repealed by the federal government on December 5, 1933, through ratification of the 21st amendment to the US Constitution, but it wasn’t until 1937 that the NC General Assembly passed the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act. So what happened in the four years between them?
In 1935, it was estimated that 85% of North Carolinians were already living within 50 miles of liquor stores in either Virginia or South Carolina. Recognizing this, the NC General Assembly passed House Bill 1491, which allowed County Commissioners of 18 eastern counties, including Wilson, to hold a vote on whether to allow the sale of liquor in their jurisdictions.
Criticism & Pragmatism
Despite this choice, NC residents and lawmakers were still culturally very critical of alcohol’s impact on society. North Carolina was, after all, the first state to enact a statewide prohibition on alcohol– 11 years prior to the federal ban. To assess their options before making a decision that would affect the entire state, the NC General Assembly appointed an independent taskforce to weigh the pros and cons of two popular strategies that were taking hold across the country: the license system and the control system.
The first would license privately owned businesses for the sale of alcohol, whereas the control system was characterized by much more state involvement, specifically in the sale of liquor. In the their review, the taskforce found that control systems across the country tended to maintain public welfare better than licensed businesses that were more interested in revenue than responsible liquor sales. Beyond the benefits to public health & safety, the taskforce also found that control states were effectively reducing the need for property tax increases through the revenue generated by liquor sales. It was a win-win.
After two years of careful deliberation, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act was passed by the NC General Assembly in 1937. This established the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Commission and allowed NC’s counties to vote on whether to authorize the sale of liquor within their jurisdictions.
