Descendants Bring Prohibition-Era Hero’s Story to ATF

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On April 1, 1921, Federal Prohibition Agent Jacob "Jake" Green walked into a deadly ambush along Piney Woods Creek near Richton, Mississippi. In a fierce exchange of gunfire that lasted less than a minute, Green and Richton Town Marshal William Lawrence Dunnam were murdered by moonshiners defending an illegal still.

More than a century later, Green's descendants brought his story back to life at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, helping to fill the historical void left when his personnel file was destroyed in a 1950s fire.

On a recent visit to ATF headquarters, family members, including granddaughter and author Juanita Green Hollinghead, along with Deborah Green McLeod, Lisa Hedegaard, and Gail Harris, joined ATF Assistant Director Brent Beavers to present historical documents and Hollinghead's book, Beyond the Green Widow: Consequences of the Piney Woods Creek Murders of 1921.

Hollinghead delivered a presentation on the book, which recounts the 1921 incident, its ripple effects on the families in the Mississippi towns of Richton and Leakesville, and the dangerous realities of Prohibition-era law enforcement.

"Hearing the intimate details of Agent Green's life and sacrifice, meeting his devoted family, and listening to their stories brought the events of that tragic day into vivid reality," said ATF Assistant Director Brent Beavers. "Seeing his name on our ATF Memorial Wall now carries deeper meaning and renewed reverence. We were honored to host them and deeply grateful for the historical documents and personal context they so generously shared."

The family was in the nation's capital to celebrate the 105^th anniversary of their patriarch's End of Watch by visiting the National Law Enforcement Memorial and ATF. Read more at www.atf.gov/our-history/fallen-agents/jacob-f-green.

ATF protects America's communities by confronting violent crime driven by the illegal use of firearms, explosives, and acts of arson. The Bureau of Prohibition is a legacy agency for ATF. More information about ATF and its history is available at www.atf.gov .