I have been searching for awhile and have not found any satisfactory answer as to the origin of the term white lightning.

What I do know;

• White Lightning is a name for Moonshine.
• Moonshine is type of whiskey, or grain alcohol, typically made from corn mash and then put through a distilling process.
• It is said that the name white lightning is a reference to the clear color of the liquid, and or could be referencing the feeling one gets when drinking the liquid. However nothing I've found definitively proves or backs it up.
• This name seems to become a part of the general language of the united states sometime during or right after the prohibition (1920-1933).

What I don't know and would like to;

• When was the name first used? I realize this is hard to pinpoint because of the secretive nature of alcohol at the time, but I'd like to know at least in what year it entered known usage.

• Where does the name originate from? I'm looking for at least state or region (assuming it did originate in the united states). If it can be more precise like city or town that would be great but I realize that's asking a lot.

• What is the meaning of the name? Is it a reference to the qualities of the liquid, simply a "code name" for talking about it in public, or some moonshiner's brand name?