Country Store

D. Y.’s Country Store, at the corner of Main and Lovern Streets, was a large general store that stood where First Federal Savings and Loan now stands. Inside sat a big pot bellied coal stove, a spit box filled with sand and several brass cuspidors (spittoons). Several handmade set-in chairs with hickory split bottoms stood near. Some of the fine men who polished the chair bottoms included Jesse Morgan, Judge John C. Eversole, Judge H. Cook Faulkner, Judge Will Begley, Judge R. B. Roberts and Judge Sam Ward. Attorneys were Scott E. Duff, Matt Dixon, J. K. P. Turner and Will Oliver, who had lost a leg.

The merchandise in the store was transported by boat up the river from Jackson. In the dry goods they had bolts of calico. They also had worsted cloth. The men called the brocaded material “skipped up woosted.” They carried lots of yellow domestic (factory), to made sheets, pill cases and chemise (shimmies) and step-ins. This was bleached with lye made from ash hoppers.

The store also had oil cloth, checked gingham, cotton flannel for men’s shirts, outing for gowns and night caps, white outing for baby clothes and Long Johns were carried for all the family. The building burned in 1937. It was the last wooden structure on Main Street. The First Federal Savings building was constructed on this spot in 1940.

D. Y. Combs owned land in the heart of Hazard and a large farm in Blue Grass Hollow that extended to the railroad. He raised cattle, hogs, and nice horses. He also dealt in lumber. He cut and snaked logs from the hills with oxen. The oxen were broken and trained when young to Gee, Haw and Whoa! The oxen were shod with cloven shoes. They were shod by securing them in a stout stock, then driving a stake into the ground and tying the lef to the stake with a rope. They got used to it and became docile. A team was five pair or ten oxen. Some of them learned to shirk by turning tail in the oxbows. To prevent this, their tails were tied together.

The poplar logs were huge, five to six feet in diameter. Oxen were used because they were slow in movement, but sure. They held back and didn’t get broken legs like mules. They had names like Buck and Berry, Tom and Jerry.

After the logs were piled, they were branded by D. Y.’s mark, rafted together and poled down the river to Frankfort for sale.