Still, he hopes people stop by for the history lesson. "We are looking at video footage, we are looking at a few things, and currently it does not appear to be random.". The county told Musgrove to submit an erosion and sediment plan prepared by an engineer which he has done. A passenger, a 16-year-old Southfield girl, was struck by the gunfire and was immediately driven to an area hospital by the driver, a 17-year-old male from Detroit, police said. The first time they attempted to haul liquor the phrase used to describe the transportation of the liquor from the still to a buyer Jack and Forrest were shot, after refusing to pay additional protection money in the form of a carload of moonshine. I knew he was somebody to be taken very seriously. Bondurant also remembers a pair of rusty brass knuckles hanging from the gun rack in his grandfathers utility room. None (no additional concrete thickness or wearing surface is included in the bridge deck). Robert says it is his understanding that the bullet entered his grandfather's side under one arm and exited out the other side of his body under the opposite arm. Data Central; Bridge Inspections; U.S. Virginia; Franklin; Naff Rd. Have new blog posts delivered directly to your e-mail inbox. Ann Arbor, Michigan. THE WEATHERED GRIST mill towers above Maggodee Creek, whose waters sluiced into a mill race and once spun the mills waterwheel. Eighty years later, the grandson of one Franklin County's moonshiners, Robert Bondurant of Chase City, is carrying on the family legacy by making moonshine in a still pot handed down through the family. They aint got nothing like this. Low 46F. 1776]. WebMAGGODEE CREEK NEAR BOONES MILL, VA Important Inventory Page Monitoring location 02056950 is associated with a STREAM in FRANKLIN COUNTY, VIRGINIA. And a capacity for certain things, whether it's breaking the law, or breaking another man's face with a pair of brass knuckles." Follow him on Twitter: @duncana54. Bondurant couldnt resist adding this piece of Grand Guignol to his novel. 43 talking about this. WebMaggodee Creek is a creek in Franklin County in the United States state of Virginia. Rather, illegal drinking and the making of such drink skyrocketed. Rakes too has living descendants. If illegal activity was actually taking place, the Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement would have taken action, wrote the departments spokesman, Kathleen Shaw. I don't think he was ashamed of being involved in criminal activities, but he was adhering to the code where you keep your mouth shut." Inventory Route Total Horizontal Clearance: Minimum Vertical Clearance Over Bridge Roadway: 4.99 metric tons(Load and Resistance Factor (LRFR)), 3.81 metric tons (Load and Resistance Factor (LRFR)). 'Lawless the film is released on September 7, This article also appeared in SEVEN magazine, free with the Sunday Telegraph. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS | The Roanoke Times;Clements Mill sits along Maggodee Creek in the Alean Community of Wirtz in Franklin County. In October, the countys Department of Planning and Community Development issued Musgrove a stop-work order and told him he needed an erosion and sediment control permit. WebSmith, 22, of Ypsilanti Township, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at an area hospital, police said. With hard economic times, though, comes moonshine. With Prohibition, the market for whiskey turned black as pitch. Im very proud that there were people in my family who made difficult choices in a difficult time, he says. The newly formed Patriot government of North Carolina orders all men of fighting age to take an oath to the Patriot Cause. Rakes survived the shoot-out with the Bondurants and continued to serve as a policeman, the whole incident seemingly swept under the carpet. Reported By:| Edited By: Horatia Harrod |Source: The Daily Telegraph |Updated: Aug 21, 2012, 03:54 PM IST, December 19 1930: four trucks careen across the hills and hollows of Franklin County, Virginia. "Well, if they did," says Bondurant, "I certainly wouldn't tell you.". Al Bedrosian took a seat on the Roanoke City Electoral Board Jan. 1. A prosecutor called it a Munchausen-by-proxy case. WebMAGGODEE CREEK AT HWY 220 NEAR BOONES MILL, VA Important Inventory Page Monitoring location 0205695150 is associated with a STREAM in FRANKLIN COUNTY, VIRGINIA. WebThe Virginia Department of Transportation recently replaced the single-lane steel pony Warren truss bridge over Maggodee Creek at the mill site. CASEY: Does an election denialist now oversee Roanokes elections? The crash occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Route 460, or Roanoke Road, at its intersection of North Fork Road. WebBefore long, three of the cars reach the narrow wooden bridge at Maggodee Creek. Rather than shy away from the brutality that seemed to surround his ancestors, Bondurant's prose pulses with it. Id like to work on it as quick as possible before I get too old, Musgrove said. News never stops. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Michael Babycz at 734-260-9602 or by email at babyczm@washtenaw.org. In June 2012, after one such high water event, Musgrove decided to do some flood control work on a section of bank upstream from the mill and downstream from the mill ponds concrete dam. Millions of gallons of moonshine poured out of Franklin County every year, cooked up in stills from a fermented mixture of sugar, water, grain or fruit: "mash". Forrest, the middle brother, was their talisman, reputed to be invincible; two years earlier, according to family legend, hed had his throat slit, perhaps over a botched liquor deal. In 2015, Franklin County Distilleries became the first legally licensed distillery in Franklin County since Prohibition. Water data back to 1981 are available online. It could have stayed that way; Jack would happily have taken the story to his grave. But it was not to be. You dont sit down at the table and drink. So do the Bondurants keep a still today? The deputies demanded they turn over one of the two cars. The teen remains at the hospital in critical condition. "He was very calm, considering he had just got shot," Tasha said. She's also a mom and wife living in and loving the mountains and valleys of Virginia. A.G. Martin built the mill sometime between the end of the Civil War and 1870. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. By this time, the third brother, Howard, has arrived at the Maggodee Creek Bridge. There are some exposed logs in a couple of rooms. Bush hogging, excavating, & much more! Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. As a child, Bondurant knew his grandfather as a farmer of beef cattle and tobacco. Police said it is not an active shooting situation and it does not appear to be a random shooting, but people are being asked to avoid the area while officers investigate. But, in 1935, he was indicted in a corruption trial - "The Great Franklin County Moonshine Conspiracy Trial" as it came to be known - which exposed a massive system of kickbacks and bribes enforced by local officials on moonshiners. Portrayed in the movie Lawless starring Shia LaBeouf as Jack Bondurant, the Bondurant Boys were Franklin County rumrunners in the 1930s. This home was built in 1782. The inventory route is not part of the national network for trucks. The new bridge cost about $1.36 million, she said, and opened in mid-June. There was a centuries-long tradition of evading the taxes that were periodically levied on alcohol; when Prohibition was enacted in 1920, distillers were forced underground. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ann Arborpolice are investigatinga shooting Friday afternoon at Briarwood Mall in an attack that investigators say was not random. We don't know whether Rakes taunted the boys, or demanded a bribe, or whether Jack reached for his gun - almost everything reported about the shooting at Maggodee Creek was disputed in the years that followed. The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge was over almost as quickly as it began. To learn that, people will have to come to his distillery after it opens in early 2015. WebAlex Hunt was recently recognized with a state Clean Water Farm Award for his efforts to reduce sedimentation in the four creeks that flow through his 430-acre cattle farm. The inventory route is not a STRAHNET route. Royal Governor Josiah Martin opens commination with Patriot leaders in North Carolina to sue for peace without any bloodshed. Indeed, the new law led to health concerns. "Yeah, shot me there," he told his son, and lifted his shirt to show where the bullet had passed. Enjoy Virginia spirits responsibly and enjoy Franklin County. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS | The Roanoke Times; Phillip Wilkerson works to lubricate the water wheel at the old Clements Mill, now owned by Tommy Musgrove. The It could have stayed that way; Jack would happily have taken the story to his grave. That fireplace is massive! Caswell sends the Loyalists courier back with an adamant refusal, but not before the courier completed his true mission. I'm a distiller. When the trial ended, the moonshiners had either pled guilty in exchange for light sentences or were found guilty of conspiracy. 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There wasnt a whole lot of story there other than that, says Bondurant, who was in his late twenties at the time. Other or Unknown (describe on inspection reporting form). High COVID-19 case count closing Dexter elementary school, bds Mongolian Grill to close Ann Arbor location after 28 years, Ann Arbor official turns down Evanston job, citing failed contract negotiations. A witness told FOX 2 that the victim was an 18-year-old male, hit in the arm. WebThe shooting remains under investigation. Shown is an aerial photo of the Inn at Maggodee Creek, which has a hidden pre-Civil War log cabin within its walls. Shes not into it as deep as I am but she wants to get it fixed up, he said. STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS | The Roanoke Times; Phillip Wilkerson does some repair work on parts that run the water wheel of the old Clements Mill. Its unearthing and acknowledging and even exploring and celebrating an aspect of my family that I didnt know existed. , He plans for the distillery to be a living history lesson that includes the manufacture of a "prohibition style beverage" using the prohibition style processes. "The tradition of not talking in my father's family was very important, because if you talked, you could get in a lot of trouble. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI A 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after being struck by gunfire from another vehicle while riding through Ypsilanti Township Memorial Day afternoon. Instead, he's setting up shop in an old warehouse on Third Street, across from the Southside Roller Mill in Chase City. You have permission to edit this article. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. History bears out that he was not a good person.. The Virginia Department of Transportation recently replaced the single-lane steel pony Warren truss bridge over Maggodee Creek at the mill site. The mills current owner, Franklin County native Tommy Musgrove, 67, bought the property of about five acres in 2000 for $112,475 from a Clements descendant. After such a bust, one might think the hammer had effectively been dropped on moonshining in Virginias Blue Ridge, but that would be a foolish thought. He has had to forego using the family recipe, since it died with his grandfather and great uncles. WebThe film not only has the Boys send the cured gonads to their archfoe before the showdown at Maggodee Creek Bridge; it also evokes the gelding in vivid detail. Shown is the Inn at Maggodee Creek, which has a hidden pre-Civil War log cabin within its walls. The county was, as the contemporary writer Sherwood Anderson put it, "the extreme wet spot" of the United States in the Thirties. Error! Use if structure is not a culvert. [2] The town of Boones Mill, Virginia is located in the valley of the creek. Cloudy with light rain developing after midnight. Some of the soldiers recalled nearly 60 years later that the battle only lasted three minutes. With a Loyalist defeat at Moores Creek Bridge, the British failed to arm those colonists that supported the crown, a consequence that would have a devastating effect on Loyalism in the colony throughout the war. Its owner-operator was sentenced to five years and 10 months jail time. The listing agent for these homes has added a Coming Soon note to alert buyers in advance. Musgrove shrugged when asked why he dreams of restoring the mill property. Moonshine continues to roll down from the hills of Franklin County. There was an error processing your request. He isnt a fan of the restaurant idea but he thinks the restored mill would draw visitors. Arriving there, their way is blocked by a car, beside which stand two sheriff's deputies, Charley Rakes and Henry Abshire. Arriving there, their way is blocked by a car, beside which stand two sheriffs deputies, Charley Rakes and Henry Abshire. "But they were emblematic, part of his terrifying aspect." Jack died in 2001, and in 2008 Matt published a fictionalised version of the bloody events of his grandfather's life, The Wettest County in the World, which has now been turned into the brutal half-western, half-gangster movie, Lawless, starring Shia LaBeouf as Jack and Tom Hardy as Forrest. Matt Bondurant, a novelist and creative writing teacher at the University of Dallas, is Jack Bondurants grandson. Explore Rocky Mount, and consider traveling The Crooked Road: Virginias Heritage Music Trail to appreciate more of the culture of the area. WebThe Battle of Moores Creek Bridge was over almost as quickly as it began. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 40 Patriots Hall Dr. All rights reserved (About Us). Did he ever question the morality of what they did? One of the sons, Danny Poff, who has a home on the property, inherited his parents home and Al Bedrosian, formerly of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, is the newest face on the Roanoke City Electoral Board. The witnesses were in the parking lot setting up for a craft show when they encountered the victim, they said. Fleming said she asked the 18-year-old who shot him. At 10 weeks, it was the second longest trial in Virginia history (behind that of Aaron Burr in 1807). "I'd ride along with him in a truck for hours," says Bondurant, "and we wouldn't say a word. Would you like to receive our daily news? Their plan is to surround the Patriot Camp on the west bank of Moores Creek in order to cut off the bridge and force the Patriots to surrender. Maggodee Creek (1.20 RT 852; 0.60 RT 726), 2: Basically intolerable requiring high priority of replacement. I like history, he said. MacDonald had none. Kelly Givens admitted to misapplication of more than $1,000 in funds from the FedStar Federal Credit Union. One person was shot at about 3 p.m. inside theVon Maur store, police said. He's played by Guy Pearce as an effete, brutal sadist. It contains 0 bedroom and 0 bathroom. The department agreed to The ensuing confrontation ended with No one is pulling Musgroves teeth, but he winces when he says that Franklin County officials have dogged his efforts to restore the property. Water data back to 1951 are available online. The department agreed to design the new bridge to resemble the old bridge so it would remain in character with the historic district, VDOT spokeswoman Jamie Smith said in an email. Did he ever question the morality of what they did? Large, notable busts since then have occurred as recently as 2001. After some discussion, the Loyalists felt the sentries must have been a rearguard and that the main force was retreating from the area. The family lore, according to Robert, is that when the car seized by the deputies was stopped at the bridge, there were over 120 gallons of moonshine inside. Despite Forrest's protest reminding Abshire that payment was already made to him, the deputies persist. Likewise, Matts father, Andrew, had no idea his father had been shot until the last years of Jacks life. But he knew nothing of his grandfather's past when he was growing up. Records introduced during the Great Moonshine Conspiracy trial, list shipments of nearly 34 million pounds of sugar, 13 million pounds of corn meal, 1 million pounds of malt, 30,300 pounds of hops and 35 tons of yeast making their way to Franklin County during a five-year period. Or are they? Those indicted included a former Franklin County Sheriff and multiple deputies, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, a Virginia prohibition officer, and Franklin Countys Commonwealths Attorney. Jack may not have been a storyteller, but his grandson is. So do the Bondurants keep a still today? Millions of gallons of moonshine poured out of Franklin County every year, cooked up in stills from a fermented mixture of sugar, water, grain or fruit: mash. Id ride along with him in a truck for hours, says Bondurant, and we wouldnt say a word. The former sheriff and a deputy, Abshire, were convicted of conspiracy, but Carter Lee was found not guilty. Late on the afternoon of the 24th, the Loyalists were within four miles of the ferry crossing, but soon learned from scouts that the Patriots made it to the crossing the night before and burned the ferry. or anything. They may not have been the biggest moonshiners in the area but they were certainly infamous: Jacks own father-in-law called the three brothers the toughest mess ever to hit Franklin County. Up until then I, like most people, thought our lives were quite dull and our family was full of nice, respectable people.. The effort to reduce crime and protect the family backfired. By the time the car reaches town, supposedly less than 30 gallons remained. WebSo when my father unearthed newspaper articles about the shooting at Maggodee Creek bridge in 1930, we were shocked to learn my grandfather's involvement was deeper. Both armies pushed forward with all the speed they could muster. As a young child in America, says Bondurant, you read these stories about people like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, these frontiersmen who have this legend built around them. Jack stressed that he was not present at the shooting, which took place on a bridge at Maggodee Creek in Franklin County. When Forrest rushed to his brother's aid, Rakes shot him in the stomach. Rakes survived the shoot-out with the Bondurants and continued to serve as a policeman, the whole incident seemingly swept under the carpet. You don't sit down at the table and drink." "Up until then I, like most people, thought our lives were quite dull and our family was full of nice, respectable people." Occasional overtopping of roadway approaches with significant traffic delays. It was estimated that had the still operators paid taxes, their moonshine sales would have generated $5.5 million in excise taxes at the 1920 rate. On Feb. 7, 1935, a grand jury meeting in Harrisonburg handed down a 22 page indictment against 34 individuals and one corporation, and named another 55 unindicted co-conspirators who allegedly were engaged "in carrying on the business of a distiller" without paying tax on the distilled spirits. In fact, the business had to get the support of locals during the 2017 election to pass a referendum that allowed the sale of liquor by the drink. At each bend in the road, dozens of jars make a gleeful clinking. The community included a general store, a blacksmith shop, the Piedmont Church of the Brethren and Piedmont Elementary School. Before long, three of the cars reach the narrow wooden bridge at Maggodee Creek. Follow along and get to know a little about bootleggin shine through the mountains and valleys of Virginias Blue Ridge. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $888/mo, which has increased by $888/mo in the last 30 days. Abshire arranges, with the help of Lee, to have the remaining vehicle towed to Rocky Mount. General Donald MacDonald leads 1,600 Loyalists out of Cross Creek leaving 1,400 behind to defend the town. Currie WebZestimate Home Value: $97,900. Historically, alternate names for this stream have included "Maggodi Creek" and "Maggotty Creek."[3]. The shooting victim was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. "It's something that's done outside, by men," says Bondurant, "out of the back of pickup trucks. The taste of moonshine, says Bondurant, is like Scotch: "If you don't like whiskey, straight whiskey, then you're not going to like it. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The government posited authorities received protection money from still operators, and that Commonwealths Attorney Charles Carter Lee was the instigator. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. He survived by walking 12 miles through the snow to hospital, blood gurgling from his throat. To the family, Jack Bondurant was a farmer. And he was directed to post a bond of $2,943 to cover the cost of any necessary follow-up fixes. Would you like to receive our daily news? On July 31, Musgrove said he had spent about $5,000 to date on the engineered plan and related surveying and anticipates spending about $1,000 more on legal fees. But they were emblematic, part of his terrifying aspect. Bondurant admits to being thrilled when he discovered that the latent violence hed sensed as a child could be fleshed out with a dramatic, bloody, real-life history. WebHed been shot at least once, under his left arm on a snowy morning at the Maggodee Creek Bridge in December of 1930, and never told anyone about it. Indeed, a good portion of the Franklin County populous was involved with moonshine even if they werent distilling or distributing. Don't Threaten. Well, if they did, says Bondurant, I certainly wouldnt tell you., 'Lawless by Matt Bondurant (Canongate) is available to order from Telegraph Books at 7.99 plus 1.10 p&p. N: Not applicable. Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge101 Shenandoah Avenue NE Roanoke, VA 24016 (540) 342-6025 (800) 635-5535, George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, Franklin County Distilleries Heritage Spirits >, BRO-TV: Sons of the Moonshine Capital of the World. He takes Jack to the hospital in Rocky Mount, and Abshire drives the wounded Forrest into town where they meet with Lee. Sometimes, people are oblivious to how unique the property their parents leave behind for them actually is. If the Bondurants are the heroes - or anti-heroes - of the piece, then Charley Rakes is the villain. The Loyalists camp about six miles away on that evening. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The elder Jack Bondurant spent his later years farming, and building houses. When Bondurant went to stay on their farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains, four hours from his own home in the city of Alexandria, Jack would wake him early in the morning to go and feed the cows. We know much of this is apocryphal, or half-true, or embellished, and yet we still celebrate them and their spirit, and I think thats whats going on to some degree here., If the Bondurants are the heroes or anti-heroes of the piece, then Charley Rakes is the villain. Prohibition has been around for a decade and the Great Depression is just beginning: the market for illegal liquor is booming. 5 charged after Ulta beauty store robbery, officer-involved shooting in Green Oak Twp. Diary [c.a. London: Batchworth Press, 1955. more information on current conditions Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina (unc.edu). "He does have a surviving daughter who's very old," says Bondurant. He said his Wirtz-based company, T. Musgrove Construction, has not been very busy in recent years. There was a centuries-long tradition of evading the taxes that were periodically levied on alcohol; when Prohibition was enacted in 1920, distillers were forced underground. Rakes responds by shooting Jack. Keep it Clean. View a map of this area and more on Natural Atlas. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Bondurant couldn't resist adding this piece of Grand Guignol to his novel. "He did not see anything, he said he did not hear anything.