Meetings to discuss history help us to not forget where we come from

Those of us with a little age tend to remember events of the past and relish in talking about them. Thus, a meeting like the one I attended last week at the Corbin Public Library to talk about the history of Corbin was fun.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

Diane Mitchell has been a leader in preserving Corbin’s history and she invited a group of us with advanced age to meet and talk about what yesteryear was like. We even got to see an old film of the dedication of the underpass in 1935. I could only identify three people in the film out of a crowd of thousands. They were John L. Crawford, the former publisher of the Corbin Times-Tribune, and Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Hembree, both teachers in the Corbin Independent school system.

Both my wife Judy and I attended there. My wife has a better memory than me. Her recall of downtown store locations is good. I sat beside the amazing Paul Jones who at 101 years of age has a memory like an elephant. I love to hear him talk about how things were in the 30s and 40s. As for myself, I pick up on the happenings of the 50s.

While we mostly rambled about the past, I suggested to Diane that in our future meetings we select a decade and concentrate on it. She liked the idea so when she announces the next get together, she said we would talk about the 50s. Of course, that is right up my alley. It is my opinion that it was the best decade in history.

I have been putting together a list of clothing stores, restaurants, service stations and all varieties of businesses of that decade. Without a doubt there are many I can’t remember so this is where some of you may want to get involved. When Diane announces another get together, I will list it in my column. The public is invited to attend and contribute.

The group Diane works with has developed a Corbin history room at the library. And speaking of the library, it is one of the star attractions in the City of Corbin. So many good people have had a hand in making it that way. One of those was my late neighbor, Anne Hoskins. She was a great contributor, not only at the library, but also to many other worthwhile projects.

The same people that contribute to the present library are also involved in restoring the old Carnegie Library building on Roy Kidd Avenue.

This Thursday the Corbin Police and Fire Departments will compete in a chili cookoff to benefit the fund raising for the building. Tickets are $10 each.

The cookoff will be held at the Depot restaurant on Main Street from 5:30 to 7:30. Proceeds will go toward a match for a special $10,000 grant that has been awarded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.