Bedford, VA- The history of moon shining is getting a lot of attention right now.There is the Discovery show "Moonshiners" and the new movie "Lawless." Now, the Bedford area is going to showcase the legacy of moon shining in their neck of the woods.
The exhibit is called "Ardent Spirits and Mean Whiskey: A History of Moonshining in Bedford County and Southside."
The Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library have created a new exhibit on that history. Visitors will walk away knowing a lot more about illegal moonshining, and the Prohibition era.
Inside the exhibit you will learn about George Washington's interest in distilling his own whiskey. You will also see exactly what moonshine or "Mean Whiskey" as it was sometimes called was actually made of. What is also interesting are the tales behind the moonshining like this one I heard from a museum board member today.
"My uncle Wyatt Hogan who lived in the southern portion of the county happened to find some 'Mean Whiskey'. He came home and threatened the family. Out of fear for the family my other uncle came home and ended up shooting and killing his own brother," said Justin Crawford, a member of the Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library board.
The exhibit opens Friday 6 p.m., and it's free. The museum will also have an exhibit on two infamous murders in the Bedford County with a link to moonshining on Saturday.
