Gretchen Griffith

Wheels and Moonshine Gretchen Griffith

Johnny Turner teams up with author Gretchen Griffith to present the many adventures and misadventures of his notorious uncle, Claude Bishop Minton. This larger than life innovator brought exciting tales to his family, bootleg whiskey to his clients, and challenges to the revenuers who chased him through the woods. He was a man ahead of his time, developing the first roller skating rink in western North Carolina. He was a master craftsman, building not only stagecoaches, but also surreys and Conestoga wagons. He was a master cook, selling his delicious concoctions in the front of his several restaurant establishments even as he sold white lightning out the back. A native of Wilkes County, North Carolina, the Moonshine Capital of the World, he practiced his art not only in hidden mountain coves as he brewed batches of his recipe, but also in plain view with television cameras rolling as he demonstrated the process of manufacturing gasohol. Johnny considers himself fortunate to claim Claude Minton as his uncle.