Our Grocery Stores of Yesteryear

J. D. Hubbard Grocery Store at Shady Grove, KY.

Our old community grocery stores are no more, once the vital spot of a community, they were forced to close down due to larger and more economical stores located in the larger city towns.

Are you one of the lucky ones that got to go to these county stores as a child? Purchasing a cold coke from a coke cooler with ice in it, a 10 cent popcycle from the ice cream freezer, or maybe a bologna and cheese sandwich made right there at the counter. I'm thankful that I grew up during this era and was able to do these things.

Once the Hubbard Grocery Store, located at the cross roads of Shady Grove, was well known and drew customers from the surrounding farms, as well as people from Webster and Caldwell Counties.

In 1983, Mrs. Hubbard said the store had been in her husband's family for 81 years. The store had supported the family well for all those years. The store was closed April 13, 1983, due to Mr. Hubbard's death. Mrs. Mary Hubbard wasn't able to operate the store by herself.

I know this was a sad time for the family and for the community of Shady Grove. This store was the last of five groceries that were once in Shady Grove. I know they hated to see it close.

The store building was used at different times over the years for an antique store, and a craft store, but now it sets empty and is decaying with the time. Truly a part of our past history that has been lost to modern times.

I will share more history of some of our old grocery stores in future articles.