Billy Brown served for decades as a member of the Ashe County Sheriff's department. He began as a deputy, and ultimately served as Sheriff. During this time, he oversaw a small department tasked with keeping the peace in a large ang growing county. In this interview, he recalls his childhood days, the workings of the Sheriff's department, amd memories of the moonshiners and outlaws he was tasked with capturing.
Part 1
00:45 Birth / parents / siblings
2:10 Subsistence farming
5:00 Work / pay rates
8:00 Childhood pasttimes
13:20 Christmas
17:45 Baptism anecdote
23:50 Having the measles
Part 2
00:20 Flu epidemic
5:10 Reflections on army life
12:00 Life after WW1 / recollections of parents
14:06 Hog killing
18:35 Hunting with muzzle loader
20:40 Mother's jobs
22:25 Making leather britches
25:05 Using oxen
28:30 Hauling lumber
Part 3
00:30 Hauling timber with oxen
1:41 School stories
8:25 Teachers and punishment
11:05 Pie eating contest
14:30 Halloween / Easter / Thanksgiving
16:11 1916 trip out west
22:25 Marriage / children
24:30 Overview of Career as Sheriff
Part 4
0:30 Finances / size of Sheriff department
10:45 Daily activities of Sheriff / stills
12:00 Finding stills
23:00 Watching stills
25:40 Not carrying guns
Part 5
0:40 Finding stills
10:38 Punishments
11:02 Arresting friends