Spirits of just men tells the story of moonshine in 1930s america, as seen through the remarkable location of franklin county, virginia, a place that many still refer to as the moonshine capital of the world. Moonshine county express the grindhouse cinema database. April is moonshine heritage month in franklin county. There has been so much moonshine made in franklin county that you can literally walk. Franklin county moonshine history depicted in movie. Events franklin county virginia historical society. A history of moonshine production in franklin county, va. Into their backwoods domain ventures special agent charlie. The three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke, along with their sultry new hire jessica chastain, command the most.
Complete daily newspaper accounts beverly merritt, morris stephenson, angie leary on. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 greer, t. Matts grandfather and grand uncles were central players in franklin county, virginias illegal alcohol business, a racket so notorious that the place. Names of families in franklin county genealogy, wills, estates franklin county is located in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains the county was formed in 1785 from parts of bedford and henry counties and was named for benjamin franklin. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 wikipedia. Genealogy franklin county, virginia genealogy records. Complete daily newspaper accounts kindle edition by merritt, beverly, stephenson, morris, leary, angie. This article is within the scope of wikiproject virginia, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the u. Moonshine is set during the prohibition era, deep in the backwoods of appalachia and tells the story of lou pirlo, a cityslick torpedo sent from new york city to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in west virginia, one hiram holt. The salt while the revival has taken off around the country, its especially strong in virginia, where many of the twists, turns. Based on the book, the wettest county in the world, author matt bondurant spins a tale of his grandfather and granduncles, who are bootleggers in franklin county, virginia during prohibition. Records introduced during the great moonshine conspiracy trial.
The hardcover of the the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 by t. Virginia and county heritage books page created by john webb. Moonshine suspects to face trial associated press september 8,2001. Two small distilleries one in boones mill and another in rocky mount are paying tribute to the countys long, and sometimes scandalous, moonshine history. Weve got lots of artifacts from this mostly legal moonshine distillery. Kojo nnamdi but long ago, the bondurant name was better known for something else, moonshine. Since you arent able to visit us this month, we decided to post a photo of an item in our moonshine collection each wednesday. At the time, franklin county was believed to produce the highest volume of illegal liquor in the u. North carolina holds a special place in the history of moonshine. Click download or read online button to get franklin county s famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial book now.
He is the youngest son of the late jack bondurant, one of three franklin county moonshine making brothers portrayed in the film, which is based on his nephew matt bondurants book the wettest. Franklin county, virginia has been called the moonshine capital of the world. A high school wrestling tournament is called the moonshine classic. The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of franklin county.
Hudsonrobertson cemetery hardy, franklin county, virginia. In 19811982, 74 of 158 stills broken up in all virginia were in franklin county. The county seat for franklin county is located in rocky mount. Franklin county is known as the moonshine capital of the world. Provides vintage photograph restoration, books, and photo dating tips to genealogists and historians. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to burnt chimney. The there was a time in the blue ridge mountains when scores had to be settled, when fear was replaced with resolve, and. Around the turn of the 19th century, mob lynching, gunfights, and the sale of blockade whiskey made mitchell county, north carolina the most dangerous place in the country. Credit is given to those researcherseditors known to us.
Tim rowland is a veteran history press author, having written high peaks. We are using the following gps coordinates latitude and longitude for the robertson cemetery. The making of moonshine in the hills and hollows is recalled by the storytellers, many of. Spiralbound, most are collections by individual researchers, some are published works copied with permission. Search virginia death records virginia newspapers, full search 17351986, 208 titles virginia obituary search 1985current virginia funeral notices. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. They make excellent moonshine and defend their turf without compromise. The pine mountain trail follows the namesake ridge and the longest piece of that trail is the 35 mile birch knob section which runs from elkhorn city, kentucky to pound gap righ. See more ideas about west virginia, virginia and appalachian people. Tales from the moonshine trade clinch mountain press. Sampling virginia moonshine at its source the washington. Below are the counties that are near burnt chimney. Floyd virginia genealogy also including carroll, patrick.
The franklin county conspiracy blue ridge institute and. Deputy jeff richards, the alleged treasurer in franklin county s moonshine conspiracy, was murdered in his car with his 38 revolver, shown here, in his hand. Based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, the wettest county in the world is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. Nascar emerged from the illegal moonshine trade as drivers such as junior johnson, accustomed to running from the law, moved to the racetrack. The robertson cemetery is located in franklin county. Franklin county virginia has been called the moonshine capital of the world. Matherly was arrested and charged may 6 after agents from the virginia department of alcoholic beverage control raided a site in eastern franklin county and destroyed two 800gallon black pot. Welcome, a nd thank you for visiting i write the moonshine mystery series featuring daisy and rick, a smalltown diner waitress and the local bad boy moonshiner, in rural southwestern virginia. Patrick county genealogy information franklin county vagenweb a great starting place with links to franklin county genealogy information rootsweb virginia resources many links surname search the virginia civil war home page links to confederate information. There has been so much moonshine made in franklin county that you can literally walk up any creek and find an old moonshine still.
From 19281935, prosecutors alleged that a conspiracy. Forrest, the eldest brother, is fierce, mythically indestructible. Jim smith, a prisoner richards was transporting to the county jail at the time, was also killed, but smith had nothing to do with the conspiracy. Illicit distilling, illicit virginia franklin county. A rousing tale of moonshine and conspiracy in depressionera rural virginia. The wettest county in the world is the depressionera tale of how the bondurant boys ran moonshine and beat the bejeezus out of everyone with brass. The book the wettest county in the world was the inspiration for the movie. S governments actual transcripts of the 1935 franklin county moonshine conspiracy trial were accidently destroyed by nature several yearsmonths after the trail had concluded. Franklin county is featured in the film lawless 2012, adapted from the novel in a screenplay by nick cave. At the time, franklin county was believed to produce the highest volume of. A murdered moonshiners three sexy daughters, the hammer sisters. Those accused included elected officials, business owners and operators, likker makers and transporters and even a. This site is like a library, use search box in the.
The scotsirish farmers in the virginia mountains made whiskey for generations prior to prohibition, and they werent about to halt that home craft when the government enacted laws against it. Moonshine heritage exploring the history of moonshine in. Hudsonrobertson cemetery franklin county, virginia. The wettest county in the world is a 2008 historical novel by matt bondurant, an american writer who features his grandfather jack and granduncles forrest and howard as the main characters in the novel.
The first one, april 1, is a folding skeleton key from the mountain rose distillery operated by joe h. Individuals are named, the trials and results are given and the wide government net is explained. Search 1,299 then share your genealogy and compare dna to grow an accurate global family tree thats free forever. A history of hiking the adirondacks from noah to neoprene. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 resulted in the indictment of 80 people involved in the illegal production and distribution of moonshine whisky in virginia. Franklin countys famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial. Rowland will be on his home turf, where he has been a newspaper columnist and freelance magazine writer for many years. Franklin countys moonshine past gets national attention in the new movie lawless, which opens wednesday at more 2,200 theaters across the country. Distilleries embrace franklin countys moonshine history. Dot, sissy and betty susan howard, maureen mccormick and claudia jennings decide to compete with a local big player jack starkey william conrad whom they believe caused their fathers death. Ive commented before on how easy it is to find old moonshine stills rusting away in the woods. Bondurant boys as appalachian gangsters blue ridge. The morning delivery december 19, 1930 surviving the shootout moonshine continues forrest bondurant nov.
The franklin county conspiracy blue ridge institute and museum. Agents bust rankin county still as moonshine makes a comeback. Almost everyone likes a good mystery story, so it was no surprise when louise lynch, retired director of williamson county archive, sold all the books she brought to the first book signing for her book moonshine and murder. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 jump to. The book tells of the trio during the depression and prohibition in rural virginia. Deep in the woods of eastern kentucky along the border with virginia lies a mountain with a somewhat shady past. This is the rare first edition of a book that sold out in 2003. Sidney smith, 77, has been making moonshine in the rural sand hill community of rankin county for many years, after learning the craft from his now late uncle. Franklin county s famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial. Franklin county is the setting for matt bondurants historical novel, the wettest county in the world 2008 set in the prohibition era, featuring his grandfather and two greatuncles among the bootleggers. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading franklin countys famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial.
With the highly organized moonshine industry disrupted, franklin county was not out of business. Family books available in the research library at the franklin. Family books available in the research library at the. We were all aware that my grandfather used to run liquor when he was young, but these were things that were never discussed in franklin county, va. The bondurant boys were a notorious gang of roughnecks and moonshiners who ran liquor through franklin county, virginia, during prohibition and in the years after. For nearly a century, folks have made this sprawling, rural region of southwest virginia the epicenter of blackmarket hooch. Forrest tom hardy, howard jason clarke, and jack shia labeouf bondurant successfully run moonshine out of the mountains and into chicago, until. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935, 2002, 916. For more than three centuries, the illicit homebrew was a way of life. Gilliams of franklin county updated march 12, 2016 background franklin county was named for benjamin franklin and was formed from bedford and henry counties in 1785.
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