Prohibition began in 1920, banning all manufacture and sales of alcoholic beverages, as defined by the Volstead Act. The quiet Northwood’s of Wisconsin became a haven for big city black market liquor production and smuggling. Alcohol could be produced in the Northwoods far from prying eyes of federal prohibition agents. Stories of these practices abound in the Northwoods during the 13 years of prohibition.
Ten years into the federal ban on alcohol, prohibition agents, also know as dry agents, were making frequent visits to the Northwoods, on the trail of mobsters and speakeasy’s. In January of 1930, a still had been discovered operating in a building at Highways 8 and 51 near Harshaw. There they learned of an even larger operation at a resort in Saint Germain.
Several men had set up shop on Little Saint Germain Lake, in a three-season cabin at Jackson’s Lakeside Cottages, about 12 miles west of Eagle River. They constructed an elaborate redistilling operation in one of the resorts older units.
When agents arrived on site, the men running the still took off across the frozen lake. The still was so large, it took up two floors of the cottage with a hole cut through the second story floor, and a 10 foot tall cupola built on the roof to accommodate the equipment.
It was set up to produce one to two thousand gallons of redistilled liquor per day. Tests of the product indicated the moonshine was 176 proof. About 600 gallons of booze was found on site, along with two vehicles loaded with alcohol destined for Milwaukee and Chicago which were about to leave. One of the of the cars was running when the men escaped across the ice, the agents arriving just in time!
Several men were later arrested, including Floyd Jackson, who’s name was found on a key tag in one of the vehicles loaded with tin cans of liquor. Floyd was the brother of Art Jackson, who owned the resort at the time. Art had leased the place to another man name Roberts who was presumed to be involved in the racket. Art did not live at the property, and was out of town at the time of the raid, unaware it was being used for a distilling operation.
The agents dumped hundreds of gallons of liquor in the snow. The stills equipment included 700 pounds of copper and hundreds of feet of piping. The huge steam boiler was brought to an Eagle River garage, which attracted many curious onlookers before it was cut up and scrapped. The still was valued at $10,000.00, about $180 grand today, a big time operation!
Prohibition would end three years later in 1933 with the ratification of the 21st amendment. Leaving behind a long history of booze making, smuggling and plenty of stories around Northern Wisconsin.
Sources: Rhinelander Daily News January 1930, and Ken Jackson, St Germain, WI
