Published: November 16, 2009 02:22 pm      

Giving up on Main Street is not an option

First, I shall reintroduce myself. I am Donald T. Rollins, owner and pharmacist of Cottongim Drug Company. After graduating from UK College of Pharmacy and returning from military service, not wanting to return to Louisville, as Whitley County was my home, I preferred to come back to a small town in this area. From family in the Rockholds area, I learned that there was an opening at Cottongim Drug in Corbin. I applied and accepted the position and moved to Corbin on June 8, 1959.

At this time, Corbin was the hub of the Tri-Counties, a thriving city with few vacancies in downtown. Local landlords owned most property, and there were many shops to draw customers downtown. We had customers coming from Barbourville, Manchester, London, Williamsburg and from all of the surrounding counties.

There were banks, churches, men and women’s clothing stores, department stores, furniture stores, doctors, dentists, drug stores, dry cleaners, restaurants, the YMCA, funeral homes, groceries, shoe stores, movie theaters, the local telephone exchange, newspapers, radio stations, sporting good stores, and people living in apartments above the stores — also, Belk, JC Penney, Dawahares men’s store and a milk company, bakery, and many, many other stores and businesses on Main Street, giving a large choice.

This was the Corbin I came to and became a part of, and where I raised my family — and they too have made this their home. However, it is said that times change, so go with the flow. As the original property owners moved away, passed away and the chain stores and some of the independents decided to move to the edges of town, I made a decision to remain downtown while others looked elsewhere or closed their doors forever. I still believed that my place was to remain downtown.

Why do I tell you this? No effort seemed to be made to keep this moving out from happening. Talk is cheap, and no one seemed to care or to be in charge. But, to be honest about it, people were forming committees to bring industry to our town and to bring jobs here. National Standards, American Greeting Card and others came. Attracting more industries became very competitive and more expensive. The outer edges of town seemed to prosper with restaurants, a college, the expo center and a new hospital.

Doctors offices, pharmacies, dental offices, churches, service stations, garages and rehabilitation facilities moved from downtown.

Guess what? As prospective representatives of industries visited our town, they asked why we had neglected downtown and if we were going to abandon downtown.

In addition to all else we have to offer, a city is judged by its downtown, like it or not.

Our city officials for the last several years have been kept busy trying to keep this progress going and forming committees to aid them. Much work and planning goes into bringing more businesses and industries to Corbin. A search was made as to how other small cities coped with the same problems that we faced. They learned that to receive funding from groups, it was necessary to hire and train a Main Street manager. Part of this process was to be on-the-job training and traveling for training.

By this time, I believed that just another committee was formed and that would be the last of it. I did not know the one they hired, but I soon became acquainted with her. She came to the drugstore and we talked about our needs and her ideas. She asked why I still believed in downtown Corbin and would I be willing to be interviewed by Tour Southern & Eastern Kentucky, or by others. Yes, yes, yes! Sharae Myers is here and on the job.

Later, without notice, they came by and I explained the need for downtown renewal. Sharae Myers has a passion for this city and is the perfect person for this position. She became the light of hope for a rundown Main Street. An old western saying, “don’t change horses in the middle of the stream,” comes to mind. Let all of us enable Sharae Myers to continue with renewal of Main Street. She has the contacts and the training, and especially the drive and ability, to keep this program going for many years, so that we don’t go back.

Thanks to the News Journal and Trent Knuckles for the pictures and article about our business. We have had lots of positive comments on the progress here in Corbin. I did not realize just how many people were in this restoring downtown project until I read Samantha Swindler’s column in the Times-Tribune of Nov. 3, 2009, that told about how downtown could once again return to the thriving Main Street of yesteryear. We appreciate her input, and even her positive criticisms. She really would enjoy the Corbin that I came to know in 1959. If we could only put her in a time machine!

When the Cottongim Drug project is soon finished, I will drive up Main Street and enjoy a new view of downtown with the flowers, the new awnings, the paint, Nibroc Park, the train display, and more.

Before this project was started, I seriously considered giving up and retiring. With the widespread down turn in the economy and news filled with all the negative things going on in our town, commonwealth, nation and world, giving up might seem easy. Giving up is not an option. Come by and see the changes made at Cottongim Drug, and being made on Main Street. Thanks to the many people involved in restoring my business, and fulfilling my dream of the day when our downtown will be filled with people as it once was in the 1950s.

Thanks to all of you — good things happen when we are all united in our efforts.

Donald T. Rollins & the Cottongim Drug Co. Inc. Family