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Post by gardawg on Mar 27, 2024 7:10:18 GMT -5
www.wsoctv.com/news/local/possible-moonshine-cave-unearthed-under-north-wilkesboro-speedway-grandstand/IHIF54HN2FCBZBDZ2ZGI4A6YLY/NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Crews unearthed what they believe is an old moonshine cave under the grandstand at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, officials announced Tuesday in a news release. North Wilkesboro locals ready for NASCAR’s long-awaited return “During cleaning and inspection last week, cracks in the original concrete grandstand led to the discovery of a sinkhole underneath a portion of the front stretch seating in section N toward Turn 1,” officials said. There have been rumors that the speedway was the site of a secret moonshine still and some say that the 700-square-foot cave helps prove it. “When we began renovating and restoring North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2022, we’d often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands,” said Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports. “Well, we haven’t found a still (yet), but we’ve found a small cave and an interior wall that would have been the perfect location to not only make illegal liquor, but to hide from the law as well. We don’t know how people would have gotten in and out, but as we uncover more, there’s no telling what we might find.” Repairs are being made to fix the foundation and replace the grandstand seats before NASCAR All-Star Race Week, May 14-19. VIDEO: VIDEO: NASCAR Hall Of Fame Historian Buz McKim On Moonshine Still Exhibit
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Post by ferris1248 on Mar 27, 2024 7:44:09 GMT -5
I've heard that rumor for years.
Jr. Johnson, Enoch Staley and their cronies built that place and it wouldn't be surprising.
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Post by swampdog on Mar 27, 2024 8:08:39 GMT -5
I was thinking similar. If Jr. Johnson was still around, he’d know. The only other thought is that maybe Cale built the tunnel so he could sneak in w/o paying. Some great local history around our country.
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Post by TRTerror on Mar 27, 2024 8:34:10 GMT -5
They should restore it and open up a Brewery in it...
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Mar 27, 2024 10:41:07 GMT -5
They should restore it and open up a Brewery in it... Brewery with a bar/eatery |
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Mar 27, 2024 10:43:16 GMT -5
There were bootleggers everywhere. I had an older friend that was sentenced to 10 years in jail AFTER prohibition was over.
Another soft spoken gentleman. He was very wealthy so I’m thinking bootlegging was very profitable.
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Mar 27, 2024 11:45:11 GMT -5
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Mar 27, 2024 11:46:52 GMT -5
An old 1940’s newspaper article about my friend. I think he was only about 20 when he got into trouble
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Post by tampaspicer on Mar 27, 2024 12:16:29 GMT -5
Some of my family heritage. I'm a bit of an outlaw myself  www.codyenterprise.com/news/opinion/article_3244cb4e-97d6-11eb-aad3-a7b6e89cd8b8.htmlJack Spicer ran the best-organized bootlegging ring in Park County. His talent for concealing the locations of his moonshining stills were impressive, even to those who wished to put him behind bars. Spicer and his apprentices produced contraband alcohol that was by all accounts a superior, quality product, in high demand both locally and in neighboring states. But the skill with which Spicer plied his trade was matched by his blatant disregard for law and order, a factor that ultimately contributed to his violent end.
Spicer emigrated to Cody in 1907 from the Appalachian hill country of North Carolina where his family had long practiced the art of rendering mountain dew. With his inherited talents for producing quality spirits, Spicer quickly became the de facto leader of the local bootlegging culture. He invited family members from North Carolina to assist in his operation. His nephews Artis and Lonnie Royal, sons of Spicer’s sister, proved instrumental in this regard.
Spicer made his headquarters on the North Fork along Canyon Creek. From this location he could supervise the operation of multiple stills in the area. Artis and Lonnie Royal managed the day-to-day affairs of the actual distilling process.
Spicer’s criminal bootlegging and violent behavior inevitably attracted the attention of local law enforcement. In 1921 he was charged with the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors, although the case was eventually dismissed due to a lack of evidence. In 1923 he was charged with attempted murder for shooting one of his business partners after suspecting him of stealing product from their stash on Monument Hill. Spicer also stabbed a man in front of the Hart Mountain Inn for cursing in earshot of his wife. Spicer was usually arrested for these offenses but always managed to elude any real punishment by the law. This ability to dodge legal repercussions caused some residents to refer to Spicer as “The Snake”. His reputation as a tough character left many residents afraid to cross him.
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While the exact details surrounding Spicer’s demise will probably never be known, it seems the trouble started when he began feuding with his nephews Artis and Lonnie Royal. The argument became physical on the night of a dance at the Wapiti schoolhouse, when all three men engaged in a brawl that left Spicer badly wounded.
The Royal brothers went into town that night instead of going to their bunkhouse on Spicer’s ranch. The next morning Artis returned to the ranch in order to gather his belongings. Spicer was ready and waiting with a six-shooter. Recognizing that his uncle was not looking to chat, Artis straightaway drew his own Colt .38 pistol. A flash of gunfire erupted, with both men at extremely close quarters. Spicer fired three shots, all of which entered his nephew’s chest. Artis’ automatic rapidly discharged five rounds, but only hit Spicer twice. One of the bullets found Spicer’s heart and killed him instantly.
Artis was quickly rushed to the hospital where he made a miraculous recovery. He was charged with first degree murder but was acquitted on self-defense. Following the incident he left town for good. Not long after Spicer’s death his widow married Lonnie Royal. The couple spent much of their long lives on Jack Spicer’s ranch.
The old bunkhouse where Jack Spicer and Artis Royal engaged in their shootout is still standing along lower Canyon Creek in the Wapiti area. It’s a sad testament to the days when men settled their petty differences in tragically fatal fashion. |
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Mar 27, 2024 13:01:34 GMT -5
Interesting history.
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Post by slough on Mar 27, 2024 14:41:16 GMT -5
The old 1/2 mile track in Bryon Ga. had a still under it.
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Post by ferris1248 on Mar 27, 2024 14:56:10 GMT -5
The old 1/2 mile track in Bryon Ga. had a still under it. It did. No rumor about that. I drank some of that corn on several weekend trips. |
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