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Welcome to the 'Wet' Wild Days of Prohibition! Read the book that Stearns County is buzzing
about. "Minnesota 13" is a historical overview of the years from 1920-1933, when moonshine production dominated
the county while the 18th Amendment was in effect. The skill of the local moonshiners -- combined with the perfect strain
of corn -- produced some the best whiskey in the United States. It was bootlegged and sold in speakeasies from New York to
San Francisco and competed successfully with the best alcohol rumrunners could provide. Read the 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 cartoons by Jim Bertram.
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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. Intertwining insights ranging from ethnicity and religious faith
to law enforcement, geography, farm economics and regional history, Davis provides a portrait of those whisky-fueled 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 case 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 Prohibition 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 it 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,
moonshine, Al Capone and “Minnesota 13” were all a unique part of that history. The “Feds”
and Eliot Ness would have 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.
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