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Minnesota 13
"Minnesota 13" is a historical overview of the years from 1920-1933, when moonshine production dominated the county while the 18th Amemdment was in effect. The skill of the local moonshiners -- combined with the perfect strain of corn -- produced some of the best whiskey in the United States. It was bootlegged and sold in speakeasies from New York to San Francisco and competed succesfully with the best alcohol rumrunners could provide.
Read humorous, tragic, and sometimes ridiculous stories that were part of the era. The book features more than 50 photos, a dozen maps, graphs and charts (including voting records for each township in Stearns County) and custom-designed cartonns by Jim Bertram.
What people are saying about Minnesota 13...
"Welcome to the quite-wet Prohibition era of Stearns County -- a highly-fermented era when, according to author Elaine Davis, nearly 100% of the residents of some areas were involved in the illicit liquor trade, speakeasies reigned with the full support of local citizenry, and local Minnesota 13 brew enjoyed a national reputation. Interwining insights ranings from ethnicity and religious faith to law enforcement, geography, farm economics and regional history, Davis provides a portrait of those whisky-fueld lawless days that offers both a cautionary tale and an entertaining history lesson. Davis even provides a convenient recipe for Minnesota 13 Moonshine, just in cse they decide to bring Prohibition back once again."
-Paul Maccabee, author of John Dillinger Slept Here, A Crook's Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul 1920 -1936
"Elaine Davis has penned the first comprehensive book about the Probition era in Stearns County. This excellent read is a well researched, no-nonsense look at traditions and a time in history that most old folks would rather leave alone. Beware, once you start reading itw will be hard to put down."
-John Decker, Assistant Director Archives, Stearns History Museum
"Minnesota 13 is a remarkable insight into an unusual time in Stearns County. Prohibition, bootleggers, gangsters, loved to have had access to this research. Well done!"
-John Campbell Ph.D., former Special Agent - FBI, and author of Into the Minds of Madmen, and Profilers
Read humorous, tragic, and sometimes ridiculous stories that were part of the era. The book features more than 50 photos, a dozen maps, graphs and charts (including voting records for each township in Stearns County) and custom-designed cartonns by Jim Bertram.
What people are saying about Minnesota 13...
"Welcome to the quite-wet Prohibition era of Stearns County -- a highly-fermented era when, according to author Elaine Davis, nearly 100% of the residents of some areas were involved in the illicit liquor trade, speakeasies reigned with the full support of local citizenry, and local Minnesota 13 brew enjoyed a national reputation. Interwining insights ranings from ethnicity and religious faith to law enforcement, geography, farm economics and regional history, Davis provides a portrait of those whisky-fueld lawless days that offers both a cautionary tale and an entertaining history lesson. Davis even provides a convenient recipe for Minnesota 13 Moonshine, just in cse they decide to bring Prohibition back once again."
-Paul Maccabee, author of John Dillinger Slept Here, A Crook's Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul 1920 -1936
"Elaine Davis has penned the first comprehensive book about the Probition era in Stearns County. This excellent read is a well researched, no-nonsense look at traditions and a time in history that most old folks would rather leave alone. Beware, once you start reading itw will be hard to put down."
-John Decker, Assistant Director Archives, Stearns History Museum
"Minnesota 13 is a remarkable insight into an unusual time in Stearns County. Prohibition, bootleggers, gangsters, loved to have had access to this research. Well done!"
-John Campbell Ph.D., former Special Agent - FBI, and author of Into the Minds of Madmen, and Profilers
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 4, 2016
Great history for someone from the area. Not classic literature or mind blowing but a fun little read.
August 26, 2023
My nephew, who recently opened a distillery in St. Joseph, MN, lent this book to me. Intriguing history of the prolific moonshiners of Stearns County, MN during Prohibition. As one born and raised in Minnesota, I never heard of these moonshiners and their Minnesota 13 product that was valued across the nation for its high quality.
“Some argue that making illegal alcohol was not evil, but rather virtuous and defensible in the eyes of God. Making illegal liquor did not collapse the moral order; very few of the Stearns producers drank much of the alcohol they made, and there was little drunkenness. Marriages and families were not broken up; Avon and Holdingford youth did not become gangsters. Instead community, farms, and homes were preserved by moonshiners. They had simply gone from honest farmers to honest alcohol producers who made an exceptionally high quality, reliable product that was illegal—Stearns County farmers were simply better at making whiskey than other farmers across the country.”
“Some argue that making illegal alcohol was not evil, but rather virtuous and defensible in the eyes of God. Making illegal liquor did not collapse the moral order; very few of the Stearns producers drank much of the alcohol they made, and there was little drunkenness. Marriages and families were not broken up; Avon and Holdingford youth did not become gangsters. Instead community, farms, and homes were preserved by moonshiners. They had simply gone from honest farmers to honest alcohol producers who made an exceptionally high quality, reliable product that was illegal—Stearns County farmers were simply better at making whiskey than other farmers across the country.”
April 9, 2018
A very interesting local history for those in the Stearns county and surrounding areas. Probably most interesting to me because my wife's family was involved in selling sugar and other goods to the moonshiners.
August 26, 2024
being from stearns county, i was super excited for this read! there were some awesome quotes, but it felt fairly repetitive for me. the author did some heavy research for the book though, and i appreciate that!
January 13, 2025
Very Cool.
As someone who is a history buff and is fascinated by moonshiners and gangster stuff, It was very interesting to me. I lived and worked in St. Cloud and Stearns Co. and I recognized many of the names in the book. Very cool.
As someone who is a history buff and is fascinated by moonshiners and gangster stuff, It was very interesting to me. I lived and worked in St. Cloud and Stearns Co. and I recognized many of the names in the book. Very cool.
July 4, 2018
Good local history
May 3, 2019
Nice history of prohibition in Central Minnesota. Liked the stories and understanding a little what it was like back then.
June 19, 2021
Very informative. Well researched. My mother-in-law grew up by Chick Molitor so I can confirm the facts on him.
March 8, 2022
An incredible "insider" view of prohibition in the area that I call home. Lots of familiar surnames that make up Stearns County.
May 4, 2024
Great content, especially for someone who knows about whiskey and Minnesota. The writing style is less compelling and slightly disorganized, but fairly quick read.
July 29, 2024
Fascinating history. Easy to read and full of personal stories.
October 11, 2014
One of America’s greatest man-made disasters, Prohibition, the law of the land from 1920 to 1933, fascinates even almost a century later. Most books dealing with the subject do so on a national scale. But “Minnesota 13: ‘Wet’ Wild Prohibition Days” by Elaine Davis examines the Noble Experiment at the ground level, its attention on only one county.
Stearns County in north-central Minnesota, which includes the cities of St. Cloud and Sinclair Lewis’ hometown of Sauk Centre, was the center of brazen opposition to the national constitutional ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages. Ironically, Andrew Volstead, the sponsor of the 1919 Volstead Act, the enforcement law supplement to the 18th Amendment, represented the county in Congress.
Davis points out, “Stearns County was in the farthest north part of Volstead’s Minnesota district and the man was disliked by most county residents.” He was not re-elected in 1922; his opponent got 60 percent of the vote.
“Local historians estimate that four out of five county residents were involved in cooking, selling, and distributing illegal alcohol during Prohibition and in certain areas of the county, almost 100% were involved,” Davis writes.
“[I]llegal production and distribution of alcohol in Central Minnesota carried on the entire 13 years of Prohibition with tacit support of the majority of county residents, clergy, physicians, and law enforcement and resistance to enforcers was prevalent.”
“Minnesota 13” whiskey of the book’s title was named after the corn seed used for the mash. “Minnesota 13 was in demand throughout the Midwest and beyond because it was a safe, high-quality aged whiskey [in an era of often dangerous beverages made in bathtubs, kitchens, and backyard stills]. It competed successfully from San Francisco to New York with the most expensive alcohol rum runners could provide.”
It’s difficult to talk about any subject in U.S. history or current events without bringing in religion. Prohibition is no different. The prohibition movement, which can be traced in the U.S. to the first half of the 19th century, was led by evangelical Protestants, mainly Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Methodists. Most Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Jews favored moderation. Those opposed to Prohibition, often known as wets, called the ban an imposition of the values of mostly rural Protestants on urban residents, who were often immigrants or sons and daughters of immigrants, and mostly Catholics.
“There was nothing in Catholic teachings or traditions that held that drinking alcohol was morally wrong,” Davis states. After all, Jesus and his disciples drank wine on a daily basis. “The two main Lutheran synods in Minnesota did not endorse Prohibition either, in part because they accepted the importance of the alcohol tradition among their sizable German memberships.” Many county (and Minnesota) residents traced their roots to Germany and Austria where people enjoyed their beer and whiskey.
The vast majority of people involved in making and selling alcohol were never caught by undermanned federal enforcement, in Stearns County as elsewhere. However, those who were caught and tried put a great strain on courts and prisons. Violence erupted in in Al Capone’s Chicago and many other U.S. cities. Contraband was illegally brought in from Canada and Mexico. Political corruption was rampant. Sound familiar?
This book brings to life a fascinating, if ill-conceived, part of American history. Eighty-plus years ago, after more than a decade of violent and costly unintended consequences caused by Prohibition, the country realized it made a mistake and passed the 21st Amendment allowing alcoholic beverages to be regulated and taxed – not prohibited. America’s war on drugs has gone on for 40 years with far greater toxic effects, and waged without the benefit of a constitutional amendment. We have wasted hundreds of billions of dollars on enforcement, incarceration, and lost tax revenue on what has been a futile endeavor. Why it has taken so long for Americans to end this far costlier prohibition will cause future historians much bewilderment.
“Minnesota 13” is one of the better examples of small-town history of the many such books I have read. The author is a professor at St. Cloud State University. Well-researched, well-thought out, and well-written, it is a pleasure to read.
Stearns County in north-central Minnesota, which includes the cities of St. Cloud and Sinclair Lewis’ hometown of Sauk Centre, was the center of brazen opposition to the national constitutional ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages. Ironically, Andrew Volstead, the sponsor of the 1919 Volstead Act, the enforcement law supplement to the 18th Amendment, represented the county in Congress.
Davis points out, “Stearns County was in the farthest north part of Volstead’s Minnesota district and the man was disliked by most county residents.” He was not re-elected in 1922; his opponent got 60 percent of the vote.
“Local historians estimate that four out of five county residents were involved in cooking, selling, and distributing illegal alcohol during Prohibition and in certain areas of the county, almost 100% were involved,” Davis writes.
“[I]llegal production and distribution of alcohol in Central Minnesota carried on the entire 13 years of Prohibition with tacit support of the majority of county residents, clergy, physicians, and law enforcement and resistance to enforcers was prevalent.”
“Minnesota 13” whiskey of the book’s title was named after the corn seed used for the mash. “Minnesota 13 was in demand throughout the Midwest and beyond because it was a safe, high-quality aged whiskey [in an era of often dangerous beverages made in bathtubs, kitchens, and backyard stills]. It competed successfully from San Francisco to New York with the most expensive alcohol rum runners could provide.”
It’s difficult to talk about any subject in U.S. history or current events without bringing in religion. Prohibition is no different. The prohibition movement, which can be traced in the U.S. to the first half of the 19th century, was led by evangelical Protestants, mainly Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Methodists. Most Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Jews favored moderation. Those opposed to Prohibition, often known as wets, called the ban an imposition of the values of mostly rural Protestants on urban residents, who were often immigrants or sons and daughters of immigrants, and mostly Catholics.
“There was nothing in Catholic teachings or traditions that held that drinking alcohol was morally wrong,” Davis states. After all, Jesus and his disciples drank wine on a daily basis. “The two main Lutheran synods in Minnesota did not endorse Prohibition either, in part because they accepted the importance of the alcohol tradition among their sizable German memberships.” Many county (and Minnesota) residents traced their roots to Germany and Austria where people enjoyed their beer and whiskey.
The vast majority of people involved in making and selling alcohol were never caught by undermanned federal enforcement, in Stearns County as elsewhere. However, those who were caught and tried put a great strain on courts and prisons. Violence erupted in in Al Capone’s Chicago and many other U.S. cities. Contraband was illegally brought in from Canada and Mexico. Political corruption was rampant. Sound familiar?
This book brings to life a fascinating, if ill-conceived, part of American history. Eighty-plus years ago, after more than a decade of violent and costly unintended consequences caused by Prohibition, the country realized it made a mistake and passed the 21st Amendment allowing alcoholic beverages to be regulated and taxed – not prohibited. America’s war on drugs has gone on for 40 years with far greater toxic effects, and waged without the benefit of a constitutional amendment. We have wasted hundreds of billions of dollars on enforcement, incarceration, and lost tax revenue on what has been a futile endeavor. Why it has taken so long for Americans to end this far costlier prohibition will cause future historians much bewilderment.
“Minnesota 13” is one of the better examples of small-town history of the many such books I have read. The author is a professor at St. Cloud State University. Well-researched, well-thought out, and well-written, it is a pleasure to read.
November 25, 2020
An interesting account of the prominence of moonshine manufacturing in Stearns County, Minnesota during the 1920s, "Minnesota 13" (which refers to the U of M developed hybrid corn used to brew the high quality whiskey for which the county became famous across the nation during Prohibition) provides much information about the place and time. Elaine Davis tells the story of the struggling German immigrant farmers of Stearns County (a bastion of German Catholic immigrants with a strong brewing tradition) who took advantage of Prohibition to provide safe, high quality alcohol, going against the law in the process and, on occasion, facing the consequences.
Davis uses copious research and a lot of great maps and diagrams to document themes such as the role of the Catholic Church, connections to gangsters and organized crime in the Twin Cities and Chicago to traffic the booze (including Al Capone), attempts by Federal Agents to control the lawbreaking central Minnesota county, and even a recipe for Minnesota 13. The research is organized in a bit of a haphazard fashion, however, and can sometimes be a bit repetitive, reading like a collection of separate essays on the theme of Prohibition and moonshine in Stearns County rather than a cohesive account. Still, Davis' research paints a compelling picture of the effects of Prohibition on a local level in rural Minnesota and is a good place to look for resources on daily life in the 1920s.
Davis uses copious research and a lot of great maps and diagrams to document themes such as the role of the Catholic Church, connections to gangsters and organized crime in the Twin Cities and Chicago to traffic the booze (including Al Capone), attempts by Federal Agents to control the lawbreaking central Minnesota county, and even a recipe for Minnesota 13. The research is organized in a bit of a haphazard fashion, however, and can sometimes be a bit repetitive, reading like a collection of separate essays on the theme of Prohibition and moonshine in Stearns County rather than a cohesive account. Still, Davis' research paints a compelling picture of the effects of Prohibition on a local level in rural Minnesota and is a good place to look for resources on daily life in the 1920s.
March 27, 2013
Excellent book outlining Prohibition in Minnesota. It was awesome to be able to draw personal connections to towns included and even some people I've heard of. Highly recommend to anyone seeking Minnesota history.
June 15, 2014
This is a great book for anyone who grew up in the Stearns County area. Many familiar names and places. Also, many places that do not exist anymore. Wonder how much moonshine is still hiding out there?
November 25, 2008
Loved the book. It's about the German farming community in Stearns County.
May 17, 2012
WHY WERE YOU PUTTING CARS ON TRIAL?
This is the best book. Screw you, Chicago, you ain't got nothin' on MN. :P
This is the best book. Screw you, Chicago, you ain't got nothin' on MN. :P
January 26, 2015
This was a real gem, particularly if you are familiar with this part of the country. Interesting to hear stories so identical to what my grandfather used to tell me. A real winner.
April 13, 2015
Super interesting read as my grandpa ran moonshine!
March 5, 2016
I love history and I lived in this area for many years, so I found parts of this quite interesting.
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October 3, 20172007-11 - Minnesota 13: Stearns County’s ‘Wet’ Wild Prohibition Days. Elaine Davis (Author) . 2007. 175 pages.
We picked up the book from the campus bookstore at Saint Cloud State University (SCSU). This book was written by university professor at SCSU whose own relatives had participated in the production and distribution of Minnesota 13 back in the day.
The book is well illustrated with both photos and cartoons. The book could also serve as a basic “how to manual” for the production of moonshine whiskey, if the reader were so inclined. The book relies on primary source documents and interviews in order to tell the story.
The story is told by subject in order to give the reader a true snort of the history, its causes, and its legacy. Much is made in the book of the ethnic and religious roots amongst the moonshiners as a reason for their success and ability. These claims are based firmly on census and voting data as well as prison and court records. The effects of Prohibition on the integration of various ethnicities is well founded and makes for an interesting anthropological study.
The book covers the basics of whom and why they were involved in the local production and distribution. It also provides details on the transmittal of the product nation wide through the networks of Capone and others. The influence and inroads of big gangsters into Minnesota is nothing new of course. St. Paul, Minnesota has long been known to have been a safe haven for gangsters looking to lay low for a while. The notion that folks, like Dillinger and Karpis, to name a few were tooling around the back country roads of Minnesota may surprise many who are unfamiliar with the local history.
The enforcement side is equally well covered both in the courtrooms, on raids, and in prisons. Stearns County sent some 500 people to federal prisons during the era of Prohibition.
This book is a real eye opener and a very good read. The fact that there was one saloon for every 200 people at the start of Prohibition says something about the American drinking culture at the time. Sadly though Prohibition besides sapping the tavern culture also destroyed many breweries and lead to the dominance in consumption and taste of the American lagers of Budweiser and Miller. Only now some 70 years later are ales and local brewing making a comeback. There is much more to this slim book then the story of local outlaws trying to make a buck in a hard financial time.
We picked up the book from the campus bookstore at Saint Cloud State University (SCSU). This book was written by university professor at SCSU whose own relatives had participated in the production and distribution of Minnesota 13 back in the day.
The book is well illustrated with both photos and cartoons. The book could also serve as a basic “how to manual” for the production of moonshine whiskey, if the reader were so inclined. The book relies on primary source documents and interviews in order to tell the story.
The story is told by subject in order to give the reader a true snort of the history, its causes, and its legacy. Much is made in the book of the ethnic and religious roots amongst the moonshiners as a reason for their success and ability. These claims are based firmly on census and voting data as well as prison and court records. The effects of Prohibition on the integration of various ethnicities is well founded and makes for an interesting anthropological study.
The book covers the basics of whom and why they were involved in the local production and distribution. It also provides details on the transmittal of the product nation wide through the networks of Capone and others. The influence and inroads of big gangsters into Minnesota is nothing new of course. St. Paul, Minnesota has long been known to have been a safe haven for gangsters looking to lay low for a while. The notion that folks, like Dillinger and Karpis, to name a few were tooling around the back country roads of Minnesota may surprise many who are unfamiliar with the local history.
The enforcement side is equally well covered both in the courtrooms, on raids, and in prisons. Stearns County sent some 500 people to federal prisons during the era of Prohibition.
This book is a real eye opener and a very good read. The fact that there was one saloon for every 200 people at the start of Prohibition says something about the American drinking culture at the time. Sadly though Prohibition besides sapping the tavern culture also destroyed many breweries and lead to the dominance in consumption and taste of the American lagers of Budweiser and Miller. Only now some 70 years later are ales and local brewing making a comeback. There is much more to this slim book then the story of local outlaws trying to make a buck in a hard financial time.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews