Bootlegging Legacy in the Lowcountry
Written by Elizabeth Askins
Graduate Student, Department of History at the College of Charleston
Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States banned the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol. The law was intended to protect citizens from the “scourge of drunkenness.” In South Carolina, several towns went dry in the 1850s. However, the anti-liquor movement was paused during the Civil War, slowing any further progress. Five state referenda surrounding liquor occurred between 1892 and 1940. State-owned Dispensaries (liquor stores) were established after voters endorsed state-level Prohibition in 1892, which ended in corruption and physical violence across the state. The brief period of Dispensary liquor sales confused both the wet and dry sides of the argument around liquor in South Carolina and was abolished in 1907.
On January 17th, 1920, Federal Prohibition finally hit South Carolina. This dry movement was centered around religion and was largely supported by Baptists in the state. However, this movement failed to sober up the Lowcountry, as it was hardly enforced during its thirteen-year reign over alcohol sales from 1920 to 1933. Enforcing this law was difficult, but many entrusted to uphold it disagreed with it in the first place. This led to many underground individuals and businesses taking part in the illegal selling and consumption of alcohol.
Bootlegging
Bootlegging, or rum-running, is the illegal action of smuggling liquor wherever it is outlawed. The term entered the American vocabulary in the 1880s to describe the practice of hiding flasks of illicit liquor in boot tops when trading with Native Americans. Its use became widespread during Prohibition, as speakeasies, moonshine, and rum-running kept the good times flowing around the country and in Roaring 20’s Charleston. Even mom-and-pop grocery stores in the region thrived on the illegal sale of alcohol, also called “giggle water” or “hooch” during Prohibition. Popular drinks during the period were Bee’s Knees, Highballs, and Mojitos. The rum, gin, and whiskey in these drinks were easy to come by during Prohibition and are still widely enjoyed today.
Prohibition and bootlegging did not stop citizens from enjoying alcohol; instead, they led to an increase in organized crime and the invention of new ways to enjoy liquor. “Hell Hole Swamp” in nearby Berkeley County gained a national reputation for producing moonshine and for their bootlegging tactics.
Charleston
Francis Marion Forest was the location of multiple moonshine stills of the notorious Benjamin Villeponteaux, who was rumored to run illegal moonshine with Al Capone. Allegedly, during a business dispute, Capone sent a few of his men to Hell Hole Swamp to settle the score. As the story goes, these men got bogged down in the swamp and lost their way back to the Northeast. The highly sought-after product from the swamps of Francis Marion Forrest would continue to be smuggled across the country.
These stills were only about an hour’s drive from Magnolia, so one can easily imagine the same alcohol made by Villeponteaux ending up at one of the grand parties of Sara Hastie, who hosted at Magnolia during Prohibition. After all, what is a good party with no spirits? The Charleston elite were certainly taking part in the illegal sale and consumption of alcohol, most likely including those at Magnolia! Today in South Carolina, liquor can be sold only from 9 AM to 7 PM Monday through Saturday, and beer and wine can be sold in certain cities and counties with the proper referendums.