Thurmont in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Blue Blazes Whiskey Trail
Catoctin Mountain Park
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 5, 2018
1. Blue Blazes Whiskey Trail Marker
Inscription.
Blue Blazes Whiskey Trail. Catoctin Mountain Park. This trail–an easy 0.6-mile round trip–follows the banks of Blue Blazes Run to the site of the Thurmont area's most famous whiskey still. Some early settlers distilled alcohol for family use. Others had an economic reason: a horse could haul four bushels of corn; if the corn was turned into whiskey, then the horse could haul the equivalent of 24 bushels., A few avoided taxes by making and selling hard liquor by the light of the moon. The Blue Blazes Whiskey Still, however, was a large, illegal commercial distillery during the 1920s Prohibition era. Here the operators had the essentials: clean water, plenty of firewood, and nearby supplies of corn. But, as you will discover, things went awry., [Image caption:] , Marylanders opposed Prohibition because they believed it violated state's rights, and Maryland became known as the "Free State."
This trail–an easy 0.6-mile round trip–follows the banks of Blue Blazes Run to the site of the Thurmont area's most famous whiskey still. Some early settlers distilled alcohol for family use. Others had an economic reason: a horse could haul four bushels of corn; if the corn was turned into whiskey, then the horse could haul the equivalent of 24 bushels.
A few avoided taxes by making and selling hard liquor by the light of the moon. The Blue Blazes Whiskey Still, however, was a large, illegal commercial distillery during the 1920s Prohibition era. Here the operators had the essentials: clean water, plenty of firewood, and nearby supplies of corn. But, as you will discover, things went awry.
[Image caption:]
Marylanders opposed Prohibition because they believed it violated state's rights, and Maryland became known as the "Free State."
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Location. 39° 38.065′ N, 77° 27.073′ W. Marker is in Thurmont, Maryland, in Frederick County. Marker can be reached
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from Park Central Road north of Foxville Road (Maryland Route 77), on the left when traveling north. Falls Nature Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14707 Park Central Road, Thurmont MD 21788, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 5, 2018
2. Blue Blazes Whiskey Trail Marker
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 5, 2018
3. Nearby Trailhead Sign
Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 161 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on August 5, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
