Moonshiners, Bootleggers and the Devil's Brew
from Cape Fear Unearthed Hosted by Gannett
Prohibition ushered in an age of rule breakin’ and hooch makin’ in America, and the Cape Fear region played host to it all. Illegal moonshining operations, public drunkenness and home speakeasies kept Wilmington-area Prohibition officers busy beginning in 1909 when North Carolina became a dry state – a full decade before the whole country followed suit. On this week's season finale episode, we talk about why North Carolina was quick to pass Prohibition, how it eroded public adherence to authority, where its impacts are still felt today and what led to the brutal moonshine-related murder of two officers in 1924. Joining the discussion is special guest Jan Davidson, the historian for the Cape Fear Museum. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by Hunter Ingram. Additional editing by Adam Fish. Season three is sponsored by Northchase Family Dentistry and Tidewater Heating & Air Conditioning. Sources: -- "Prohibition in North Carolina," by Daniel Jay Whitener -- "Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," by Daniel Okrent -- "Memories Yesteryear," by Dr. Robert M. Fales -- "Moonshiners and Prohibitionists: The Battle Over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia," by Bruce Stewart -- Research provided by Cape Fear Museum -- Wilmington Morning Star editions, 1909-1924
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What this episode covers
Prohibition was a time when good citizens broke the law for a drink. Like much of the country, the Cape Fear was full of illegal distilleries, speakeasies and even tragic face offs between bootleggers and the cops.
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