Two small distilleries one in boones mill and another in rocky mount are paying tribute to the countys long, and sometimes scandalous, moonshine history. Tales from the moonshine trade clinch mountain press. North carolina holds a special place in the history of moonshine. Floyd virginia genealogy also including carroll, patrick. Complete daily newspaper accounts kindle edition by merritt, beverly, stephenson, morris, leary, angie. Franklin county is featured in the film lawless 2012, adapted from the novel in a screenplay by nick cave. 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.
Franklin county is known as the moonshine capital of the world. Records introduced during the great moonshine conspiracy trial. Into their backwoods domain ventures special agent charlie. This site is like a library, use search box in the. They make excellent moonshine and defend their turf without compromise. See more ideas about west virginia, virginia and appalachian people. Credit is given to those researcherseditors known to us. Franklin county virginia has been called the moonshine capital of the world. The hardcover of the the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 by t.
Illicit distilling, illicit virginia franklin county. Below are the counties that are near burnt chimney. At the time, franklin county was believed to produce the highest volume of illegal liquor in the u. There has been so much moonshine made in franklin county that you can literally walk. Rowland will be on his home turf, where he has been a newspaper columnist and freelance magazine writer for many years. The three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke, along with their sultry new hire jessica chastain, command the most.
Since you arent able to visit us this month, we decided to post a photo of an item in our moonshine collection each wednesday. There has been so much moonshine made in franklin county that you can literally walk up any creek and find an old moonshine still. 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. The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of franklin county. Agents bust rankin county still as moonshine makes a comeback. 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. This article is within the scope of wikiproject virginia, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the u. Hudsonrobertson cemetery franklin county, virginia.
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. 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. Forrest tom hardy, howard jason clarke, and jack shia labeouf bondurant successfully run moonshine out of the mountains and into chicago, until. Individuals are named, the trials and results are given and the wide government net is explained. The robertson cemetery is located in franklin county. 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. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 jump to. The county seat for franklin county is located in rocky mount. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 wikipedia. 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. Distilleries embrace franklin countys moonshine history. This is the rare first edition of a book that sold out in 2003. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The book tells of the trio during the depression and prohibition in 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. Moonshine county express the grindhouse cinema database. The franklin county conspiracy blue ridge institute and museum. Forrest, the eldest brother, is fierce, mythically indestructible. Franklin countys moonshine past gets national attention in the new movie lawless, which opens wednesday at more 2,200 theaters across the country. The book the wettest county in the world was the inspiration for the movie. Matts grandfather and grand uncles were central players in franklin county, virginias illegal alcohol business, a racket so notorious that the place. 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.
Family books available in the research library at the franklin. Kojo nnamdi but long ago, the bondurant name was better known for something else, moonshine. Complete daily newspaper accounts beverly merritt, morris stephenson, angie leary on. With the highly organized moonshine industry disrupted, franklin county was not out of business. 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. 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.
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. Genealogy franklin county, virginia genealogy records. 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. For more than three centuries, the illicit homebrew was a way of life. From 19281935, prosecutors alleged that a conspiracy. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935, 2002, 916. 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. 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. Franklin county, virginia has been called the moonshine capital of the world. 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. Franklin county s famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial. 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.
Family books available in the research library at the. Moonshine suspects to face trial associated press september 8,2001. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 greer, t. For nearly a century, folks have made this sprawling, rural region of southwest virginia the epicenter of blackmarket hooch. A rousing tale of moonshine and conspiracy in depressionera rural virginia. 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. 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. Search 1,299 then share your genealogy and compare dna to grow an accurate global family tree thats free forever. In 19811982, 74 of 158 stills broken up in all virginia were in franklin county. Those accused included elected officials, business owners and operators, likker makers and transporters and even a. 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. Virginia and county heritage books page created by john webb.
Franklin countys famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial. 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. Weve got lots of artifacts from this mostly legal moonshine distillery. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to burnt chimney. Moonshine heritage exploring the history of moonshine in. S governments actual transcripts of the 1935 franklin county moonshine conspiracy trial were accidently destroyed by nature several yearsmonths after the trail had concluded.
Events franklin county virginia historical society. 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. Hudsonrobertson cemetery hardy, franklin county, virginia. Deep in the woods of eastern kentucky along the border with virginia lies a mountain with a somewhat shady past. 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. The morning delivery december 19, 1930 surviving the shootout moonshine continues forrest bondurant nov. The there was a time in the blue ridge mountains when scores had to be settled, when fear was replaced with resolve, and. A murdered moonshiners three sexy daughters, the hammer sisters. Provides vintage photograph restoration, books, and photo dating tips to genealogists and historians. The salt while the revival has taken off around the country, its especially strong in virginia, where many of the twists, turns. Nascar emerged from the illegal moonshine trade as drivers such as junior johnson, accustomed to running from the law, moved to the racetrack. Tim rowland is a veteran history press author, having written high peaks.
A high school wrestling tournament is called the moonshine classic. Sampling virginia moonshine at its source the washington. 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. The first one, april 1, is a folding skeleton key from the mountain rose distillery operated by joe h. Spiralbound, most are collections by individual researchers, some are published works copied with permission. Franklin county moonshine history depicted in movie. Bondurant boys as appalachian gangsters blue ridge. Search virginia death records virginia newspapers, full search 17351986, 208 titles virginia obituary search 1985current virginia funeral notices. Click download or read online button to get franklin county s famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial book now. A history of moonshine production in franklin county, va. The franklin county conspiracy blue ridge institute and. 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.