Rockport douses long-running dry era

ROCKPORT -- No champagne popped. No wine glasses clinked. But when several local residents gathered yesterday for a modest ceremony on the lawn of a Rockport inn, the legacy of prohibitionist Hannah Jumper was put down the hatch.

Emerson Inn by the Sea received yesterday the town's first liquor license since 1856, when, according to local legend, Jumper led 200 hatchet-wielding women and two men on her now infamous ''Women's Raid," smashing every bottle of liquor they could find in town.

''Poor Hannah," said Cynthia Peckham, a town historian. ''She's lost her fame."

Jumper, a 75-year-old seamstress whose father had fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, became something of a heroine in town for leading the charge against liquor, creating a nearly uninterrupted 149-year dry run for the town.

Residents -- hoping to spur tourism and help reverse a 15-year slowdown, during which one business owner said he's seen a 40 percent revenue drop -- voted in April to repeal the ban. Doing so left about a dozen towns in the state that remain dry.

Peter Beacham, 68, who led the movement to restore licensing, will have the honor of buying the first drink today -- he said he'll pick a Grey Goose martini -- when the inn's restaurant caters a private party to celebrate.

''We were able to appeal to people's rational thinking," Beacham said.

As yesterday's ceremony began, a truck from Classic Wine Imports delivered the first cases of wine to the town since 1933, when the ban on wine and beer was lifted for one year right after Prohibition ended. It was quickly restored.

Residents voted on the issue in every general election until 1970, when a state law on consecutive ballots suspended the issue. It was resurrected and again buried in a 1996 referendum.

To secure a license, merchants must complete the 80-page application, and alcohol must be served during designated times, in designated locations, and with a meal.

''It can't be nachos and pretzels," said Janice Ramsden, chairwoman of the rules and regulations committee formed for this purpose. ''But you can have chowder and a salad."

No advertising is allowed on the establishment's windows, no bottles may be in sight from the street, no neon signs may be used, no alcohol may be served while waiting for a table, and alcohol must be off the table by 11 p.m.

The town will still be free of package stores and bars, and some restaurant owners have decided not to apply for licenses.

Residents who were opposed mainly wanted to keep the tradition intact, were worried about alcohol-related safety issues, or simply enjoyed the economical bring-your-own method.

''I'd prefer to bring my own bottle with me," said Susan Lucas, 45, a 20-year Rockport resident who works in a town shoe store. ''Sometimes, they'll charge $5 or $6 for a glass. Depending on what kind of wine you like, you can pick up a bottle for that much."

Opposition forces vowed to try again in 2006.

''A lot of promises were made to folks by those who were eager to see this legislation go through," said Jim Craig, 31, a founder of Keep Rockport Dry. ''They promised everything but the moon itself. We're going to see what happens here. The first time things start to go wrong, which they will, you'll see a very different reaction from the public here."

Peckham, the historian, sighed when asked about the future fame of Jumper.

''Who knows?" she said. ''I just have a feeling now she's through."