Minnesota farm "at the center" of American history
HAMPTON, Minn. — Bryan Frandrup is a bit of a historian — and in his childhood home — there's a lot of history to discover.
Frandrup grew up on a farm off Highway 52 near Hampton. It's been in his family for more than 150 years. He's found antique tools, prohibition moonshine jugs and even an inscription behind a farm shed dated back to 1923—but what's really peaked his interested in recent years is a photo of his great aunts; Susie and Florence Freiermuth.
"Many of my relatives have it hanging up in their homes," he said.
You might recognize it. The photo was taken during a federal raid on their moonshine operation Aug. 14, 1924 on a neighboring farm. The sisters posed for the photo upon federal officers request, with smiles and rifles in hand.
"I'm sure they never could've imagined how long this photo would survive and been circulated," Frandrup said.
It wasn't their first or last run in with the law, but certainly the most iconic. The photo was printed in newspapers across the country and even in Canada.
Dakota County Freiermuth by WCCO - CBS Minnesota on Scribd
"Their father was the moonshine king of Dakota County," Frandup said.
Today, the photo has been seen in books and exhibits on Prohibition, the Mob Museum in Las Vegas and on the walls of the homes of Susie and Florence's ancestors.
"I think photo just demonstrates their perceptions of moonshining was during prohibition," Frandrup said. "'Yeah, we got caught, but you know what, we're going to keep doing it!' And they did."
One hundred years later, Franrup's family farm looks a little different. The adjacent farm where the raid happened doesn't exist anymore—but its part in history will stand the test of time.
"The prohibition was such a transformative time in American's history and this farm, was at the center of it," Frandrup said.
