'shine in the pines?

[Badfish740]

Right now I'm working on my term paper for my U.S. History II class and my topic is the how the New Deal affected Appalachia in the 1930s. I've been using a lot of primary sources for my paper and I've learned an awful lot about moonshine in the process. The production and distribution of illegal liquor in that area fed a lot of families during the Depression, and frustrated the hell out of the government. It got me thinking though about whether or not there were any stills operating in the pines at that time. I did read in an article that moonshine was being run as far north as New York State at the peak of prohibition, so since in the 30s the pines were even more isolated than they are now I wonder if anyone decided to set up a local source. Anyone ever come across any info on this in Beck or McPhee's writings or other sources? I read the thread on "Jersey Lightning," but of course that's not the traditional type of moonshine. I've actually become pretty interested in the subject and I found a place online that sells 100% copper stills for "ethanol production only" hehe... You can get a permit from the ATF to produce 10,000 gallons of ethanol per year for use as fuel. I'm sure no one would notice if 30 gallons or so ended up in a barrel for aging though

Matthew

 

[wis bang]

That permit requires you to 'denature' the ethanol produced w/ a percentage of gasoline. Mother Earth News used to have regular articles on how to build the still & condenser...

 

[Badfish740]

Oh well...it was an idea. Durn Revenooers!

 

[Ben Ruset]

Well, Al Capone was active in the Atlantic City area. It would not surprise me in the least to see that stills were being used in the Pines during Prohabition.

 

[Badfish740]

I didn't realize that Al Capone was involved in Atlantic City back then, but regardless it was a pretty happening place in the 20s and 30s, especially with the Philadelphia and New York socialites who would have been thumbing their noses at Prohibition. With the Pines being so close and even less developed around that area it really does make perfect sense. Isolated area, ample supply of fuel, fresh water, and plenty of raw materials close by. Now I really want to do some digging-since the State Police were founded in 1921 I wonder if they would have any records about illegal liquor busts back then? Hey you never know, I could base my Master's thesis on it! At the very least it would make for a very entertaining read.

 

[wis bang]

During prohibition, every small town had a still, some where! My grandfather spoke about a brewery in my home town. they snuck a pipe through a drain pipe to get water from the river...took years and a over flowed vat to get them caught...

 

[uuglypher]

My Dad (William C. Graham, b.'09, d.'72) worked as a "cub" reporter for the paper in Tom's River during his college summers during prohibition and told of several night-time trips into the pines with the local constabulary and feds on still-busting raids. One particular raid was on a still that had been built in an empty or abandoned resort called "Pinehurst". The moonshiners had busted out the floor between the first and second stories and had a big working still which led up to a tall copper condensation coil that sloped back down to the first floor. Big operation. Dad recalled that some of the raiders were careful to preserve a surprising number of jars of "evidence", which seemed strange, because few folks actually went to trial as a result of the still raids. I don't know how many raids my Dad was on, but he said they never
encountered moonshiners during the raids he accompanied.

I did spend an early summer day in '57 checking out the piles of railroad ties for snakes along the tracks thru the pines near Pinehurst, and there was a - count'em, one - car parked at the front of the building. I recall thinking that for weekday, it didn't seem very busy. I'm a bit hazy as to how close the tracks were to Pinehurst, but have a recollection that they were within sight of the building.

I gather that the building has been re-occupied at times and used variously as a sanitorium and a hotel. Anyone have more specific info on the place now?

Dave

 

[uuglypher]

Sorry- my original point to make about the history of moonshine in the pines was that the local newspapers in the region (at least the Toms River paper) carried stories on the topic.
Dave

 

[bobpbx]

My Dad (William C. Graham, b.'09, d.'72) worked as a "cub" reporter for the paper in Tom's River during his college summers during prohibition and told of several night-time trips into the pines with the local constabulary and feds on still-busting raids. One particular raid was on a still that had been built in an empty or abandoned resort called "Pinehurst". The moonshiners had busted out the floor between the first and second stories and had a big working still which led up to a tall copper condensation coil that sloped back down to the first floor. Big operation. Dad recalled that some of the raiders were careful to preserve a surprising number of jars of "evidence", which seemed strange, because few folks actually went to trial as a result of the still raids. I don't know how many raids my Dad was on, but he said they never
encountered moonshiners during the raids he accompanied.

I did spend an early summer day in '57 checking out the piles of railroad ties for snakes along the tracks thru the pines near Pinehurst, and there was a - count'em, one - car parked at the front of the building. I recall thinking that for weekday, it didn't seem very busy. I'm a bit hazy as to how close the tracks were to Pinehurst, but have a recollection that they were within sight of the building.

I gather that the building has been re-occupied at times and used variously as a sanitorium and a hotel. Anyone have more specific info on the place now?

Dave

Dave, if you are talking of that large monstrosity in Bayville, its a nursing home now. Looks like something out of the desert, right?

 

[Boyd]

It's still there and is open, I think it's some sort of convalescent home or senior citizen center, not exactly sure. That area is actually Bayville. I lived about a mile away from there in 1971-72 and heard all kinds of stories about the place. IIRC, Al Capone had some involvement.

I think Stu can tell us more since he lives near there...

 

[uuglypher]

Sorry to say that I don't recall the place-name "Bayville". Not that I don't think it was near Bayville, I just don't remember the name and am having trouble locating the place ("Pinehurst", not Bayville) in my memory.

The structure was of distinctly uninspired architecture. There was a two story (or three story?) central block with one-story (or two-story?) wings off opposite sides of the central building - basically stretched out in a linear fashion.

Is there an old railbed near there - perhaps within sight of the building?Or is my memory faulty?

I remember thinking at the time that it was a stupid place to build a resort hotel, because most folks don't see or appreciate the beauty and charms of the pines; they were just a place to get thru on your way to the shore or back home from the shore... and wasn't that great? Last thing such a place as the Pine Barrens needs is a whole lot of people who want go live there and wind up loving it to death!

It just occurred to me that some on this forum might take offense at my last comment. Please. No offense meant. I gather that some, if not most, forum members are not native to the Pines and have adopted them as home. I fully understand that folks who love the pines for what they are aren't the folks who will "... love them to death." Hell, I never lived in them - although some of my first awareness of being vibrantly alive in nature occurred there - and I haven't been back in them for over two decades, but I'm still homesick for them.

 

[ChrisDowgin]

My Dad (William C. Graham, b.'09, d.'72) worked as a "cub" reporter for the paper in Tom's River during his college summers during prohibition and told of several night-time trips into the pines with the local constabulary and feds on still-busting raids. One particular raid was on a still that had been built in an empty or abandoned resort called "Pinehurst". The moonshiners had busted out the floor between the first and second stories and had a big working still which led up to a tall copper condensation coil that sloped back down to the first floor. Big operation. Dad recalled that some of the raiders were careful to preserve a surprising number of jars of "evidence", which seemed strange, because few folks actually went to trial as a result of the still raids. I don't know how many raids my Dad was on, but he said they never
encountered moonshiners during the raids he accompanied.

I did spend an early summer day in '57 checking out the piles of railroad ties for snakes along the tracks thru the pines near Pinehurst, and there was a - count'em, one - car parked at the front of the building. I recall thinking that for weekday, it didn't seem very busy. I'm a bit hazy as to how close the tracks were to Pinehurst, but have a recollection that they were within sight of the building.

I gather that the building has been re-occupied at times and used variously as a sanitorium and a hotel. Anyone have more specific info on the place now?

Dave

My grand-uncle David Dowgin was a captain in the State Police (1923-1963) in charge of the Toms River Barrack on the Parkway (in time, he ran the whole Parkway with my grandfather, Captain Ralph Dowgin, running the Turnpike). In Dayton, on the old farm on 103, he was making apple jack...