Is stillin in your family tree?

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W Pappy
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Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Just received a genealogical book I guess you could call it for Christmas.Quite a surprise it came from a source I have not talked to in 31 years.It is wrought with shiners at least I had no clue about that side of the family there are at least 2 for sure on the other side.Funny the ones that bootlegged were busted, the ones that did it for home use never had any problem with the law.Not so sure they didn't sell looks like one could have had the law in his pocket.It appears one of my great uncles that was a shiner had a son in law thrown on a chain gang for a spell. And they didn't let him out till uncle gave the OK kinda odd.One was sent up for 5 years the book has arrest record and mug shot of him one of them one was shot and killed.The ones that were good boys for the most part lived to a decent age many didn't make it out of their early 30's kinda sad really.It has some good reading in it going back to the late 1700's of one side of my family.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Bushman
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Bushman »

That is something to cherish! My wife's cousin did one of those geneology books and it is great to learn about your past. Before my mother died at 93 she told me in passing that her family made alcohol for themselves when she was young. Have no information other than she grew up in the Arkansas (early years) then Texas.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by ShineRunnah »

That's pretty cool. It's always interesting to learn about your heritage. A relative traced our roots back to England, and learned our family came to America on the Mayflower. Definitely learn some interesting stuff from geneology.

As for shiners in my history, haven't found much on that. However, my great aunt married a bootlegger from Tennessee, though he made some shine himself as well. He passed away when I was maybe 12 or 13, so I didn't get to talk to him about it much. But my great aunt has pictures of him from his bootlegging days, loading cases of bottles in the trunk his car, standing beside a huge submarine pot and doing other associated stuff. He was quite the character from what I remember. Wish he was still around to talk to about those days of his past.
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Tater
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Tater »

I do dad did grandpa did and he told me his dad and grand pa did.
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by MitchyBourbon »

Yup,

My mom did a search about 10 years ago. My relatives came to northern Minnesota from Zacatecas Mexico and from Sætersdal Norway both arrived around 1900. Most came to farm I know my grand father and his brother were distillers cuz I used to spy on them when I was very young. I'm sure there were others too. My grandma had lots of stories she told about her father and brothers sneaking in and out of Canada during prohibition.
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Good stuff guys I wish the family had talked about it when I was a boy, it was never mentioned while growing up.ShineRunnah I had a relative on the mayflower also, somewhere I have a copy of the ships passenger list.When I was a young boy always loved watching any movies that had anything to do with prohibition favorite show growing up was you guessed it Dukes of Hazard must be something to this DNA thing ha. :lol:
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by woodshed »

All the way to the shelf. My Smoke Shine is my grandpa's recipe, which he improved on from his dad. My Eagle Mtn is my version of my dad's "light whiskey".
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

I have to say that is cool as hell woodshed, after all those years and then you get to share that heritage with the public. And they can taste the same stuff fellas were throwing back 100 years or more ago.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
woodshed
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by woodshed »

Makes me feel good. Dad talked about it for years but by the time he felt ready to commit cancer was his bigger concern.
When he passed I felt I should pursue it. Likker to the masses he liked to say.
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

:thumbup: I'm sure he could never be prouder.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
Usge
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Usge »

It's good you are carrying it on then woodshed.

When I was little, my grandpaw used to get drunker than hell with his friend. They used to make a bit of rot-gut and wine and bought some along the way too. I saw them do it and suffered their wrath along the way. But, they never taught me shit. ...other than how to duck..or maybe tell me to go fetch some water, etc. They weren't really good with kids. I have no idea what his dad taught him, or not — probably about the same he taught me...ie., nada. I think it was something they just picked up to further their drinkin habit. What they made was awful, and what they bought sometimes smelled quite good, but their behavior sure wasn't anything to be proud of. That was "one" side of my family. The other side, ..bible thumpers from way back. No dancing. No drinking. No smoking. etc. They go back a long way. But, whether or not any of them ever made likker...I guess I'd never know...nor does anybody in that side of the family as far as I know. And if they did...they sure wouldn't tell anybody now. I know one of them owned and a ran a grist mill in the 1800s. So, maybe he ground up a few lbs of corn along the way for somebody else's likker. I have no way to know. I still remember the smell though. And dealing with really drunk people, fights, etc. (ever see somebody so drunk they wandered off the back porch and got lost?). That was my only connection to it really. Everything I know about stillin...I learned here.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by hamshine »

I don't know for sure but my Mom is from NC and her dad , my Grandpa was named Elwood Gladwell. Sounds like a shiner name to me. He never told me about it but I suspect his disaproval of most packaged liquor came from someware :lol:
ETOH.... yes plz
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Seen em so drunk they past out after they run the cows into milk house. And didn't get no more than 3 out 25 of em milked that nite.Learned a lot about mastitis as a kid.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by sdpoage »

My mother told me when she found out I was doing this that my great grandfather did some time in prison during the 30's for doing this. But I think shhhe said he was supplementing his income also. My father in law said his dad and uncle did also. His uncle committed suicide to keep from going to prison.
You know your an alcoholic when you have your own still, mash your own grain and distill your own likker, but you don't care!!! A.A. is for quitters.

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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Nutmegmooner »

I do dad did grandpa did and he told me his dad and grand pa did.


That's quite a sentence right there!
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Bigbob »

My great great grandfather opened one of the first vineyards in California, my other great grandfather was a bottler. It's in the genes I tell ya!!
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Truckinbutch »

Both sides of my family have been involved in makin , transporting , selling , and consuming untaxed spirits . Quite a number of them have spent some time "working for the state " over the years .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Hahaha Butch I bet their severance package wasn't as good as some of the
other state employees when they were let go.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Truckinbutch
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Truckinbutch »

New suit and $15 release money was what i was told was the average severance .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Red Rim »

Research has shown me that my last name is one of the few places in Scotland it has to be from to be called Scotch! That's lineage like it or not. Besides my grandpa owned a bar in rural Cali, I bet he served it there as well! It came way to easy to be coincidence.
There is no such thing as a stupid question....... Unless you didn't research it first.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by midwest shinner »

True that Pappy. To re-iterate,don't sell,don't tell. My grandfather used to bootleg during the depression and made his own for himself and family apparently. He seemed excited when we got down to talking and he realized I knew what I was talking about when it came to the process involved in making a wash or mash for distillation. Things were obviously done as economically as possible back then,but whatev. Now I just need to try and get some traditional recipes from him... should have my chance to talk tomorrow
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Red Rim »

Lucky f*xkers!!! To have first hand knowledge from old timers! You know how much work I have had to do to find that information!!!
There is no such thing as a stupid question....... Unless you didn't research it first.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by rubber duck »

ya i learned from the old folks. I wish I would have paid more attention. There is the how and the why, we all sit around and talk about they why, but the how is what gets it done.

Ive got boxes of notes and old memories now. not much of a substitute.
Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. John Steinbeck
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Truckinbutch wrote:New suit and $15 release money was what i was told was the average severance .
Sounds about rite Butch one of my great uncles was thrown in. Decided he didn't like it too much
escaped thrown back in escaped again.They caught him couple months later this time they took him
for a ride to the morgue.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Truckinbutch
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Truckinbutch »

Google 'Shootout at the Hillsville VA Court House' . Probably you'll see some pictures of some of my Mother's family .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Damn!! It appears there is a movie about this shooting, that is some good reading.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by ShineRunnah »

Thanks for sharing everyone, enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I've always been interested in family history, and history in general, so it's very interesting to read about some of the interesting family history some of you have.

I got to thinking about this, and remembered I have some relatives (by marriage, though we are/were close) in Tennessee that had deep family roots there.
I made a call to my step-grandmother and asked her about any moonshiners or bootleggers in the family. She said there was plenty of it in the family, and told me to stop by as she has some photo albums somewhere with a bunch of old pics, newspaper clippings and other neat info. I'm going over this weekend to have a look and get the story. I know it's not really "my history", but close enough! I'm excited to learn about it nonetheless.

Should be pretty cool to see some shine history from Roane and Cocke counties in Tennessee. I'll see if I can borrow any pics worth sharing and post them here.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Usge »

Ever have your Mom pick up something off your workbench, check out your solder joins and ask to see what solder you used?
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by goose eye »

As far as the ole boys they got thumpers on both sides.
some thumped kettles some thumped Bibles some thumped both.
Got a couple colleges in the hill they helped start an if
the light of day ever showed on it some of the land was
given for consideration from the other side. All that ain't
in that fancy school archives but the dorms bear the name.

As far as me. No. An I aint ever Gonna run no likker in the future either

So I'm tole
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Bushman »

ShineRunnah wrote:Thanks for sharing everyone, enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I've always been interested in family history, and history in general, so it's very interesting to read about some of the interesting family history some of you have.

I got to thinking about this, and remembered I have some relatives (by marriage, though we are/were close) in Tennessee that had deep family roots there.
I made a call to my step-grandmother and asked her about any moonshiners or bootleggers in the family. She said there was plenty of it in the family, and told me to stop by as she has some photo albums somewhere with a bunch of old pics, newspaper clippings and other neat info. I'm going over this weekend to have a look and get the story. I know it's not really "my history", but close enough! I'm excited to learn about it nonetheless.

Should be pretty cool to see some shine history from Roane and Cocke counties in Tennessee. I'll see if I can borrow any pics worth sharing and post them here.
If she doesn't part with the pictures and news clippings ask to scan them, we need to document history and please get back to us. Very interesting.
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