Fascinating account of this most famous trial shows us the inner workings of moonshine production and distribution operations in franklin county, virginia, as told by those who were involved in the day to day tasks. The foxfire book is the original guidebook on making moonshine. Bondurant family has mixed emotions about lawless local. How to survive alone in the wilderness for 1 week eastern woodlands duration. Matt bondurant, the author of lawless, on which john hillcoats film was based, says his familys role in the moonshine business only came to light in recent years. Lawless is based on the book the wettest county in the world by matt. The real story behind lawless by matt bondurant newsweek. 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 involvedand not in the way you might initially think. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 wikipedia. Bondurant boys as appalachian gangsters blue ridge.
Of course the famous moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 has always taken center stage. Franklin county, virginia has been called the moonshine capital of the world. As of 2000, the local chamber of commerce had adopted the title as a heritage identification for the area. A man by the name of sherwood anderson began to research about the men who had. Illicit virginia franklin county history law criminal law general law. Franklin county distilleries a virginia distillery. The wettest county in the world book by matt bondurant. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935, 2002, 916. The wettest county in the world is a suspense story dashed to tintype smithereens, each one a jewel. Franklin county is a county located in the blue ridge foothills of the u. Franklin county moonshine stills moonshine heritage.
Sep 05, 2012 in whats referred to as the great franklin county moonshine conspiracy, commonwealth attorney mason wardell got his hands dirty when he demanded money in return for moonshinerunning protection. Franklin county, virginia, united states genealogy. Franklin county is featured in the film lawless 2012, adapted from the novel in a screenplay by nick cave. For more information about the story or charlie thompsons book, visit. A visit to franklin county is a visit to the moonshine capital of the world and. The roanoke river forms its northeast boundary with bedford county. Heres a few pics from a friend that was hiking around jamison mill park on philpott lake in franklin county, virginia. S governments actual transcripts of the 1935 franklin county moonshine conspiracy trial were accidently destroyed by nature several yearsmonths after the trail had concluded.
A history of moonshine production in franklin county, va. Fairfax county native matt bondurant hits big screen with. Sep 07, 2012 in one county franklin it is claimed 99 people out of 100 are making, or have some connection to illicit liquor. From 19281935, prosecutors alleged that a conspiracy ring had defrauded the government out of 5.
These 3 men bootlegged gallons and gallons of moonshine all over the state of virginia and were some of the best at it. Including 19 moonshiners, one corporation, and 9 government officials. Jul 15, 2017 come join us under the shade trees onsite saturday, july 15 at 9. In 19811982, 74 of 158 stills broken up in all virginia were in franklin county. At the time, franklin county was believed to produce the highest volume of illegal liquor in the u. A former john gardner fellow in fiction at bread loaf, kingsbury fellow at florida state, and walter e.
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. Keister greer, retired attorney franklin county, va. Official records of the commission of law enforcement and observance 1935, vol. Spirits of just men chronicles the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935, held in franklin county, virginia, a place that many still refer to as the moonshine capital of the world. Franklin countys famous 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial. County of franklin 1255 franklin street rocky mount, va 24151 phone. Aug 27, 2011 the book is over 900 pages and probably requires an interlibrary loan service to get it, but it offers court proceedings, photographs, and an account of the great moonshine conspiracy trail of 1935 which includes reallife characters from the wettest county in the world. Franklin county distilleries 25156 highway 220, boones mill, va 24065 540. The novel is told from both the perspectives of the three bondurant. Greer, author of moonshine corner, keys to rocky mount and widow of t. Intrigued by the movie lawless, on which the book the wettest county in the world is based, i decided to read mr bondurants work.
Monday to thursday 8am9pm friday 8am9pm saturday 8am9pm sunday 11am7pm closed christmas day. For tickets or support call 1 540 3091781 1 540 3397269. Virginia and california bars familiar with the history of franklin county, va, of the longest jury trial in virginias history, the 1935 trial concerning franklin county and its neighboring counties and the making of illicit liquor,in an attempt to show all that happened conspiracy, moonshining, murders. He is the greatnephew of the main character, jack bondurant, the youngest of three hardcase brothers, who choose to operate independently from what was known as the franklin county, va, moonshine conspiracy, the head of which was a socalled commonwealth. The book the wettest county in the world was the inspiration for the movie. Family books available in the research library at the. Franklin county distilleries a virginia distillery located.
Ive commented before on how easy it is to find old moonshine stills rusting away in the woods. Cahas mountain franklin county library book club kits. In the 20th century during prohibition, local wits named franklin county the moonshine capital of the world, as moonshine production and bootlegging drove the economy. This is the rare first edition of a book that sold out in 2003. 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. Keister greer chronicled this well in his book so titled.
The overall story was through many events and even an actual trial the bondurant brothers were found at the center of franklin county moonshine. Lawless, moonshiners, and the vhs virginia museum of. Transcripts of the governments grand jury testimony were not lost. Elis avery, author of the teahouse fire brilliantly conceived, and so close to home, this novel proves matt bondurants burgeoning talent a book for thirsty american readers to guzzle down, a book for all young american writers to admire.
In franklin county, known as the moonshine capital of the world, just saying the name amos law can get you pretty far in the moonshine business, henry said. Franklin county, virginia the moonshine capital of. Wardell brings in special deputy charlie rakes guy pearce to encourage read. They are best known for the great franklin county moonshine conspiracy. Franklin county virginia has been called the moonshine capital of the world. 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. Covid community conversations join franklin county and cable 12 on wednesday. Aug 22, 2016 rhodessa rose and her kin will live on in your heart. Moonshine heritage exploring the history of moonshine in. The morning delivery december 19, 1930 surviving the shootout moonshine continues forrest bondurant nov. Franklin moonshine conspiracy a total of 34 franklin county residents were federally indicted for the bribery scheme. The moonshine stills are located on a small tributary to nicholson creek just off the the north rim trail at jamison mill park. She was involved in the 1935 moonshine conspiracy trial in franklin county, virginia. A family story and some colorful legends combine in this classic american novel of crime, passion, revenge, and violence set in rural franklin county, va, during the great depression.
In whats referred to as the great franklin county moonshine conspiracy. Illicit distilling, illicit virginia franklin county history law criminal law general law legal. The book tells of the trio during the depression and prohibition in rural virginia. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935, 2002, 916 pages. Simmons and richards were onscene when paul and hubbards older brother, frank duling, was killed during a moonshine run between franklin county, va. Aug 25, 2012 matt bondurant, the author of lawless, on which john hillcoats film was based, says his familys role in the moonshine business only came to light in recent years. Historians estimate that in the 1920s, 99 out of every 100 franklin county residents were involved in shine in some way. Vintage story about moonshiners in franklin county, va. The salt while the revival has taken off around the country, its especially strong in virginia, where many of the twists, turns. Records introduced during the great moonshine conspiracy trial, list shipments of nearly 34 million pounds of sugar, million pounds of corn meal, 1 million pounds of malt, 30,300 pounds of hops and 35 tons of yeast making their way to franklin county during a fiveyear period. What better setting to experience it in than franklin county, va, with its unique and colorful chapters in the annals of moonshine. The great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 book, 2003. The case is the second longest in virginia s history and eventually resulted in 20 convictions, including several officers of the law and. Its county seat is rocky mount franklin county is part of the roanoke, va metropolitan statistical area and is located in the roanoke region of virginia.
Old roller mill will be home to bondurant distillery. A very indepth history of moonshine whiskey making in franklin county, virginamoonshine capital of. Dozens of members of the bondurant family attended the first showing of the movie lawless at eagle cinema in rocky mount wednesday night, and many walked away with mixed emotions. Franklin county virginia was once called the moonshine capital of the. Here is the story of the duling brothers and the moonshine mafia. Ironically, greers first job out of law school was. The writer matt bondurant had ancestors in the area, whose exploits during this period inspired his historical novel, the wettest county in the world 2008. During prohibition, local wits named franklin county the moonshine capital of the world, a name trumpeted today by the local chamber of commerce, although it is still being made commonly in the area. It took three trials to convict the duling brothers of the murder of franklin county, va.
Keister greers history the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 2002 covered the trial. Franklin county moonshine making brothers portrayed in the film, which is based on his nephew matt bondurants book the wettest county in. In 2002, a book was written about the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 in the county. Mar 24, 2017 the three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke, along with their sultry new hire jessica chastain, command the most lucrative bootlegging operation in franklin county, virginia. Matt bondurant uses the history of his own family to tell the story of moonshining during the 20s and 30s in his book the wettest county in the world. Matt bondurants novel the wettest county in the world scribner 2008 was a new york times editors pick, and san francisco chronicle best 50 books of the year. At the time, franklin county was believed to produce the highest volume of. Bondurant brothers prohibition franklin county virginia.
Longtime franklin county journalist morris stephenson, pictured here outside of his office in rocky mount, has recently selfpublished a book about moonshining in franklin county. May 24, 2012 a large racketeering trial in 1935, called the great franklin county moonshine conspiracy, provided much of the detail that bondurant used to fill in the gaps of the story, but the trial. 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 government officials included the commonwealth attorney, his name was charles carter lee and he was a great nephew to robert e. Matt bondurants most recent novel is the night swimmer. The three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke, along with their sultry new hire jessica chastain, command the most lucrative bootlegging operation in. In whats referred to as the great franklin county moonshine conspiracy, commonwealth attorney mason wardell got his hands dirty when he demanded money in return for moonshinerunning protection. Learn the incredible story of the moonshine capital of the world when it comes to moonshine, franklin county was the epicenter of the action. The only written records that still exist are those written by reporters from franklin. Lawless the true story of the wettest county in the world. Bondurant does an excellent job painting a picture of the hardscrabble lives of people in virginias franklin county. The franklin county broadband authority and the franklin county board of supervisors moves forward with phase one of delivering broadband to its citizens utilizing grant funds awarded in january from the virginia telecommunications initiative vati.
With the highly organized moonshine industry disrupted, franklin county was not out of business. Brothers were center of 1930s tale of moonshine and murder. Written in question and answer form using courtroom testimony without the enhancement of opinion, the book effectively tells the story of the likker conspiracy in franklin county, va. This was a conspiracy many events were talked about it regards to the bondurant brothers. 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 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 book tells of the trio during the depression and prohibition in rural virginia, who made a living bootlegging moonshine. Franklin county is part of the roanoke, va metropolitan statistical area and is located in the roanoke region of virginia. Keister greers history the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935 2002 covered the trial and its background in the county. Keister greer, holds a copy of his 2002 book, the great moonshine conspiracy trial of 1935.
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