Step back in time with the Managing Director of the Franklin County Historical Society in Rocky Mount, Virginia. A devoted history enthusiast and captivating storyteller, she brings to life the exhilarating—and often outrageous—heyday of moonshining in our region. Come hear the true (and truly wild) tales that helped make us who we are.

This event was video-recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2bhGJXtHc4

The topic is “Likker—at Home & Away,” and Linda Stanley is going to talk to you a little bit before she tells you anything. “I can tell a couple Floyd County stories,” she promises. “I’ll talk about what moonshine likker was (and is) used for and hopefully tell y’all some things you don’t already know. Light-hearted, no heavy stuff.”

Moonshine In These Hills

Two more reasons why you shouldn’t miss this special program. 

Floyd’s Five Mile Mountain Distillery will be offering a special “Willie Carter Sharpe” cocktail during the weekend of this event. Sharpe was a liquor runner and blockade driver who was born in Floyd County. A woman with diamond-studded teeth, she won international fame during prohibition for her skills as a driver and for hauling over a hundred gallons of whiskey a day.

Attendees at the program will get a coupon from the Distillery for 10% off ANY one cocktail and it will be redeemable for 30 days.

Everyone is invited to stop by the Museum (N. Locust Street) to take a peek at a still that was confiscated by state and local authorities in 1983. It was estimated to be about 150 years old.

More About Linda

Linda grew up in Floyd County and is the current managing director of Franklin County Historical Society in Rocky Mount. Included in her duties are oversight and operation of a history museum and research library. She produces programs and events, writes and/or compiles booklets with a history—and oftentimes moonshine—theme. All for the benefit of the Historical Society—“we’re still making money off illegal likker,” she says.

She is a member of Floyd County High School’s first graduating class. From there, she spent more than 40 years in the newspaper business—in one capacity or another. Retiring several times, and not getting the hang of that yet, Linda returned “home” to Floyd County about 53 years ago to be a dairy farmer on the infamous Po’Do. This was a dairy farm her mother-in-law categorized as “poor doings,” hence the name.

A few months after coming back to Floyd County, a reporter from the school newspaper was tasked with coming out to the farm to interview her. Linda prepared, thinking the gal would want to know about her career in journalism that really started at Floyd County High School—this was the school paper after all.

Hellos were said, Linda asked if the sweet gal would like to tour the Po’Do. Actually, no. She just had some questions. The first one: “Well, how are you adjusting to being a has-been…”

And, Linda says, “that about sums things up.”