Homemade liquor has played a prominent role in the Appalachian economy for nearly two centuries. The region endured profound transformations during the extreme prohibition movements of the nineteenth century, when the manufacturing and sale of alcohol—an integral part of daily life for many Appalachians—was banned. In Moonshiners and Prohibitionists: The Battle over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia, Bruce E. Stewart chronicles the social tensions that accompanied the region's early transition from a rural to an urban-industrial economy. Stewart analyzes the dynamic relationship of the bootleggers and opponents of liquor sales in western North Carolina, as well as conflict driven by social and economic development that manifested in political discord. Stewart also explores the life of the moonshiner and the many myths that developed around hillbilly stereotypes. A welcome addition to the New Directions in Southern History series, Moonshiners and Prohibitionists addresses major economic, social, and cultural questions that are essential to the understanding of Appalachian history.

Journalism in Marion County got its start in April 1885 with the Marion County Herald. Soon other upstart papers sprang up to compete with the Herald. Over the years, several newspapers vied for the dominant spot. This is the fourth volume of a series of books containing newspaper clippings from the earliest existing papers from Marion County. This volume contains the year 1902 through 1904. The clippings in this volume concentrate with notes of births, deaths, and marriages. It also contains articles which were important to the history and growth of the county. The history of the county is written in the pages of its earliest newpapers. Read what the ancestors of the people of Marion County were doing and talking about.