The Story of Moonshiner Jim Parker and the Parker Family Legacy
In the misty hills of Rabun County, Georgia — known as the Moonshine Capital of the World — the Parker name became legendary. The photo shows Conis W. Parker, great-uncle of Jim Parker, standing by his moonshine still site, a few years after the end of one of the South’s most talked-about rivalries: The Daisy Mountain Moonshine Wars.
Beginnings of the Feud
The long-standing tension between the Parker/Ashley and Harris/Millsaps families began in the late 1940s.
There are several versions of how it started, but according to Parker family history, it began in 1947, when Theodore “Pap” Parker, a respected moonshiner, bought a home from Willie Harris. Later, Pap discovered that the property had a hidden mortgage — something Harris had denied.
Others claimed that the disagreement stemmed from competition over moonshine production in Hamilton County, where the Parkers had operated for years. Another version suggested it began after a dispute involving a shipment of whiskey.
Whatever the cause, the feud soon became widely known, drawing comparisons to the famous Hatfield and McCoy family disputes.
Law and the Changing Times
During Sheriff Frank Burns’ term (1948–1950), enforcement of liquor laws was minimal, and moonshiners continued their trade without much interference. But things changed in 1950, when Sheriff Rex Richey was elected on a promise of “honest, courageous, and vigorous law enforcement.”
His strict enforcement drew national attention, including coverage by popular radio host Arthur Godfrey. In his first two years, Richey reportedly destroyed over 200 stills and thousands of gallons of illegal whiskey, marking the beginning of the end for many old-time moonshine operations.
Life on Daisy Mountain
Despite the tension between families, life continued in the mountain community. Locals often warned each other when law officers were nearby — sometimes by firing two shots in the air, honking car horns, or even banging tin pans as a signal.
Pap Parker and his wife Ethel, a beloved schoolteacher, were well-known in the area. Both were deeply connected to their community, and despite the difficulties of the time, they remained resilient and proud of their mountain roots.
By 1949, both Pap Parker and Willie Harris had left the area — Parker to serve a federal sentence related to moonshining, and Harris to seek safety and work in Detroit, Michigan. Their departure marked the gradual fading of the feud that had divided the hills.
The End of an Era
In December 1948, both families appeared on the national radio show “We the People”, expressing hope for peace and cooperation. Though tensions occasionally resurfaced, the changing economy and new laws brought the old moonshine traditions to a close.
By the mid-1950s, the Daisy Mountain Moonshine Wars were history. The price of sugar had risen, marijuana farming was becoming more common, and modern law enforcement made moonshining too risky to continue.
Still, the legacy lived on. In the quiet hills of Georgia, stories of the Parker family remain — tales of hard work, mountain pride, and a way of life that refused to fade quietly into the past.
