South Buxton Cemetery Association President Richard “Sandy” Atkinson identifies the monument where legend says locals stashed their liquor during Prohibition. Robert Lowell / American Journal
The tale of a tombstone
Legend has it that some enterprising scofflaws during Prohibition days a century ago happened upon a safe hiding place to stash their alcoholic beverages where the York County sheriffs wouldn’t likely find it.
The thirsty community culprits removed a panel on a tombstone in the South Buxton Cemetery behind the Tory Hill Church and secreted their bootleg booze inside a hollow. Who would know?
There’s no word or evidence whether they were ever found out or whether any drink was stolen, but the story hasn’t dried up.
The passed-down hearsay has it the tombstone was that of John Fellows, who died in 1903 at the age of 57. His epitaph reads, “Gone but not forgotten.”
A nationwide prohibition of the production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages began in 1920 and ended in 1933 when the law was repealed.
Special town meeting Jan. 3
A special town meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, at Town Hall to reconcile various financial accounts totaling $288,793.47 and to authorize spending up to $70,000 to buy a police cruiser.
It will replace the budgeted “capital purchase of a cruiser” in the 2024-2025 budget.
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