Isn’t this such a cool photo?
My great grandfather, Francis Henry Duval, owned a plane with his brother-in-law, Bill Hunter. Bill was married to Grandpa Duval’s older sister Vera. They owned the plane for a few years until it burned. This was during the time that Grandpa was making moonshine so I wonder if they ever used the plane to run their bootleg whiskey? Hmmmm… maybe I can get to the bottom of that.
Happy Thursday! Do you have any plane-owning or moonshine-making ancestors? They are fascinating!
It burned? That sounds like a story! Great photo.
Yes! I don’t remember the details, but I think he shared them in an interview with my mom years ago. I have those audio files (in several places) and need to transcribe them. 🙂
Yes! I look forward to hearing that one.
Hi Amberly, When I was driving up Division Street yesterday I saw that they tore down the house on Walton. My favorite house in the world…..I am so sad. I hope you found the recording sim card.
Oh! That is sad. Vicki and I almost drove there on Tuesday of last week but I was running late so we didn’t. It’s a good thing, we would have been sad AND late. I haven’t found it yet, but I did remember something that I think will help. ❤️
Yup! My great-granduncles were rum-running racecar drivers. I even have an affidavit sworn to by my great grandfather about making deliveries with one of them, and about how he saw the sheriff and his deputies at the bootlegger’s picnic back in the ’20s. Family legend is that the racing brothers turned down a partnership with Hudson because it would’ve interfered with the bootlegging business, which was more lucrative than their circuit careers.
Wow! That is a great story. One of these days I need to tell the stories I know about my ggrandparents bootlegging days. I was waiting until my Grandma passed, now I just need to get organized and share.
Great photo! And the possible stories pique the imagination. Good luck researching so they don’t just turn out to be the dreaded untrue family lore. :o)
Thank you, Lenore! Luckily for me, my mom interviewed my ggrandpa and I have those recordings. He shared lots of details. I just need to transcribe those interviews and organize the stories.
Wonderful pic!!! Haha, no, I don’t think I have any plane-owning or moonshine-making ancestors! Gosh, my relatives are sure boring!
Thank you, Luanne! No, not boring. I’ve read your stories, maybe more law-abiding, but not boring! 😉
Haha, law-abiding except ole Johannes, apparently.
True! 🙂
Brilliant photo! (And what a handsome gt grandfather you had!)
Thank you, Val! He really was quite handsome. But best of all, he was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. ❤️
I’m with Luanne. I found a few publicans in my past, but nothing as exciting as making moonshine. Not to mention owning a plane and bootlegging 🙂
Haha, one of these days I need to share his stories from that time – I have them as audio files (in several places) and need to transcribe and organize them. There are some really fascinating tales in there. ❤️
Ooh! That sounds fantastic.
It will be for sure! 🙂
🙂