Borger Holds Record For Largest Illegal Still Found By Rangers?

When you think of wild and crazy towns of the Texas panhandle, I doubt Borger is the first place that comes to mind. The truth though, is that Borger has quite the history when it comes to "knowing how to party."

In fact, the largest illegal still ever confiscated in Texas was supposedly a product of Borger.

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Prohibition In The Texas Panhandle And Bootleg Liquor

One of the most interesting things about the prohibition era in the state of Texas is that most of the state had already gone dry before the nationwide ban on alcohol took effect.

Another interesting aspect of prohibition in Texas is that it was the more rural areas that lead the way. Counties along the Mexican border and the more urban parts of the state weren't really interested in becoming dry.

This of course didn't stop enterprising bootleggers.

The Biggest Illegal Still Confiscated In Texas

According to legend the largest illegal still confiscated in the state of Texas came from Borger. This now mostly quiet panhandle town once kept the Texas Rangers awfully busy.

It supposedly took 25 men to operate and even had its own natural gas line and pumped out an impressive 40 gallons of whiskey an hour.

In a single 24-hour period, it could supposedly produce just shy of 1,000 gallons of hooch.

The Lawless History Of Borger, TX

Something like this isn't really a shock when it comes to Borger. That little town has seen plenty of action over the years. Martial law was once even enforced in Borger.

You also have to consider the ties to Shine Popejoy, who was hailed as the king of Texas bootleggers. In fact, bootlegging was a seemingly popular activity at one time in Borger.

All In All, Thanks For Keeping It Interesting Borger

If there's one thing I love, it's the wild, weird, and crazy history of the Texas panhandle. That counts double for when it has to do with Borger.

Thanks for always keeping it interesting.