The Brown Palace Hotel – Denver, Colorado
Denver Public Library Special Collections, from digital.denverlibrary.org. “1916,” Call#: MCC-3278, available at 17th Street, Denver | Denver Public Library Digital Collections.
When Colorado enacted Prohibition in 1916, the Brown Palace Hotel quickly revealed how wealth evades discipline. Behind its European elegance, the hotel hosted bootleggers, celebrities, and politicians who drank with impunity. Its story offers a glimpse into how the elite can often sidestep laws supported and followed by the broader public.
In 1860, Henry Cordes Brown arrived in Denver and purchased several plots of land. In 1888, Brown began constructing the Brown Palace Hotel. He was determined to make it one of the best hotels in Colorado and spared no expense. Its central atrium, fireproof blocks of terracotta, and gold and European import detailing make the building stand out. The construction cost about $1.6 million, $50 million today, and featured Arizona sandstone.
In 1916, Colorado became one of the first states to pass Prohibition laws. Temperance was popular among the large population of progressive residents. The general population here did not desire or accept alcohol as readily as people in other Intermountain West states. This is one of the reasons the Brown Palace Hotel felt no need to cater to the middle class. The hotel’s prominence made it a prime location for celebrities, politicians, and social leaders to grab an illegal drink. Due to its prestigious reputation and clientele, authorities never shut the establishment down, despite raiding it multiple times for alcohol.
The 18 February 1930 issue of the Rocky Mountain News (Daily) described a large-scale raid conducted by police on the Brown Palace Hotel. Officers stormed room 929 on a tip about liquor distribution at a war veterans' convention. Law enforcement found approximately 116 cases of beer and fifty pints of whisky in the hotel room and arrested five hotel employees for conspiracy to violate Prohibition laws. With a bust this large, the courts threatened to padlock room 929, meaning it would be a “forbidden room,” a place “which none should enter.”
The 22 April 1930 issue of the same paper updated the room 929 story. Authorities indicted those arrested during the raid and fined them $300 ($5,700 today). While those associated with the Brown Palace Hotel typically earned higher salaries, this fine was no slap on the wrist. Intense repercussions like these aligned with Colorado’s strong temperance attitude and deterred Prohibition violations.
This story also shows how the elite used the Brown Palace Hotel to escape prosecution for alcohol-related crimes. The article indicates that the volume of alcohol found in room 929 suggests someone “higher up” knew about the stash. A key witness testified that former state senator and convention chairman Rice Means rented room 929 and knew “what this room was to be used for.” Despite this, officials never arrested Means. This case shows that large-scale alcohol consumption occurred at the Brown Palace Hotel and how those in power hid behind the establishment’s high-end reputation to evade Prohibition laws.
The Brown Palace Hotel’s Prohibition-era history highlights the intersection of wealth, power, and privilege. Despite multiple raids, its prestigious reputation and elite clientele allowed it to maintain alcohol sales. Its role during Prohibition demonstrates how the powerful navigated around the law. Today, the Brown Palace Hotel remains a cornerstone of Denver’s heritage and a symbol of the city’s transnational significance as a hub of influence.Images
Denver Public Library Special Collections, from digital.denverlibrary.org. “1916,” Call#: MCC-3278, available at 17th Street, Denver | Denver Public Library Digital Collections.
Denver Public Library Special Collections, from digital.denverlibrary.org. “1910-1920,” Call#: Z-8823, available at The Brown Palace Hotel bar, Denver | Denver Public Library Digital Collections.
The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, from Usatoday.com. “Ladies Enjoy Tea at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, About 100 Years Ago,” available at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/hotels/2017/08/09/take-a-tour-of-denvers-historic-brown-palace-hotel/104435058/.