So This is Tax Day...

Let's therefore remember the days of the Revenuers...

Since I mentioned Prince Farrington tin the post above, I thought I would give you this little bit of my hometown's lore. This is from an article on StoryTrax:

Central Pennsylvania has its own legendary outlaw, a former North Carolina farm boy named Prince Farrington. His empire spread from Altoona to Williamsport, from Harrisburg to the New York State border.

Farrington sold something more tangible than cultural esthetics or athletic success. His business exported Centre, Clinton, and Lycoming Counties’ one–time pride all over the eastern half of this country. It took the form of a near-religious ecstasy that traced its origins back to every agricultural hamlet throughout God's country.

We call it moonshine.

Whiskey-making was part of our area's economic lifeblood eighty years ago. There were few alternatives to making a decent living here. Traditional markets were not providing the income farmers needed to keep their land and support their families. Distilled rye and corn liquor was always easier to ship and brought bigger profits than flour.

I remember that I had a teacher in High School that was related to the old King of the Bootleggers. We didn't think anything strange about that even in the early- to mid-60s. It was part of our history, our regional heritage. We even thought it was kind of cool. Even those of us who didn't drink thought it was at least interesting.