There are a lot of stories told of how Lizard Lick got its name. During the mid to late 1800’s, the Federal Government opened a liquor still near this tiny crossroads. It was built to combat the growing number of bootleggers in the area who were producing a lot of bad whiskey. Mayor Charles Woods’s Grandpaw Carter was born in the area around 1890; the first money he ever made was picking up bottles and selling them to the still. There was a wooden rail fence built around the still where hundreds of lizards would run the fence to catch insects that were attracted by the mash used to make the whiskey. He reported that ol’ Ed Pulley was the official Whiskey Taster for the Government. When Ed sampled the day’s run and was feeling no pain, he would take his walking care and run the lizard off the fence as he left for home. He called his cane the Lizard Licker. Our research tells us that a salesman came along and saw the lizards on the fence as he stopped to fill his jug. He told other people about the government still where the lizards have their tongues out as they lay on the fence in the hot sun.

He gave directions by telling people, “Go till you see the lizards on the fence and you will be able to get your store bought whiskey, called Lizard Liquor.” The operator of the still was caught making whiskey on the side and was sent up town to the jail house.

The still closed down but the lizards stayed.