Moonshining in the Blue Ridge

[Steppenwolfe]

Found these today on a piece of farm property we bought; six, 800 gallon mash tanks sitting in the woods and the thumper not too far away.
Started wondering where they got all of the water needed for such an operation and then found this spring house cut into the hill in the woods.

Good news is we have a great water supply I didn't even know about.

 

[Buppies]

So you found a submarine

 

[Jstpssng]

Interesting. My parents gave the family still away to the local historical society... until then I didn't even know that we had a family still.

 

[CADplans]

Good news is we have a great water supply I didn't even know about.

My SIL has the IDENTICAL spring house,,in Botetourt County, VA,, it was the previous family's water source since the 1950's.

Well, during home inspection, I had the water tested,, WOW,, it was so polluted, the seller had to drill a well.

Be careful about using that water as a source for your home,, without frequent, and seasonal, testing,,

I could tell you horror stories about the previous owners of that house,,
I attribute their health issues to the contaminated water,,,

VT held a two day water seminar on Virginia water a while back,, I attended it,,
They showed statistics about how almost 0% of spring supplied residential water sources were 100% usable,,,

 

[Steppenwolfe]

My SIL has the IDENTICAL spring house,,in Botetourt County, VA,, it was the previous family's water source since the 1950's.

Well, during home inspection, I had the water tested,, WOW,, it was so polluted, the seller had to drill a well.

Be careful about using that water as a source for your home,, without frequent, and seasonal, testing,,

I could tell you horror stories about the previous owners of that house,,
I attribute their health issues to the contaminated water,,,

VT held a two day water seminar on Virginia water a while back,, I attended it,,
They showed statistics about how almost 0% of spring supplied residential water sources were 100% usable,,,

We have a separate well near the house, this is quite away from there. Apparently cold, natural spring water is good for making shine.

 

[Molalla1]

We have a separate well near the house, this is quite away from there. Apparently cold, natural spring water is good for making shine.

That's a pretty cool find Wolfman! . . . :thumbsup:

 

[Steppenwolfe]

That's a pretty cool find Wolfman! . . . :thumbsup:

Surprised me, that's for sure. It's a very cool property, not to mention a 1901 brick foursquare farmhouse that is virtually untouched from the day it was built. I might start another thread on the renovation someday.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

duplicate

 

[Molalla1]

Surprised me, that's for sure. It's a very cool property, not to mention a 1901 brick foursquare farmhouse that is virtually untouched from the day it was built. I might start another thread on the renovation someday.

Do it! . . . Sounds like you could find some very interesting items on the new property. I like that sort of thing . . . :drink:

 

[Industrial Toys]

Any lesser structure would have probably been destroyed.

 

[stuckmotor]

There were the remains of two stills on our family farm when I was a kid. What looks like the masonry that contained the fire and a very shallow well are still are still visible at one site. The other is gone completely.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Not far from here is Franklin county, Virginia considered to be the moonshine capital of the world! My wife's Dad grew up in Penhook, their family had moonshiners.

 

[Gunny]

Are the tanks wrapped with copper? It doesn't look like copper in the pics.

 

[Buppies]

Fuddy1952 is correct and to my knowledge still is to this day. These is and old submarine on route 40 towards Union Hall that was chopped up by the ATF a number of years ago. My FIL was involved in a lot of those even caught Cale Yarborough but Richard Pettys father out ran him interesting stuff

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Not far from here is Franklin county, Virginia considered to be the moonshine capital of the world! My wife's Dad grew up in Penhook, their family had moonshiners.

Franklin County is very active till this day. Can't discuss how I know that...

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Are the tanks wrapped with copper? It doesn't look like copper in the pics.

No, it's not copper. These are the mash tanks, I believe the copper part is the still. I'll have to check on the thumper part.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Fuddy1952 is correct and to my knowledge still is to this day. These is and old submarine on route 40 towards Union Hall that was chopped up by the ATF a number of years ago. My FIL was involved in a lot of those even caught Cale Yarborough but Richard Pettys father out ran him interesting stuff

Don't you just love the history of this area... Here's some more. "The Wettest County in the World" - An Interview with Dr. Matt Bondurant - YouTube

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Here's another good one. Moonshine Still Ghost from the past - YouTube

 

[Oaktree]

How recently did moonshiners operate? That wellhouse looks way too new to date back to prohibition.

 

[murphy1244]

Mr.Wolfe that so cool. What else could a man want when he has his own still. The coils have to be out there somewhere.