1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910953490503321

Autore

Thompson Charles D., Jr. (Charles Dillard), <1956->

Titolo

Spirits of Just Men : Mountaineers, Liquor Bosses, and Lawmen in the Moonshine Capital of the World

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Urbana, : University of Illinois Press, 2011

ISBN

9780252095269

025209526X

9781299183896

1299183891

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (306 p.)

Disciplina

975.5

Soggetti

Distilling, Illicit -- Virginia -- Franklin County -- History

Franklin County (Va.) -- History -- 20th century

Franklin County (Va.) -- Religious life and customs

Franklin County (Va.) -- Social life and customs

Lee, Charles Carter, -- d. 1958 -- Trials, litigation, etc

Mountain life -- Virginia -- Franklin County

Mountain people -- Virginia -- Franklin County

Distilling, Illicit - History - Franklin County - Virginia

Mountain life - Virginia - Franklin County

Mountain people - Virginia - Franklin County

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di contenuto

""Cover""; ""Copyright""; ""Contents""; ""ACKNOWLEDGMENTS""; ""PROLOGUE""; ""1 Conspiracy Trial in the Moonshine Capital of the World""; ""2 Wettest Section in the U.S.A.""; ""3 Appalachian Spring""; ""4 Elder Goode""; ""5 Last Old Dollar Is Gone""; ""6 Entrepreneurial Spirits""; ""7 Her Moonshine Neighbor as Herself""; ""8 Murder Trial in Franklin County""; ""EPILOGUE""; ""NOTES""; ""WORKS CITED""; ""INDEX""; ""back cover""

Sommario/riassunto

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."



Charles D. Thompson Jr. chronicles the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, which made national news and exposed the far-reaching and pervasive tendrils of Appalachia's local moonshine economy. Thompson, whose ancestors were involved in the area's moonshine trade and trial as well as local law enforcement, uses the event as a stepping-off point to explore Blue Ridge Mountain culture, economy, and political engagement in the 1930s. Drawing from extensive oral histories and local archival material, he illustrates how the moonshine trade was a rational and savvy choice for struggling farmers and community members during the Great Depression. Local characters come alive through this richly colorful narrative, including the stories of Miss Ora Harrison, a key witness for the defense and an Episcopalian missionary to the region, and Elder Goode Hash, an itinerant Primitive Baptist preacher and juror in a related murder trial. Considering the complex interactions of religion, economics, local history, Appalachian culture, and immigration, Thompson's sensitive analysis examines the people and processes involved in turning a basic agricultural commodity into such a sought-after and essentially American spirit.