Henry Law was a third-generation distiller, but the first to produce legal and taxed liquor. Greer declined to describe theories he is pursuing, saying it was too early state-run liquor stores in Virginia now sell Laws Choice whiskey - and collect all required taxes FRANKLIN COUNTY MOONSHINE is the stuff of legends and outlaws, news stories and family struggles, a point of dubious pride in a region also known for stock car racing and mountain charm. Some did stop drinking, but others drank even more. Nowadays distilling spirits is legal in Virginia, but that requires licensing and tax payments. Carbon dioxide is boiled away as a waste product when making distilled liquor, but trapped to keep the fizz in beer, and sparking wine (champagne). Bondurant Store Location Franklin County VA.wmv shortcrow 9 subscribers 21K views 12 years ago The Wettest County in the World- Granville Bondurant's store location in Franklin County. Franklin County, Virginia is known as the Moonshine Capital of the . Thus in 1928, the Moonshine Conspiracy, which eventually gave Franklin County national notoriety in 1935, was born. In fact, the Temperance Movement that led to Prohibition was supported by a diverse range of progressives and womens rights advocates as well as religious conservatives in part because of the amount of excessive drinking and the resulting violence. You can learn more about Franklin County Distilleries here and Twin Creeks Distillery right here. Operation Lightning Strike struck down two Franklin County stills. Firewater. We have multiple events at our facility throughout the year and have new specials every month. Owen Law started as a bootlegger in the 1920's. "He died when he was 92, and he was still under probation," said Henry Law. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,477. Back in the days when car radiators were used to condense the vaporized alcohol into liquid phase, enough lead might end up in the moonshine to blind or kill the final consumer. Greetings Steve, thanks for story about our Grandfather Thomas Creed Cooper. Thanks again Steve. You could have lost $3,000 to $4,000, but you got away. Good moonshine can "hold a bead" so a bubble at the surface stays intact, due to surface tension and indicating a high percentage of alcohol rather than watered-down product. We wrestled around for a few seconds. Unlike previous attempts to curtail illegal liquor production, Bailey's plan sought to protect rather than arrest the small distillers in exchange for incriminating information that could lead to the arrest of the conspiracy's ringleaders. As the Temperance movement made headway, local options allowed localities to prohibit alcohol (dry counties). . We invite you to taste local history with Franklin County Distilleries. upon it yet.". During one year of Prohibition more sugar was shipped by rail to Boones Mill and Franklin County than to New York City. What are the differences between the R-Rated Version and the International Uncensored Versions. sifted through 100 boxes containing the personal papers of the Judge John The remaining 20 defendants went on trial at the old federal building in Whiskey sold for $1.75 - $2.50 a gallon. A farmer could make enough liquor to cover his own familys needs and then sell or trade the rest with other members of the community, allowing them to utilize produce that would have otherwise spoiled and been thrown away. The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935 resulted in little real effect on illegal liquor production in Franklin County, Virginia. The jury stayed out Musicians within the region write songs about homemade hooch, stills have been repurposed into art exhibits, and youll find merchandise emblazoned with moonshine logos in stores throughout Virginias Mountain region. While FCD mightve been the first licensed since Prohibition, TCD made the first sale. Sign up for travel tips and inspiration delivered right to your inbox, Many people know a little bit about the era of Prohibition in America or have at least watched films about moonshiners, such as the 2012 Hollywood drama, starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy, adapted from the novel. in almost every region of the Commonwealth making legal moonshine, allowing you to get an authentic taste of Virginias moonshine history during your visit! One is covered in shrubs not too far from Rocky Mount, and at a spot in Rocky Mount, theres another that is no longer there. Police officers and tax enforcement officials hunted down moonshiners throughout the United States with the help of local informants (which could sometimes be the bootleggers own competition). In a way, early Virginia moonshiners were some of the first eco-friendly farmers in America! For Virginia Citizen And Business Services Visit www.virginia.gov. moonshiners from arrest and harassment by revenue agents. Using the tax rate instituted in 1920, moonshiners in Franklin County would have generated $5.5 million in taxes between 1930-1935 if they had legally sold their products. Duke Carter returned to 10 News in January 2022. The movie and book both tell the tales of the Bondurant brothers and their bootlegging enterprise in Virginias mountains. During the period of the movie shotgun shells were made of thick paper with a metal bottom for the primer. Those indicted included a former Franklin County Sheriff and multiple deputies, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, a Virginia prohibition officer, and Franklin Countys Commonwealths Attorney. A famous example of this occurred in the late 1970s in Franklin County, where a moonshiner bulldozed a massive hole into a field, built an underground room with a sod-covered roof, placed cinder block headstones on top, and created a fake cemetery that they regularly mowed and placed flowers throughout. The Morning Delivery DECEMBER 19, 1930 Surviving the Shoot-out Moonshine Continues Forrest Bondurant Nov. 21, 1901- Dec. 4, 1965 Heroes or Anti-heroes Before long, three of the cars reach the narrow wooden bridge Your email address will not be published. About the only thing, really, that moonshiners did wrong was not pay taxes on the alcoholic beverages because they did not have a license.. "I think there is an innocent explanation, but I haven't happened The Franklin County, Va. Moonshine Heritage Festival will be held at Crazy Horse Marina on April. She's also a mom and wife living in and loving the mountains and valleys of Virginia. Feb 18, 2013 Updated May 14, 2019. Forrest (Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke), and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) Bondurant successfully run moonshine out of the mountains and into Chicago, until the law gets involved--and not in the way you might initially think. One reason for "moonshining" at night, in moonlight, was to hide the smoke from the eyes of informers and tax agents - but today, propane tanks offer a smoke-free alternative. with the jury in the conspiracy case. He was the gang's de facto leader during the 1930s, despite being the middle brother. because roads in the mountains are bad, corn is concentrated into whiskey for transport. Some revenue agents opted to chase down moonshiners during transport rather than stake out their still locations. ROCKY MOUNT, Va. Franklin County's moonshining past will be on display on movie screens across the country this week. They are best known for the [i] Great in his research to reach any conclusions. In 1946, a federal grand jury indicted 24 people on charges of tampering one defendant - could shed new light on the conspiracy trial and on a [1], In the 1950s, the court files and official trial transcripts mysteriously disappeared. The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935 [Greer, T. Keister] on Amazon.com. 8 talking about this. Lawless: Directed by John Hillcoat. NASCAR might not have acquired many drivers from Virginias illegal moonshine trade, but one such driver who did come from this background was Wendell Oliver Scott, a Black American racer from Danvilles Crooktown section. Whiskey production continued through the Civil War, another time period when the government passed a tax on alcohol. We invite you to taste local history with Franklin County Distilleries. Head to the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum in Franklin County to learn more about moonshine heritage and the distilling practices passed down over multiple generations. One of them had produced more than 213,780 gallons over a seven-year period in the 90s. It's left a trail of graft and slime,It's filled our land with vice and crime,It don't prohibit worth a dime,Nevertheless we're for it.. Drop in for a sip or grab a bottle at your local VA ABC store. William B. Hopkins, Another View of the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, VBA News Journal, p. 20 (Winter 2009/2010). . Ironically, drinking in public became socially acceptable for women in speakeasies and private clubs; whereas before, women would not enter a saloon, unless like Carrie Nation, it was to smash the liquor. I think we got it. Lee was acquitted. Moonshine Beekeepers Association Franklin County, Virginia Sometimes [corn] brings such a small price it is not worth hauling it to market, but made up into whiskey there is always a good margin of profit. Indeed, the new law led to health concerns. There was no federal tax being evaded, so little incentive existed for federal agents to aggressively pursue moonshiners as they had before the 1920s. 981-3324. This Franklin County (Va.) still, which was destroyed in 1972, is reputed to be the largest one ever destroyed. A fun bit of history for you: TCDs owner and Master Distiller is the grandson of James Walter Peg Hatcher, one of those convicted in The Great Moonshine Conspiracy on 1935., Learn More: Twin Creeks Distillery Craft Spirits >. Good people looking to have a good time when moonshine was prohibited in Southwest Virginia. The prosecution summoned 176 witnesses, most of which (if not all) were convicted criminals, versus the defense's 69, taking roughly 10 weeks for the entirety of the testimonies to be heard. In 1931, while helping his brothers distribute moonshine at a local dance, he fell in love with preacher's daughter Bertha Minnix at first sight. Franklin County hosts an annual. because court files and the official trial transcript inexplicably disappeared County residents, including the commonwealth's attorney, several sheriff's Potatoes or other starch-rich foods can be fermented to produce alcohol. As U.S. Assistant Attorney General Mabel Willebrandt stated, if they arent taking the bribes, they are either very honest or very stupid. Law enforcement and political leaders at all levels, including the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury were involved in corruption and manufacturing or selling illegal alcohol, including politicians who had voted dry.. The original distillery was built on the family's Sunset Hills Farm in 1935, at the end of Prohibition. And so? FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. We first introduced you to moonshiners in Franklin County in early April. Watch "You'll Never Let This Happen Again", The movie is based on actual events, as explained in the 2008 book "The Wettest County in the World" by. The county earned. information that leads to the trial transcript. Virginias moonshine history runs deep, so its no surprise that the mountain region of Virginia still has plenty to offer when it comes to distilled spirits. Fascinating account . The annual Kahila Moonshine Classic wrestling tournament is Saturday at Franklin County High School's Samuel M. Hawkins-Central. During Prohibition, prices ranged from $6 to $12 to as much as $25 per gallon. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. - Henry Lee Law is a third-generation moonshiner. Son Henry eventually chose to get the necessary state permits and open a legal distillery in Franklin County and produce Law's Choice Wheat Whiskey. If a moonshiner ran, the agents would chase them down, but most of the time, the men caught red-handed would give up without a fight; violence was a rare result for moonshine raids at the time. Several witnesses reported to have moved hundreds of thousands of gallons over a period of five or six years. 1140 Kelly Island Rd, Martinsburg, WV 25405. "Then," Greer said, "it simply disappears from the face of the earth.". My grandfather Tom refused to pay extortion money and was arrested. Rather, illegal drinking and the making of such drink skyrocketed. Whiskey manufactured under "moonshine" rather than by state permission is not taxed, and therefore is dramatically less expensive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Official Tourism Blog Of The Commonwealth Of VirginiaCopyright 2023 Virginia Tourism Corporation, 901 E. Cary St., Suite 900, Richmond, Va 23219. "Moonshiners" will feature Tim Smith and his son J.T., along with friend . The file on the tampering case also has disappeared. claimed 90 people out of 100 are making or have some connection with illicit Women and children did suffer both physical violence and poverty due to wages spent on alcohol and gambling instead of groceries and rent. Lawless is based on the book The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant, Jack Bondurants grandson. Henry and his cousin Kenny Law are the grandsons of Owen. In a 2012 Newsweek article, the younger Bondurant describes his Grandpa Jack as an imposing man while recalling taking stock of a pair of brass knuckles hanging on the wall in his grandfathers storage room. The population was 8,582 in 2010. White lightning became the county's top cash crop, rolling down mountain My grandmother Eliza to her death professed that Tom Did Nothing Wrong. Two-way radios had not yet been invented, so evading capture was still possible for moonshiners with fast vehicles who knew the winding country roads along their route. Jan 12, 2013 Updated Jun 7, 2019. You have to realize that in Southwestern Virginia and down into North Carolina and Tennessee, moonshine has a heritage that has made the area what it is today. Also, the distillation process requires substantial heat to boil the mash and separate the alcohol vapor from water vapor. While folks could enjoy prohibited liquor at tea rooms without concerns of the law, moonshiners had to learn how to finesses to make sure they also werent caught. In 1926, bootleg liquor sales reached an estimated $3.6 billion, approximately the size of the federal budget. Between the Civil War and Prohibition, excise taxes on alcohol provided between 20% - 40% of all federal revenue, and the Treasury Departments revenue agents (revenuers) arrested moonshiners for not paying taxes. Did you know that Virginia was home to the Moonshine Capital of the World? in Harrisonburg. The roads in the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian Plateau have always been poor, due to the cost of construction. Matt Bondurant, the author of Lawless, on which John Hillcoat's film was based, says his family's role in the moonshine business only came to light in recent years Matt Bondurant Sat 25 Aug 2012 . Your email address will not be published. The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935. Virginia man talks about lifelong moonshine making. BRO-TV: Sons of the Moonshine Capital of the World from Blue Ridge Outdoors on Vimeo. Tales of moonshine in Franklin County. During Prohibitionfrom 1920 to 1933 nationwide, but starting in 1916 in Virginiawhen sale of all liquor was illegal, bootleggers flourished. The federal government suggested it had been defrauded $5.5 million in excise whisky taxes ($95 million in today's money), and thus brought forth the "Great Moonshine Conspiracy" trial of 1935. In one four year period, Standard brands sold 64,000 packets of Fleischmanns Yeast in Richmond, Virginia (population of 189,000) while selling 2,250,000 packets to Franklin County (population of 24,000). . Franklin County went from 77 legal distilleries in 1893-1894 to 16 in 1906 to one in 1911 and none in 1917. Skilled bootleg drivers were known to use a bootleg turn, where they would spin the car into a 180-degree skid to shake pursuers. The Bondurant Brothers: Franklin County, VA Moonshine Conspiracy. After receiving this inside information, the agents would monitor the moonshiners and their property with the hopes of raiding the still sites when the moonshiners returned to distill. Want to know more about Virginias lesser-known history? The Franklin County, Va. Moonshine Heritage Festival will be held at Crazy Horse Marina on April. By the 1930s folks were so intertwined with moonshine that the national spotlight came to rest on Franklin County. Seven defendants pleaded guilty, including Sheriff D. Wilson Hodges, and Not surprisingly, some distillers preferred to run their operations illegally rather than pay these high taxes. Photographed above, Franklin County Distilleries is most famous for its white corn whiskey. Along with our food we offer some VA micro brew selections, and a wide variety of spirits made on site. In fact, Matt Bondurant wrote that his grandfathers shooting was unknown to the family until his father found a newspaper article about the incident. At 10 weeks, it was the second longest trial in Virginia history (behind that of Aaron Burr in 1807). That pattern dates back to the 1700's, and whiskey taxes helped the first president of the United States define the power of the Federal government. After roughly a year, Bailey was allegedly able to uncover a complex system driven by bribery and extortion, in which distillers would supposedly pay local sheriffs for protection from federal law enforcement agencies. The image of a moonshiner in the Blue Ridge Mountains tends to bring to mind an impoverished backwoods farmer, but in reality, some moonshiners would turn an incredible profit, especially during Prohibition. | HIRING - Wait and Kitchen Staff! The effort to reduce crime and protect the family backfired. The same occurred on a national level. But the Revolutionary War was at hand and the country needed money to pay for the care and supplies for American troops, so the government imposed a tax on alcohol. But basically, they were good people.. With his wife Eliza Bridges Cooper they raised eleven children on their farm in the rolling hills of the Piedmont. Liquor legality has been off and on again like a bad relationship. Watch 10 News for the latest local, statewide and national news, as well as the forecast from Your Local Weather Authority. Greer also would like to know more about the murder of Franklin County Having run out of clues, Greer has placed a classified ad in the Roanoke The third moonshine distillery to open in the county, Finally, if youre visiting Southern Virginia, plan a stop at, in Mecklenburg County, run by one of the grandsons of the legendary Bondurant brothers. DIRK BEVERIDGE December 14, 1988. 9 talking about this. If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1558. In fact, the business had to get the support of locals during the 2017 election to pass a referendum that allowed the sale of liquor by the drink. Head to the. And an air of mystery continues to surround the case, as part of the trial records disappeared from the Franklin County Courthouse files. But crafting spirits was not only a pastime for poor rural farmers; middle and upper class Americans on the eastern seaboard were known to build large dedicated stillhouses; George Washington even made his own liquor commercially at Mount Vernon, and you can still, might not have acquired many drivers from Virginias illegal moonshine trade, but one such driver who did come from this background was, , a Black American racer from Danvilles Crooktown section. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton county for statistical purposes. Race car drivers now circling around NASCAR tracks can trace the heritage of that sport to drivers carrying moonshine from mountain stills to market, using cars souped up to outrun government revenue agents. Many business leaders and politicians though it was acceptable for them to drink, but believed that excessive drinking was harmful to the working classes, so that Prohibition would be good for them by making alcohol unattainable. Ninety-nine out of every 100 residents were believed to play a part in the industry during the 1920s. White lightning became the county's top cash crop, rolling down mountain roads each night in bootlegger caravans. After a trial, 22 defendants were Copyright 2022 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. (The creation of the Confederacy in 1860-61 was just one of many sectional threats to disunite the union of the United States), The force Washington assembled was far more than necessary, but Washington, Adams, and Hamilton wanted to ensure that the supremacy of the Federal government was clearly recognized. Many of the Scots-Irish, German, and English citizens that immigrated to American were in part fleeing from what they viewed as unfair taxes imposed upon them by their former countries, and one such tax was on distilling whiskey. Heres the interesting part, Law said if the moonshiner got away, they would find another spot in Franklin County and set up another location to make moonshine until the law came and raided them again. County, and Richards had told people that he expected to go to prison but And Stanley knows a lot about the history of the moonshine in Franklin County, from the good and not-so-good. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains. That was November 1, 1916. Liquor is manufactured from corn, rye, and other grains - unlike wine, which is produced from grapes or other fruits. According to the journals, Hat Man bought 17,925 100-pound bags of sugar, paying close to $700,000, and 2,710 bundles of one-gallon containers for which he paid $42,000. 0. A visit to Franklin County is a visit to the moonshine capital of the world and the wettest county in the world.. The still was discovered in 1979, by which time revenue agents estimated that it had run for several years before being discovered. Franklin County Kahila Moonshine Classic detail view. The film was released uncut internationally (including Canada). Another moonshine distillery in the area is Twin Creeks Distillery, where you can sample moonshine, fruit brandies, and White Whiskey, the distillerys pure, unaged corn liquors available in 90- and 100-proof. Liquor legality has been off and on again like a bad relationship 14,.. Drinking and the Wettest County in the mountains of thick paper with a metal bottom for [..., which eventually gave Franklin County, Va. we first introduced you moonshiners... 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