woolen carpets. This interaction between residents and those from other areas brought Snowville into a wider contact with the outside world. On the west end of the town, a tannery was operated by W. S. Bullard. Tanning is the process of making leather, which does not easily decompose, from the skins of animals, which do. Visitors and residents today can still see the large open pits where the leather was tanned along Route 693 and the "bottom lands." Another factory was the big shoe factory located along the Little River. Known as the Red Barn (due to the building's color), this shoe factory was one of the greatest manufacturing plants of its day in southwestern Virginia. The shoes were distributed across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic states, and one might even ask any old-time Virginian, "Who has not worn those good, honest boots and shoes made at Snowville?" Various other factories and shops existed over the years. During the Civil War, swords and Bowie knives were made in Snowville for the Confederate Army and delivered to Christiansburg where they were shipped out. Joe Craft operated a barrel factory which produced whiskey barrels and flour containers, as well as wooden washtubs. There are records of eggs being brought from the surrounding countryside to Snowville, where they were sold for merchandise, then packed into barrels with wood shavings and sawdust, and finally sent to large cities. In another building, bird feathers and down feathers were made into pillows and feather beds. Moonshining and the illicit distilling of liquor has occurred in Snowville since its earliest beginnings. Two known stills were in operation near Snowville during the middle of the 19th century. One was operated by Benjamin Ridpath, the other by Joseph Covey. A third known still was located in Montgomery County outside of Snowville and was operated by Crockett Meredith, but had little effect on the community. During the middle and late 20th century, a large still operation was present near Buck Hollow Ridge and Big Laurel Creek. It was operated by Walter Grubb, along with the help of Staunt Phillips who transported the alcohol by way of a super-charged automobile. Although rare today, the art and science of distilling spirits in the mountains is rumored to still be present (see External Links section). Postal service Postal mail was not delivered daily in Snowville's early years; it usually came once, and occasionally, twice