On Monday evening T and I went out to Oskar Blues to listen to one of our favorite local "Old Time" music groups, the "Hogtown Squealers". They delivered a spirited and driving rendition of "Thunder Road" which reminded me of the movie Thunder Road (1958) which reminded me of the car in the movie.
According to Wikipedia: "In the film, Mitchum drove a souped-up 1951 Ford 2-door sedan hot-rod with a custom tank in the back for moonshine and later a 1957 Ford coupe with the same alterations. The '51 Ford was modified with a '49 hood and grill and the rear taillight trim was removed. The film's dialogue refers to the car as a '50, but it is not, although at least one exterior shot, when the car spills oil on the road, is of the trunk of a '50."
1950 Ford Sedan
A 1951 Ford Victoria
Pictures courtesy of Bull-Doser via Wikimedia Commons
Thunder Road is a story about "the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol". Which reminded me of a story from about 1950 about a car and a man who ran some illegal pigs across a state line for culinary purposes. We raised Berkshire breeding stock for sale at Cope, South Carolina on the foot of the Orangeburg Scarp just off of US 301. Thomas got a call from Sine Aspenwall in Jesup, GA who owned and operated The Pig Restaurant, famous for its BBQ pork. Mr. Aspenwall wanted to buy a set of Berkshire gilts for breeding. Thomas replied that he had them available in the size and quantity desired but that there was a quarantine between South Carolina and Georgia and the pigs would be barred from crossing the state line. Mr. Aspenwall said that he had that taken care of and he would be at the farm first thing Sunday morning to pick up the gilts.
Sunday morning arrived sunny and a brand new black Chevrolet sedan arrived in the farm yard driven by Mr. Aspenwall dressed in his Sunday best suit and wearing a man's dress hat. The back seat of the automobile had been removed and it was open from the back seat area into the trunk area and bedded with fresh pine straw. Thomas showed Mr. Aspenwall the set of gilts that he had picked out for him, they were accepted, and we loaded them into the back of the new Chevy. As I recall, there were 6 or 8 of them and they weighed about 80 pounds - I was around 9 years old and did not.
1950 Chevy Bel Air Deluxe
Photo courtesy of Cars-On-Line.com
Thomas and Sine completed the transaction and those pigs headed for Georgia. It all looked like the preacher man on his way to Sunday School, and I am sure that they got waived through any road blocks that they encountered at the Savannah River.
In those days we often travelled as a family to visit friends and relatives in Jacksonville, Gainesville and Pensacola and we often stopped and ate at The Pig. Sine Aspenwall's granddaughter is a food consultant and has a web site where she tells the story of The Pig Restaurant and sells the famous BBQ sauce on line and I am going to order some to try right now.
Thomas and Jimbo and the Champion Berkshire Gilt of the S.C. Berkshire Breeders Association in Spartanburg, S.C., August 28, 1952
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If you have a comment, and/or an argument, please do so below. Feedback is welcome.
If you enjoyed this post, take a few seconds to subscribe.
If you have a comment, and/or an argument, please do so below. Feedback is welcome.
If you enjoyed this post, take a few seconds to subscribe. Use the Social Media Sharing buttons below to share it with your friends.
If you would like to see my collection of Carolina Lowcountry memories—"Magnolia Elegy: Place In the Edisto Fork," you can view the book trailer here, and see the book page here on the publisher's website. The book is also available from Amazon, B&N, and your independent local bookseller.
