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| 'Moonshining' program popular |
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| Question: I attended a program at the museum concerning "Moonshine Making in the Ozarks." Will there be a repeat of this program in the future? Did Harrison have anyone serve as a "revenoor?" |
| Answer: The program presented on moonshining was probably one of the most popular, well attended programs we've had at the Heritage Museum. Susan Young of Shiloh Museum at Springdale gave an informative presentation and we hope to have her return soon since we have had many requests for this program. |
| Moonshining in Arkansas never approached the levels found in the Southern Appalachian area, but there are many stories handed down by people in Arkansas who had family members who actively engaged in the whiskey making business. According to Young, she believes there are still in operation today - but they are never talked about with "outsiders." |
| Needing to raise revenue during the Civil War, the United States Congress imposed excise taxes in 1862 on alcohol and required distillers to have a federal license. District tax collectors were employed in each southern state, mainly to arrest "wildcatters" - those who made untaxed moonshine whisky. There are records showing that some local residents had licenses to operate legal stills and to bottle and sell whisky some years after the Civil War ended. |
 Missouri native F. M. Lamberton moved to Harrison in 1890 where he engaged in the practice of law and was later appointed deputy internal revenue collector. He was well liked and known throughout the state. His district covered 14 counties located in the Ozark and Boston Mountains, which required a great deal of horseback riding. During his tenure as a "revenoor," he was said to have never missed a day of work on account of bad weather. "Wildcatters" - those who made untaxed whiskey - were plentiful when Lamberton was appointed but it wasn't long until it was said that the moonshiner was almost an unknown quantity in his district. |
| One lady tells of a faithful old jug setting on the mantel. When the level dropped within a couple of inches from the bottom of the jug, it mysteriously would fill up again. "It appears we used very little of it," she said. "Maybe it just evaporated." |
| Diagrams for stills and recipes for making wildcat whiskey can be found on the Internet for anyone interested in making their own. But, before you really get involved, one must know the meanings of words such as: worm, low wine, mash, and singlings! And, by the way, the "revenoors" are still out there! |
| Our cultural roots include moonshining. Isaac Stapleton, himself a collector, wrote a 1920 memoir about "shine" in the Ozark hills - wonderful reading for those who want to know more about this legal and illegal enterprise. |
| Make plans to attend another session with Susan Young from Shiloh this spring. The Boone County Heritage Museum strives to preserve the history of the county and delights in bringing programs of interest for the public to enjoy. The museum is located on the corner of South Cherry Street and Central Avenue in the historic 1912 Harrison High School Building. Now observing winter hours, we are open only Thursday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Smith can be contacted at bchm@alltel.net |
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