Good Night from 116 Cedar Street When Algood Drug Store Came to Town

Now that I look back, Algood seemed to be a little slower place in time. School was back in session, and we were getting settled into our normal daily routine.

I was only about 5 years old when I remember noticing some construction taking place on a vacant lot. Sam Cowan, a pharmacist, was bringing Algood Drug Store to town. This was around 1969.

We watched as the metal building went up after a fresh slab of concrete was poured. Before long, it had a solid glass front from top to bottom, blue sides and a drive-thru window.

Then the day finally came when it opened.

As you might guess, my childhood gang had to go check it out. Yes, we had gangs back in those days, too. LOL.

My brothers and I headed over, and one of the first things we noticed was a huge counter stretching across the back of the store.

It was a soda fountain with ice cream.

On the bottom shelf to the left were rows of 10-cent comic books. That became a frequent stop for us, and, of course, an ice cream usually came along with the visit.

We had no idea that some of those very comic books we bought, read and tossed around might someday be worth thousands of dollars.

There was also a spinning rack filled with all sorts of things to play with, including those little balsa wood airplanes with rubber bands that wound up the propellers.

Around 1977, Sam sold the drug store to Don Huff. Don was a wonderful man of God who raised his family while owning the store.

A few things changed through the years. Longtime employee Sandra Eldridge worked the fountain and ice cream bar, and the drug store became a local gathering place. You would often see Sam Gibbons, Freddy Ray Maxwell and others gathered there, catching up on the latest news around Algood.

Citizens Bank opened a branch around the same time as the drug store, and Dean Cobble worked there. It was located where Maynord Appraisal is today, behind Algood City Hall.

Just to the left of the drug store lived Dr. Jack Moore. At Christmastime, he would place a Snoopy and Charlie Brown cutout display in the yard. If I remember correctly, it sat on top of an old storm cellar.

Dr. Moore’s office was directly across the street from Algood Drug Store. Today, a dentist office is located there.

Main Street in Algood was a busy place in the late 1960s and 1970s.

During those years, we had several mayors I remember, including the Rev. Tom Burgess, who was also our pastor at Algood First Baptist Church, John Carr, who taught at Algood School, and Jim Brown.

These men were men of God who helped lay the foundation of Algood during those days.

Algood has certainly grown over the years, and it seems as though time keeps speeding up. I am not sure whether that is because I am getting older or because I have a greater realization of what once was and what is here now.

I encourage you to drive around and see what Algood has to offer today.

From Algood Diner to many other places to eat, antique stores, Walmart, our parks and the businesses that have become part of our community, Algood continues to grow. Algood Drugs eventually moved near Walmart into the shopping center there.

With its parks, businesses and rich history, Algood has become a place where people from many different areas have chosen to make their home.

Thank goodness the elections are over, and now we have a new mayor.

Congratulations to Tiffany Anton, Algood’s new mayor.

Let us work together to take Algood into the future while keeping its history and small-town feel intact.

As I close this week’s story, I am once again reminded of my daily walk with Jesus.

My dad was a carpenter, and my mom was a stay-at-home mother. Much of my family has either moved away or passed on from this life.

I still have my aunt Nancy Nelson, on my mother’s side of the family, living on the edge of Algood. On my dad’s side, I have a cousin, Ellen, who still lives in Algood.

I hold fond memories of my family, friends and neighbors from growing up in Algood. Many of them are now laid to rest in Algood City Cemetery or Phillips Cemetery.

Good memories are what I hold on to.

You see, the enemy, the devil, can never take those away.

He may come to steal, kill and destroy, but those good memories are buried deep within the very fabric of my being.

As you read about my days in Algood, I encourage you to think about your own early days, whether you grew up in Algood or somewhere else.

I would love to hear from some of you who may have crossed my path while I was growing up. If you have pictures from those days, that would be even better.

You can reach me at davidhunter6524@gmail.com.

Until next time, from Cedar Street, good night, say your prayers and be blessed.