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.'' Local characters come alive through this richly colourful chronicle of 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. Charles D. Thompson Jr., 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, 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. A native son of Franklin County, Virginia, author and filmmaker Charles D. Thompson Jr. is the curriculum and education director at the Center for Documentary Studies and a lecturer of cultural anthropology at Duke University. His other books include German Baptist Brethren: Faith, Farming, and Change in the Virginia Blue Ridge, and his latest film is Brother Towns/Pueblos Hermanos.
Acknowledgments xi Prologue xiii 1 Conspiracy Trial in the Moonshine Capital of the World 1 2 Wettest Section in the U.S.A. 29 3 Appalachian Spring 59 4 Elder Goode 85 5 Last Old Dollar Is Gone 121 6 Entrepreneurial Spirits 145 7 Her Moonshine Neighbor as Herself 177 8 Murder Trial in Franklin County 209 Epilogue 229 Notes 239 Works Cited 251 Index 259
''Thompson brings the area to life, offering a portrait of a place that the government forgot, a blue-collar town run amok with barefoot children and well-armed men... A meticulous, exhaustive history of moonshining, poverty and Blue Ridge culture.''--Kirkus Reviews ''A wonderful book! Nobody has ever brought more passionate interest, love, and real connection to a subject than Thompson, whose roots run deep in Franklin County. His examination of the economics of 'blockading'--or moonshining---is fascinating. And his evocation of the lost community of Endicott, its people, and its whole way of life is very moving. A native of southwest Virginia myself, I sat right down and read this book straight through, like a novel, with little shocks of recognition and pleasure all the way.''--Lee Smith, author of Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger ''This fascinating book convincingly argues the importance of national policy in creating and sustaining what has been perceived as a regional phenomenon. Thompson refutes easy stereotypes and instead gives us a well written and well researched account of what Edith Wharton called 'the hard considerations of the poor.'''--Ron Rash, author of Serena: A Novel ''A fascinating narrative of how mountain farmers responded to the challenges of making a living during hard times. Charles D. Thompson Jr. animates his rich and vivid story of the moonshine business in the 1930s with memorable characters and unique voices.''--Patricia D. Beaver, coeditor of Tales from Sacred Wind: Coming of Age in Appalachia ''In Spirits of Just Men, Charles D. Thompson Jr. takes us from a documentary of moonshining in a mountain community to a history of the nation. All in all an excellent read. We are grateful to him.''--Will D. Campbell, author of Brother to a Dragonfly ''Spirits of Just Men is an example of microhistory at its best. Thompson's community approach enables him to capture the complex reasons for the rise of moonshining and the corruption that this illicit trade bred during the 1930s... Spirits of Just Men will serve as a model for future studies on moonshining in twentieth-century America. Students of southern and Appalachian history, in particular, will find this lucid and entertaining book of great use.'' - Bruce Stewart, H-Appalachia
