Franklin County, Virginia is notorious for its moonshine legacy. The county's history is not a fairy tale, but a saga of blood and fire. The Scots-Irish settlers who came to its harsh mountains brought with them a fierce spirit of independence and resistance to authority. They made moonshine not only for profit, but also for pride and identity. During the Prohibition era, the county became a hotbed of illegal liquor production and distribution, attracting the attention of federal agents and rival bootleggers. The violence did not end with the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, as moonshine and drugs continued to fuel conflicts and crimes in the region. The year 1978 was especially gruesome, with nine murders related to the illicit trade. Phillip Andrew Gibbs, a historian and native of Virginia, recounts the events of that dreadful year and the historical context behind them.

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