KENNESAW — Al Capone may be the most famous bootlegger in history, but Cobb County has its fair share of bootlegging history during the Prohibition era, local historian Philip Ivester said.
Ivester discussed the topic as a guest speaker at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History’s Adult Speaker Series in Kennesaw on Saturday. He was the final guest speaker event of 2024 for the museum, which provides attendees the opportunity to hear experts lecture on historical topics and their relation to Cobb County.
Ivester serves as president of local preservation group the Friends of the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District. The group is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and enhancing the various historical sites of the Concord Covered Bridge District along Nickajack Creek in Smyrna.
“I like talking and doing research,” Ivester said. “I would enjoy (presenting at the museum) even if nobody came. It’s giving me a chance to put together some research.”
In his discussion, Ivester dissected the various prohibition eras throughout the city of Smyrna and the county as a whole. In it, he discussed the county’s history of bootlegging alcohol, moonshining and some of the biggest characters that helped make this era so unique.