On November 19, 1935 T.S. Walker of the Red River Lumber Company announced the end of an era that Westwood be a “wet” town as a liquor store concession had been given to Aronson and Taylor.
In a prepared statement, “Heretofore we have aways tried to run a dry town. Before prohibition this practicable due to the distance to neighboring towns and deplorable conditions of the roads. During prohibition it was a relative simple matter for obvious reasons. Since repeal, however, it has been a different story. With fine pavement to neighboring towns, with various resorts operating not far from town and with the great number of automobiles, liquor has been and is readily to all who desire it, whether we like the situation or not.
“This being the case, the directors of the company have decided that it is useless to longer refuse to have liquor sold in Westwood. It is also felt that a better quality can be made to such employees as are determined to have it anyway than is now available from bootleg sources.”
The truth be known, Red River was losing money by not providing alcohol for sale, when they needed every cent during their financial crisis.