User:Dunagan's Store/sandbox

Dunagan's Store is a general store located in Mill Springs, Kentucky at the intersection of Old Monticello Road and Highway 1275. Established in 1890, it is located within Wayne county Kentucky near within walking distance of Lake Cumberland (formerly the Cumberland River), which is located in southeast Kentucky.

Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Preservation efforts 3 References 4 External links History[edit] This quaint country store, still in operation as a family-owned business after some 125 years, was founded by, James Edward “Jimmy” Dunagan, in the late 1920’s, while working at a blacksmith shop for Zelmer Milton “Milt” Tarter at the junction of what is now Kentucky 1275 and old Kentucky 90. He sold merchandise in conjunction with his shop work. When Mr. Tarter moved one mile east and built a larger shop, Mr. Dunagan and his brother-in-law Cleve Ramsey, continued the store and shop. They closed it in the early 1930’s and Mr. Dunagan built a store near where this one now stands. It was called “J.E. Dunagan’s Store”.

In 1935, Mr. Dunagan bought this building and moved it 100 yards from its original site with the assistance of a man from Cartwright, Kentucky, a neighbor of Clyde Corder and a pair of mules. The building was moved by winding a cable around a post rotated by one mule. Logs beneath the building rolled as it moved. The trek took two days, but a week was required to turn it around to its present position. Deed books provide a list of previous (and current) owner:

1890 – Amanda Lanier and others sold 47 square rods of land to James B. Lanier. ___Thomas Lanier to Eads and Walden 1903 – J.D. Eads to A.B. Parrigan 1918 – A.B. Parrigan to Charles Burnett 1919 – Charles Burnett to B.E. Roberts 1919 – B.E. Roberts to Weaverton Lodge No. 871 (Upstairs) 1920 – B.E. Roberts to J.B. Simpson (Downstairs) 1928 – J.B. Simpson to George Van Hook 1930 – George Van Hook to Willie Dick 1935 – Willie Dick to J.E. Dunagan 2002 – Everette Dunagan to Helen McClendon & Carolyn Simpson (current owner).

Soon thereafter Mr. George Catron, principal of the Mill Springs High School entered into partnership with Mr. Dunagan. “Dunagan and Catron” was the new name. After two years Mr. Catron sold his interest back to Mr. Dunagan and the store became “J.E. Dunagan’s Store again. It stayed that way until 1946, when his son, Mr. Everette Dunagan returned from the Air Force and went into business with his father, Mr. J.E. Dunagan. The new name was “J.E. Dunagan and son”. It continued that way until the mid 1950’s, when his son Everette, assumed full ownership and changed it to “Dunagan’s Grocery and Supply”.

Everette Dunagan was married in 1949 to a Wayne County girl, Laura Ellen Kelsay. They were blessed with two sons: Daryl in 1950 and Duane in 1955. Lake Cumberland was constructed and filled in 1950. With the lake came a new constituent of customers, good, fun-loving people mostly from Ohio. Mill Springs Park with the Old Mill was dedicated in 1961.

As most country stores did at the time they carried a staple line of groceries, meats, vegetables, dry goods, shoes, hardware, feed, fertilizers, notions, fishing supplies, ice and of course, country ham and bacon. Times have changed, but the store’s appearance has not.

The Store housed the Mill Springs Post Office, established in 1825, the county’s first outside of Monticello. The Post office closed in 2002. It has been painted by several artists: Larry Hampton of Indiana, Craig Hendrix of Michigan Bill Guffey of Cumberland county and Fred Thrasher of Bronston, Kentucky. It has been described in a newspaper article and hardback book by Byron Crawford of the Louisville Courier Journal. It is photographed daily in the summer by people from every state and numerous foreign countries.

Mr. Dunagan had a saying which still applies today - “Good or bad, it is as it is. It wouldn’t be the same any other way and you are a stranger but once.” Post Script – In May of 2002 Everette Dunagan sold his beloved store and all its contents at a public auction which attracted hundreds. The building and land were purchased by Helen McClendon and her daughter, Carolyn Simpson, the present owner. The building is now named: Dunagan’s Store.

Mr. Dunagan passed and met his Maker on November 4, 2010. He is missed by his family, friends, neighbors and customers.

Preservation efforts[edit] Multiple efforts have been made over the decades to preserve and protect Dunagan's Store. As noted earlier the store was actually moved in 1935 from across the road and re-situated to take advantage of new roads in the area. Even though the store declined in the late 1990's and early 2000's additional efforts were made to preserve the structure beginning right after Mr. Dunagan sold the store to Ms. McClendon and her daughter. These efforts continued in 2013 when the entire foundation was renovated to insure structural integrity. This was followed again in 2014 when 3/4 of the structure's wood clapboard was replaced with new clapboard and repainted.

References[edit] Jump up ^ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dunagans-Store/1462007574054730

https://www.ket.org/kentuckylife/400s/kylife402.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=FHkotzdcgBQC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=Dunagans+store+mill+springs+ky&source=bl&ots=822sOImKHU&sig=99OYCWJVpSLaMvX74k8C32yZ2CQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBmoVChMI682m18X7xgIVg5qACh3Nggsg#v=onepage&q=Dunagans%20store%20mill%20springs%20ky&f=false

https://www.kyhumanities.org/goingon200.html

http://www.kentuckyliving.com/2015-best-in-kentucky/