Sounds familiar... I was carefully not that close to the production side. While I knew that Luther had a still, I never wandered in that direction in the woods - I don't wear lead very well.
I doubt that many know where the idea of 'moonshine' originated. It started with George Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion. The new country owed France money for helping with the Revolution. The Congress was seeking sources of revenue to help pay that bill. Attention naturally fell on alcohol production. Private production operations were common. Veteran still operators stayed active by selling some of their product; they were mostly not mass producers.
Taxation fastened on the sales. Many distillers didn't consider the intrusion kindly. They started retreating westward into the wilderness. President Washington put his prestige on the line and led the 'Revenuer' troops westward seeking stills. Many operators respected Washington and complied. Others retreated deeper into the woods.
Over the years that 'rebellion' moved west and south, hiding in the Appalachian Mountains. Civilization inevitably followed. With airplanes the revenuers gained a big advantage. Distillers got more clever and more 'organized'.
Long time criminal activity became organized crime and many problems ensued. There it is, perhaps a little over simplified but a fair historical summary I hope.
“I don’t wear lead very well.”
Amen to that!