Mural #27
Prohibition & Bootlegging

From 1919-1933 liquor flowed from the Mojave Desert into Los Angeles, an endless supply of liquid wealth. Water, isolation, and labor created the 3 ingredients for favorable moonshine operations.

Law enforcement used large Joshua trees for lookouts. Local police had the difficult duty for stopping violators who were usually friends or neighbors, often people they grew up with. They generally looked the other way.

The young men who drove specially equipped trucks from L.A. had to also be mechanics who could fix problems on the go to secure swift travel.

Without forests to hide the stills and vats, discrete caves and undergrounds were carved out to produce the secret loot.

A large bull wandered to close to the corrugated tin covering the still, He crashed through into the vat of moonshine…the bull got drunk and the moonshine sold anyway.

Many thanks to Clifford Walker for his book, “One Eye Closed The Other Eye Read” and permission to use the stories and images.