Percy Flowers

Joshua Percy Flowers (1903 – 1982)<ref name "Percy Bio"/> began purchasing land in the early years of the Great Depression to farm cotton and tobacco, and it produced crops until the 1970s. He was an American businessman, philanthropist, noted fox hunter and "North Carolina's number one" producer of illegal alcohol in the mid twentieth century.[1]

Career

Flowers purchased several pieces of land during the early portion of the Great Depression and farmed the land until the 1970s.<ref name "Percy Bio"/> Flowers is reported to have been a "pillar of the White Oak Baptist Church" and to have had close ties with local politicians.[1] He operated an illegal liquor production facility on his 5,000-acre (20 km2) farm in Johnston County, North Carolina during the 1950s and 1960s. He is reputed to have earned $1million per year in untaxed revenue through this endeavor.[1] Flowers was indicted ten times by federal grand juries, and eighteen times at the state and local level. He was variously charged with bootlegging, reckless driving, illegal purchase of a firearm and tax evasion[1] but "rarely spent anytime in jail."[2] Flowers was known as "king of the moonshiners." As a result of his open disregard for the laws governing alcohol production and consumption along with his "lavish" donations to his church and those in need, he was seen by some as a Robin Hood-like folk hero.[2]

Personal life

Flowers was married with two children. His son was killed in an aviation accident in 1952. Flower's daughter began to develop his plantation in 1978.<ref name "Percy Bio">"History of". Flowers Plantation. Retrieved 2013-10-27. </ref> It is known that Percy fathered 2 additional children out of wedlock: a boy, Perry Sullivan, and a girl, Tammy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bouloubasis, Victoria. "Mr. Percy's Run; plus, a moonshine bibliography | Food Feature". Indy Week. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  2. 1 2 "Log Cabin Pioneers: Stories, Songs and Sayings - Wayne Erbsen - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  4. www.lostflowersbook.com
  Lost Flowers @Amazon.com
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