While this location represents a modern day incarnation of the famous Hatfield McCoy Feud, it seems moonshine may have actually been an underlying reason for why these two families seemed to have been at war in the late 1800's.
The Hatfields were notorious moonshiners but the McCoys and many residents of the region made and traded shine. There was little stigma attached to the practice in their day. Johnse Hatfield, Roseanna McCoy’s paramour, was a noted moonshiner and was rumored to overindulge in his wares. Shine was about the only recreational drink to be had in this remote region. It was difficult to get most goods here so locals made as much as they could. This included the spirits they drank. Shine was often used as barter to obtain other goods. The primary ingredient in moonshine is corn and most of the farmers in the Tug Valley raised corn as their staple crop. Moonshine was just another way to use that corn. The long tradition of moonshining continues to this day.
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