In the maze of underground catacombs beneath Thornton Distilling Co. in Thornton, Illinois, workers recently stumbled on something far more dramatic than a loose brick. Tucked in a wall cavity behind a potbelly stove vent, they found a loaded handgun that appears to date back to the Prohibition era. Staff immediately called police, who treated the discovery as an active firearm, made it safe, ran a records check and then returned it to the distillery’s owner for secure storage.
What Was Found
The weapon turned out to be a Colt Model 1908, still loaded with aging ammunition that officers said appeared consistent with the 1920s. Details about the model and the condition of the rounds emerged as local media photographed and documented the find. According to WGN, the responding officer noted that the pistol was “technically an antique,” but it was handled like any live firearm at the scene.
How They Found It
Owner Andrew Howell and head distiller Ari Klafter were in the underground space measuring for new lighting when they decided to check an old stove vent. Howell said he probed a void behind the vent and caught the glint of chrome in his flashlight beam, realizing he was looking at a pistol. “It’s been a crazy morning,” Howell told Region News Source. The pair called police, who arrived, secured the gun and conducted a standard records search.
A Building Full Of Stories
The building that houses Thornton Distilling dates back to 1857, and the company promotes it as the oldest standing brewery in Illinois, built around a long-used artesian well. According to the distillery’s own historical account, the site quietly continued beer production during Prohibition under owner Carl Ebner, eventually drawing the attention of federal agents who raided the property. That same history notes that the operation later came under the sway of Al Capone and his associates. Thornton Distilling Company records describe agents smashing vats and dumping thousands of gallons of beer into nearby Thorn Creek during the Prohibition crackdown.
Police Say The Weapon Is Safe
Officers checked the pistol’s serial information and reported no connection to any open criminal cases. They then rendered the gun safe and returned it to the owner for appropriate safekeeping. Authorities stressed in a statement reported by Region News Source that there was no threat to the public from the discovery and that no further investigation was needed once the records check came back clear.
What The Distillery Plans To Do
Howell said the distillery plans to bring in firearms experts to verify the pistol’s provenance and ensure it is safe to handle or display. If it passes inspection, the Colt could eventually join the venue’s collection of historic artifacts and become a new highlight on guided tours. “If it’s safe to display, we plan to include it with the other artifacts at our bar and restaurant,” he told All That's Interesting. Staff have previously uncovered period postcards and bottles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this latest find has stirred up old local stories about tunnels and gangster-era visitors.
Small Find, Big Story
Investigators and historians are unlikely to ever tie the pistol to a specific person from the 1920s, but the discovery offers a concrete link to the distillery’s bootlegging-era past and the broader Prohibition history of the Chicago region. For now, the Colt remains in the distillery’s care while owners and experts decide how best to preserve and present it to the public. Local coverage has framed the gun as the kind of small, physical clue that lets communities tell a much larger story about their own history.
