I can remember the old hospital very well . Dr. Smith Howard did pre employment physicals for most of the coal companies in and around Harlan County . BTW , I was born in the old hospital . Yeah I'm an old guy 🙄LOL . I can remember well Creech Drug , Green Mill Pharmacy , Howard Drug , and Lee Drug . Harlan Hardware , Cumberland Hardware , and Hensley Hardware . The old city hall was on the corner across from Harlan Motor Company "The Ford Dealer" , and across from the Christian Church . The city hall , city police department , fire department , the city jail , and the city library were all in the same building . The Margie Grande , and The New Harlan Theater were the only two theaters in Harlan . The old Belks building was on Central St . and next to it was Cumberland Hardware , and then on the corner was Howard Drug . JJ Newberry , Scott's Five And Ten , and A&P on the next corner . I can remember way back in the Stone Age when I attended school I walked buy the A&P going to , and coming home from school . One day coming home I saw a guy unloading a truck at The A&P . I was very young , and I always wondered what A&P stood for . I had no idea , so I asked the man , and he said , son to me A&P stands for Aches and Pains 😂. After all the hundreds of years that have passed since then I have never forgotten what that man told me about A&P . More I could say , but my post is already too long .Thanks for the video , I enjoyed it very much
Thanks so much Daniel! There's no such thing as a comment too long when it's got great information like this one. I'm going pin it to the top so everyone can read it. Please feel free to write another one. Oh yeah I almost forgot, I was also born in the old hospital, doc buttermore delivered me.
Actually, there were three Lewallen hotels. The two downtown you showed, and one that Ben Lewallen built up on US421 on top of Pine Mountain that he called the Mount Aire Motel. Ate there often. Great view from the dining room.
I grew up on Mound Street and spent my childhood roaming downtown, Ivy Hill, Bailey Hill, Fairview, May Street, and most points in every direction where friends lived. Ate at Ackley Hotel dining room some Sundays, at the Lewallen Hotel on others. Great memories in The Margie Grand, at Creech Drug, and looking at the Francis Flowers Christmas window display. The Cloverfork Clinic building in Harlan is an extension of their main clinic in Evarts and not only sits on the site of the old hospital, it also took the house and lot to the west that’s next to the Methodist Church property. The big house on the corner behind where you were standing when you shot that had a big sign on its Mound Street corner that said “The Mound Street Inn” as it was a boarding house through the 1960s. These vids are fun. Thanks!
Great video i really enjoyed it, brought back alot of memories, my grandmother worked at Creech drug, they had the best burgers and lemonade I’ve ever tasted, thanks so much
Russell Alfred’s law office was the location of Howard Drug. Green Mill pharmacy was on the corner with the court house, Bank of Harlan, and Modern Electric that sold GE appliances, among other things.
Thank you for sharing this. My husband was born and raised in Leslie county Kentucky high in Kentucky is. Harlan is not far a way I do believe. I would like to see someone make a video of Hyden Kentucky.
That sure brought memories back to me. My Grandma worked as a nurse at the hospital. She would let me go with her sometimes. She retired from there. I remember going to the movie theaters went swimming many times in city swimming pool!Been in Newberry and bells. Would sometimes spend the night with my Grandma. We lived in blackbottom past louellen. Love all your video's but this one meant a lot to me! It was a sentimental journey!Thank you both so very much!❤❤❤❤
I enjoy you guys so much, can’t tell you how appreciative I am that you do these videos…I can’t get to Harlan as much As I would like due to gas money!!! My parents would travel from Michigan to Harlan at least once a month to visit family….I remember SO much of what you show. Thank you!
The diner on First Street in the burning building was Ackley’s Cafe, different from the Ackley Hotel but family related. Wainscot Studio photography you mentioned was also in the Ackley family. Dallas Ackley shot my wedding pictures. Ackley’s Cafe was not a soup kitchen. Christ Hands came along later and was never anywhere except it’s current location in the old McComb’s Supply building. Now, Mr. Vernon Ackley was a kind soul, devout Christian, Boy Scout leader, and would have gladly fed anyone anytime they needed it, but he did not run his place as a charity soup kitchen.
I have enjoyed your videos. My geandparents lived in Harlan in the 1950’s. My grandfather was Martin Davis and My grandmother was Kathleen Davis. My grandmother taught at the elementary school and my grandfather was a mechanic at D & W Motors. Do you have any pictures or know the location of D & W motors?
Hi, I enjoyed your video. I grew up near Loyall in the 60’s and 70’s and don’t get back too often. The Green Mill Drugstore was on the northwest corner of N 1st and E Central Streets just south of the Post Office. It was small, but they did have a lunch counter and a few booths in the back. The pharmacist was Harold Hurst.
The building with the glass blocks you mentioned used to be the Town Site restaurant. Carl Ayers ran it. Where the civic center is there used to be a department store called Bowers.
I lived in Harlan from Jan. 1956 to November 1962 as a boy and young teenager. Attended the independent school there, and was a member of the band. Played percussion, snare drum to be exact. I still have friends who lived there when I was in school, but most have left. I left Harlan when my mom remarried a Harlanite who was then living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we moved. It was a great move for me personally, but that's another story. The Margie Grand (and the New Harlan Theater on Main) were my homes away from home for many of those years. I was a bit surprised to see that the Margie Grand was going strong in 1979, as the theater was quite run down when I was there in the late 50s and early 60s. The bathrooms needed help, and the roof over the seating leaked--at one point they had roped off part of the seating. The floors were quite sticky! My favorite seat, by the way, was usually an aisle seat in the back on the left-hand side. I remember seeing many biblical classics, including "Ben Hur"--still think it's a fabulous flick. Only cost a quarter for a ticket. I will keep the rest short. There were four drug stores in Harlan at that time. The store at the corner of Main and Mound was Howard's Drug--Mr. Howard was the pharmacist who lived up on First Street and Mound. By the way, the counter at Howard's served the best chicken salad sandwich ever. Mona, who was one of the waitresses, was responsible for the great food. Both Green Mill and Creech also had counters--the school kids favored those for hanging out. The four rotated on a monthly basis staying open on Sundays to fill prescriptions. As for the Lewellen Hotel. I remember attending birthday parties on the ground floor of the hotel that faced Cumberland Street. The Twist was big then. A couple of years ago I had lunch with one of the adult children of the family that lived in the large house opposite Harlan Hospital on Mound. She and her mom came to see me off the morning I left Harlan so many decades ago. We both now live within 25 miles of each other here in Southern California. It was great closure. How odd is that? Great job, Coyote! Your videos are always a trip down memory lane.
Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with us. The Margie Grand was in bad shape in 79 the balcony was closed, there was no heat, they had to sit kerosene heaters out in the winter time and there was a hole in the screen about the size of a football if I remember right it was in the upper left hand third of the screen.
@@IgnitedCoyote You'll have to do something on the theaters of Harlan County. I went to movies at the Margie Grand, the New Harlan on Main, plus movie houses in Loyall and Evarts. I know Lynch and Cumberland had theaters, too. They were all popular into the mid-1950s, early 60s. Some of the buildings, like the Margie Grand, still remain.
Another good blast from the past. went to Vocational School beside the VTC Bus station. For lunch, had foot long chili dog & fountion coke at one of the places, but don"t remember which one. this was in the mid 60's
I remember old Harlan very vividly. Creech drugs was a hang out for me and several others. It was a great time and great fun. I also spent a lot of time at Bill Moody's pool hall. There were three drug stores in Harlan, all on the same street. Creech, down the next block the Green Mill Drug store, and a third down the next block. I don't recall the name. Down main st. There was newberries 5& dime. It had a soda fountain that was great. All the drug stores had soda fountains and served soda fountains. I remember Ackley's restaurant and hotel. I went to school with David Ackley at Harlan High School. At the Margie Grand I first saw Peter Pan, as a little kid. Disney has totally gone down hill. They're nothing short of evil nowadays. I also saw Snow White there as well. Very vivid memories. LOTS of shorts Captain Marvel--very exciting. Shazammm!
The oldest building on the city school campus is the high school. The elementary was built in the 1979-80 after the old one was destroyed by fire around 1977-78. Only the original auditorium was salvaged.
Your picture of police officers are, back row left to right. Mike Anderson4th one Roy Hatfield. 2nd row, a Pace, can’t remember his first name, Debbie Howard as you said Chief Howard. That was Sheriff Dept. KSP and Harlan City Police.
I sure do miss creech drug, the townsite and jays restaurant! The old pet shop there by the commissary was another favorite of mine, and the dollar store across from It where cash express is now! My how things have changed huh?
Plenty of Johnson's in Harlan, long time circuit judge Ron Johnson comes to mind, he's no longer on the bench but I'm sure he has family still in Harlan.
@Ignited Coyote You did a video on Rebel Rock a while back. I think my grandfather was found dead on top of there in 40 or 41. Apparent self-inflicted gunshot 😞 All my Johnson family that I know are in or around Sequatchie Valley in TN, but there are probably some still around Harlan.
Love this video God bless y'all please tell papa coyote I said hello and I hope you are feeling much better papa coyote guys I am about to lose my phone service money has been hard to come by but I am not going to lose hope that I will get to keep my phone on I don't know what I would do if Iam not able to watch y'all videos just say a prayer for me love y'all my dear Kentucky friends
i believe. the youg guy far left is kenny abner, bill howard and roy hatfield and jim cooper and carol, and maybe gilis gilbert thats all the names i can remember
As the song goes "You'll never leave Harlan alive" Nostalgia is one thing ... Unfortunately MAGA in thes areas means "Take us back to the 1950's!" An obvious fact is one cannot return a country 70+ years. The world has moved on. People need to move forward, not wallow in a dream of an unattainable past.
Yes they are, the Powers and Horton building is on main Street and the Belk building is on Central Street we walked right by it but I forgot to mention it.
Green Mill drug store was in the building caddy corner to the courthouse, Lee drug was in the coming up roses is in. Howard drug was in the Russell Alfred’s law office is now. And now the Harlan High school building is the oldest. The elementary school burned down and the new building was built. In the building where the brewery is now was Belk’s. Then Modern electric and bissell office machine company and Santa’s place
If a town has a chamber of commerce, that's a good place to start local history research... another is a library, especially if the librarian has been there a long time. I'd send a photo of those police officers to the local police department...
That photo of the Harlan city police has to be from around sometime in the 90s cause I remember when Carol I beleive was her name was an officer! It’s not that old not sure why they did it in black and white though!
Thanks for putting a date on that photo. As for it being in black and white sometimes they used to print them in black and white because it lasted longer than color prints, I guess they were right because that one's in really good shape. I'll always wonder how it got between the pages of that book at Goodwill.
It’s I telling honestly, perhaps one of those officers owned the book at one point and just stored it there? I had forgotten about ackley hotel honestly! My papaw used to take me there and visit with Val his friend all the time when I was just a little girl!! This video brought back a lot of memories from my childhood and much happier times! I loved this walk down memory lane! Thank you for that
I don’t know how old I was, but I went to that movie and I wonder why the Black people went upstairs and white people went downstairs. You could see the movie better upstairs and downstairs.
