Gilbert Applegate
Gilbert Applegate joined the 16th Missouri Infantry and fought for the survival of the Union. He returned home from the war only to find that the Ozarks was barely recognizable, with lawlessness and terror reigning and the government barely functioning. He arrived at the family farm just in time to witness rioters burning it to the ground. He ran them off and only then discovered that bushwackers had killed his mother. He dedicated the next three years of his life to tracking the perpetrators, as far away as Washington State; and in the end he brought each of them to justice.
Soon after, Gilbert banded together with other rugged mountaineers to form the Bald Knobbers, dedicated to filling gaps in the fragmented legal system and restoring the rule of law to the Ozarks. While historians may condemn vigilante justice and question the motives of the Bald Knobbers, nobody can argue that the Ozarks of the 1880’s desperately needed law and order. And that the attention garnered by the rise of organized vigilantism was the catalyst that ushered in a new era of relative peace and safety.
The fall of the Bald Knobbers met it’s nexus with the conviction of four men for murders that resulted from a showdown with a ruthless gang who masqueraded as vigilantes. Applegate was acquitted of the murders, so he returned home to focus on his future and his family. He brought his newly acquired moonshining skills back to the Ozarks, and became well known for his high quality “corn squeezin’s”. His family farm began to thrive in the new era of peace, and a few years later he was even led to Jesus by his own son, Joe Marian Applegate, who baptized him in Swan Creek. Gilbert’s spiritual example was powerful, evidenced by the dozens of people who were also baptized that same day.
Gilbert Applegate was a rugged Ozarks mountaineer, a Union soldier, a Bald Knobber, a distiller of fine spirits, a family man, and a Christian leader. Much of his character lives on in his descendants, epitomized by us, the owners of Gentry Spirits. Our family includes generations of military veterans who don’t shy away from danger. We don’t cut corners. We prioritize God above all else. We focus on our family. And we distill fine spirits, the old fashioned way.
Gilbert Applegate
Gilbert Applegate joined the 16th Missouri Infantry and fought for the survival of the Union. He returned home from the war only to find that the Ozarks was barely recognizable, with lawlessness and terror reigning and the government barely functioning. He arrived at the family farm just in time to witness rioters burning it to the ground. He ran them off and only then discovered that bushwackers had killed his mother. He dedicated the next three years of his life to tracking the perpetrators, as far away as Washington State; and in the end he brought each of them to justice.
Soon after, Gilbert banded together with other rugged mountaineers to form the Bald Knobbers, dedicated to filling gaps in the fragmented legal system and restoring the rule of law to the Ozarks. While historians may condemn vigilante justice and question the motives of the Bald Knobbers, nobody can argue that the Ozarks of the 1880’s desperately needed law and order. And that the attention garnered by the rise of organized vigilantism was the catalyst that ushered in a new era of relative peace and safety.
The fall of the Bald Knobbers met it’s nexus with the conviction of four men for murders that resulted from a showdown with a ruthless gang who masqueraded as vigilantes. Applegate was acquitted of the murders, so he returned home to focus on his future and his family. He brought his newly acquired moonshining skills back to the Ozarks, and became well known for his high quality “corn squeezin’s”. His family farm began to thrive in the new era of peace, and a few years later he was even led to Jesus by his own son, Joe Marian Applegate, who baptized him in Swan Creek. Gilbert’s spiritual example was powerful, evidenced by the dozens of people who were also baptized that same day.
Gilbert Applegate was a rugged Ozarks mountaineer, a Union soldier, a Bald Knobber, a distiller of fine spirits, a family man, and a Christian leader. Much of his character lives on in his descendants, epitomized by us, the owners of Gentry Spirits. Our family includes generations of military veterans who don’t shy away from danger. We don’t cut corners. We prioritize God above all else. We focus on our family. And we distill fine spirits, the old fashioned way.