EVERGLADES PHOTOGRAPHY and DIGITAL ART
from the TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS
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It starts with nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary in the mangrove thicket jungle of the ten thousand islands. Nothing out of place among a mangrove framed, tea colored small bay. One out of hundreds just like it, deep in the Everglades coastal waters.
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Overgrown mangrove jungle at the Liquor Still Bay site in the Ten Thousand Islands.
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Nothing but a rotted old wood plank or two give away the location of this hidden piece of old Everglades history.
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Remains of the old hidden dock that lead into the liquor still site.
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This bay bears the unofficial name of “Liquor Still Bay” and has the distinction of being the site of a clandestine moonshine operation from the Prohibition era of the early 1930s. The site was cleared and built up by John J. Brown, the father of sometimes famous, sometimes infamous lifelong Chokoloskee resident and true Gladesman Loren G. “Totch” Brown.
Following the old wooden planks, is a bit like entering a “plein air” time capsule.
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“Outlaw Time Portal”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Entering a time portal into the Prohibition era of the old Everglades!
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John J. Brown essentially created his own “shell mound” on this secret spot by hauling in fill to raise the elevation above the high tide line. The old planks were part of a boat dock and were always hidden so that nothing could be seen if someone happened to go inside the little bay.
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On high tide in the summer, sections of the path are underwater.
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After maybe 20 feet the wood gives way to a hard packed trail made of shells, sand, limestone and cement. Framed by wood timbers, this path has stood the test of time, or at least the last 90 years or so.
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Crushed shell raised walkway built by John J. Brown circa 1930.
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Finally, in a overgrown clearing of sorts the liquor still site is revealed as it literally pops out of the jungle!
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Hidden moonshine liquor still in the Ten Thousand Islands!
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Totch Brown’s Liquor Still in the Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades.
“A view to a Still.”
CLICK for interactive panorama!
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The liquor still is in two parts. The brick fire pit is original as constructed in 1930. The still on top is an aluminum replica of the original copper still. It was put there in the mid 1990’s by Totch himself for a video production about his life called The Everglades Outlaw, Totch Brown.
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“Everglades Liquor Still Bay”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Ant’s eye ground view of Liquor Still Bay.
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Totch’s family lived in an 8 x 14 foot tar shack that stood just behind the still. As a young boy, Totch learned to hunt, trap, fish and survive in the Everglades any way he could. During the Depression, times were really hard and the income from the moonshine helped his father to literally put a roof over their heads.
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Remains of an old wooden liquor barrel. The only question is whether it’s from the 1930’s or 90’s?
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Next to the still lie the remains of a wooden barrel and a concrete lined pen used to store equipment and the fermenting corn sugar “buck” (pulp) and barrels of ‘shine whiskey.
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This is the concrete lined pen Totch’s father built as described in his book .. to keep bugs and worms from getting into the liquor barrels!
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Red brick masonry and rusting iron at the liquor still in the Everglades.
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Other than the original circa 1930 brickwork, it’s tough to tell what else is from that vintage. I’d venture to say that most of the wood seen is from the re-creation of the the camp by Totch in the early to mid 1990’s. The concrete and rusting iron might be original, but then again maybe he also spruced that up only 30 years ago.
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“Wood, metal & brick”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Inside the old liquor still.
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“Stillness on my mind”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
A 360 circular panorama looking straight up, into the still.
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CHEERS to Totch Brown & all Gladesmen!
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“Bricks in still life”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Black and white studies of the old Everglades.
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Heavily rusted iron detail in gritty black and white.
Black and white studies of the old Everglades.
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“Prohibition Pen #1”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Roots and concrete, light and dark.
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“Prohibition Pen #2”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Note the interesting crosshatch pattern lining the inside walls!
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The concrete pen was an attempt by Mr. Brown the senior to stay a step ahead of “prohibition bugs”. These tiny bugs burrowed into the wood of the barrels causing them to sprout many small leaks. His moonshine was true ‘Everglades Whiskey’ as he aged the fresh run ‘shine stashed in the mangroves for about six months. He was finally able to outdo the bugs by completely coating each barrel in a layer of plaster!
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“Wooden skeleton”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
Old whiskey barrel in the Everglades.
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Historical photo of similar liquor still site uncovered near Naples, Florida during the Prohibition era.
Photo source: floridamemory.com
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Officers “testing” moonshine found at a hidden liquor distillery somewhere in the Everglades during the 1950’s!
Photo source: floridamemory.com
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Historical photo of moonshine operation uncovered near Miami, Florida in 1925.
Photo source: floridamemory.com
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“Shine on you crazy Outlaws!”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
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“Split open”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
A tree has split the concrete pen wide open over the decades!
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“Liquor Still Bay #1”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
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This moonshine operation was probably only active for a few years as Totch’s father moved his family to live nearby at the former homestead of Ed Watson, which is now a backcountry Everglades campsite called The Watson Place. Totch himself went on to live a “free life” as he called it, perhaps one of the very few and last people who got to live a full life in the Everglades!
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“Swamp Whiskey”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
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“Swamp Still”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
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You can read up more about Liquor Still Bay and the life and times of Totch Brown in his excellent autobiography – Totch: A Life in the Everglades.
Also International Video Projects has several great videos about Totch and frontier living in the old Everglades.
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“Still reflections and the outlaw Shine!”
Available from Kayakfari ART Photography.
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Please note that nothing was moved nor altered at this site.
Only photographs and toasts were taken! 😉
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My ride, the Banana Boat awaits in the mangroves of the liquor still site.
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Check out more about paddling Liquor Still Bay and the Everglades at:
Moonshine in the 10 000 Islands
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Camping Hell in the Ten Thousand Islands
and
Heaven or Hell: Summer paddling and camping in the Ten Thousand Islands
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! Represent
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this bit of hidden Everglades history!
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Available as high quality archival prints for sale directly to you in various sizes for all your collecting, decorating and viewing pleasures and needs!
Images are also available to license for your print or digital editorial uses!
E-mail me for a price list or for a quote
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Related stories you might also enjoy:
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Crossing paths of Gladesmen, Gator hunters, Outlaws & Moonshiners: An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of the Everglades!
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Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!
Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!
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Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!
Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!
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Everglades hiking with an Altitude – exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley.
Everglades hiking with an Altitude – exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley.
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© 2015 – 2023 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com
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DISCLAIMER:
The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!
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With that said..
Blessings friends!
🙂
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