In the late 19th century, Lincoln County was a hotbed of whiskey production, etching its name into history with the development of the "Lincoln County Process"—the distinct charcoal-mellowing method that defines Tennessee Whiskey and launched the global fame of Jack Daniel's. Beyond the giants, the county was home to other legitimate enterprises like the S.W. Carmack Distillery at Stoneboro; owned by a local attorney, this significant operation met a sudden, fiery end when it was destroyed in November 1897. Yet, for every legal barrel rolled out of a warehouse, countless gallons were likely flowing from the hidden hollows of the county, where a prolific culture of illegal moonshining thrived in the shadows, arguably eclipsing the legal trade in both volume and local lore.
