Back in the mid 1800s till almost the 1900s Adairville rivaled Springfield, Tenn., and Russellville in size and economic growth. About 1900, Adairville was a booming town. It had a railroad, was on a main north-south highway, had five grocery stores, six tobacco warehouses, four saloons, several factories, several schools, blacksmiths, dry goods stores, tin shops, hardware store, photographer, several boarding houses and a mix of other shops and stores. It was a booming town.
When the railroad pulled out and the leadership of the city lost its vision Adairville began to fall behind the two rival towns. The business community began to shrink.
By the late 1900s, Adairville had lost its last three large employers - the strawberry plant, sausage plant and hosiery mill. The major economic factor of local jobs for the local population was greatly diminished. Today the dwindling number of businesses in town employ about 70 people at most. (The hosiery mill used to employee more than 100 people.) Thus payroll taxes and property tax collections from those properties dropped. With the sale of the water plant, another source of income dropped as well.
Adairville no longer enjoys the ability to offer its citizens jobs or a variety of stores to shop in. The town has shifted more and more to a town of senior citizens, unemployed citizens, folks on social security, welfare and/or food stamps with some working families. Outside of town the farmers are doing a bit better.
The economic base of the town continues to drop and with the economic downturn going on in the country Adairville faces even worse.
With the town square seeing more empty shops and the remaining stores laying off people it would seem that the city leaders would want to be very business friendly. They would welcome any legitimate business that would want to come to our town and employ people and pay payroll taxes and property taxes.
Houchens bought out Hoovers IGA Store some months ago. They bought the stock but not the building. Their plan was to buy land on Highway 431 (Russellville/Nashville Road) on property near the town square. They hoped to put over a million dollars into the new facility and to offer a grocery, sub sandwich shop and gas pumps. This would be a modern facility that would hire some 25 to 30 local citizens. It would pay sizable property and payroll taxes. It would draw many people who are just passing through and who might stay a while and spend money in our few other shops and stores.
Houchens will not remain in their current location (Hoovers) says their top management. They also have stated that they do not want to buy property further out of town that is being offered by mayor Jim Wilkerson. Houchens currently employees 10 people at the old Hoovers site, but they will not stay long. They are losing money at that site and will only stay in town if they can purchase land on Highway 431.
If they choose to buy out their lease and go, our city will suffer a tremendous loss.
I attended one of the worst "free for all" city council meetings in my life this past Monday evening. Adults acted like children. People voted not for the best of the citizens but with their faction on the council. It was an “us against them mentality.” There was name calling, shouting, terrible things said (some of which was true), hard feelings everywhere and a huge split in the leadership of our town. I left at the close of the meeting, but was told it grew much worse.
Officially the big disagreement is over the price Houchens is willing to pay for land owned by the city and the cost to replace a very old block building the city owns on the property. Houchens offered $45,000 and the city is offering to sell for $60,000. Houchens says $45,000 is it.
The real issue is our side against your side. And the mayor's property plays a role in there somewhere. Its not the $15,000 difference in the offer. That amount can be recouped in a year in payroll and property taxes paid by Houchens.
It will be a huge loss to Adairville and its citizens if Houchens is lost. We will lose our anchor store for our business district, jobs for our citizens, payroll and property taxes. We will lose the customers that the store attracts and the money they spend at near by stores as well.
Yes, we will probably have a grocery. The building where the store is currently located has been purchased by a nice Egyptian family that will probably put in a small family-run store. It is also unlikely that they will have many paid employees. That is what we face in losing Houchens.
Other News Dolly Adairville has announced that on October 19 there will be a speaker on Disaster Preparedness. The event will take place at 10 a.m. and the public is invited.
The Community Thanksgiving Dinner is set for Friday November 21 at 10 a.m. Interested parties should call for a reservation. The number is 539-6051.
Volunteers are needed to help at the center. Call Dolly at the Center for more information.
David Currey of the Kentucky Legal Aid Center will speak at 10 a.m. on December 10. The public is invited.
The Fish & Game Habitat is sponsoring a great Christmas Bazaar and Flea Market on Friday and Saturday December 5 & 6. Venders can call Vallery Hughes at 726-3005 or Patty Costello at 847-8049. The annual Christmas dinner is set for Saturday December 13.
The Adairville/South Logan Chamber of Commerce Dinner is set for the first Thursday of December on the 4 at 7 p.m. See members of the chamber for tickets. Big Daddy Bobaloo is our guest speaker and honored guest for the evening. Come join this fun event.
With A Smile - I smile every time I think of the days when I went to my grandmother's house in the country in the winter time. In the winter time the house was heated by fire places and we all slept in feather beds. I was also introduced to sleeping gowns. I would go to bed in the gown which I thought was funny but also some how during the night that gown never would stay in place. I always woke up with the gown wrapped around my neck. Those of you who slept in those things will know what I am talking about. I liked pajamas better!
Till next time. Good night Eloise Hadden and Mrs. Calabash where ever you are.
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