Sheriff Crenshaw and staff of the Oconee County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Crenshaw and staff of the Oconee County Sheriff's Office

Oconee County was once a dry county. Alcohol was considered contraband and was often confiscated by the sheriff. Here, Sheriff Crenshaw is seen with his deputies after making such a seizure.

Illegal gaming machines are not just a fad of today, they were also a problem during Sheriff Crenshaw's administration. Here, Sheriff Crenshaw is pictured with two such machines.

On January 28, 1963 Sheriff Crenshaw escorts Harvey Gantt, Clemson College's first black student, as he arrives for registration.

Moonshine!!! Here Sheriff Crenshaw is seen pouring the first of many jars of illegal brew into a storm drain at the Oconee County Courthouse.

White lightning is not considered to be as big of a problem today, but during Sheriff Crenshaw's administration moonshiners kept his office busy.

As you can tell from this photograph, the destruction of moonshine was a big event as numerous people turned out to watch.

Moonshine was often used for medicine. When the sheriff's office was pouring out illegal whiskey, citizens could bring a small bottle containing rock candy, which was purchased from the drug store, and fill it with moonshine. This was a common remedy used to treat a cough or cold.

In this photo, sheriff's deputies assist in the destruction of illegal moonshine.

In this photo, Sheriff Crenshaw looks on as deputies pour yet another batch of moonshine down the drain. If you look closely, you will notice the boxes in this photo are different, indicating another large seizure.

After serving as sheriff, Crenshaw continued his career serving as the police chief for the City of Walhalla. Here he is pictured with James "Jim" McMahan as they seize another batch of illegal moonshine.