Local Businesses Support Schools
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Local businesses have a long history of supporting our county’s schools. One aspect of that support has traditionally been advertising in annual yearbooks. I was fortunate to serve as editor of the 1972 Pine Knot High School yearbook. Members of the yearbook staff and I visited local businesses to request their support in the form of advertisements. While we enjoyed an excused absence from school, we also learned more about businesses in our community. The partnership between local businesses and schools or nonprofit organizations is vital to each. In recent years, there has been a strong campaign to Shop Local. I encourage each of you to shop at local businesses whenever possible, especially those who support our county’s schools and nonprofit organizations.
The 1939 Stearns High School yearbook has an impressive list of businesses in their Advertising Section. It is interesting the Stearns Hotel advertised as being fireproof since it was destroyed by fire in 1908 and rebuilt in 1909. The two and three digit phone numbers listed for several of the businesses is reminiscent of a simpler time conjuring memories of the old dial-up and crank phones and party lines.
The 1939 School Daze yearbook from Stearns High School advertising section lists the following. Joseph’s at Somerset, Ladies and Misses Wearing Apparel; Stearns Coal and Lumber Company Store No. 1, Nationally Advertised Products at Popular Prices; Monroe Beauty and Barber Shop, Rilling Koolerwave permanent (pictured); The Fair Store, Outfitting Women-That’s Our Business (pictured); Somerset Laundry and Cleaners, One very necessary success is to be Correctly Groomed. May we lend our assistance; Stearns Undertaking Establishment, Ambulance Service Night or Day; Marcum Motor Service, Open Day and Night Anytime, Phone 59; O. O. Duncan Dry Goods for the County, Stores at Whitley City and Pine Knot; Coca Cola Bottling Company, Somerset; Stearns Coffee Shoppe and Drugs, Fountain and Luncheon; Standard Oil Company, Distributors of ATLAS Tires and Batteries, R. M. Powell, Jr. Agent, Phone 186; Stearns Coal and Lumber Company Store No. 3, Fresh Meats and Vegetables “The Friendly Store”; Anne’s Beauty Shoppe, Quality! Service! Satisfaction! Let us give you a new hair style for the spring, Phone 208; Dud’s Filling Station, Pine Knot; Elbert Ballou, Barber; Albert Hickman General Store, Garage, and Funeral Home, Chevrolet, Ford, Auto Supplies; Porter’s Garage, Our Service Rings the Bell, Phone 141, Gas/Repairs/Oil; The Stearns Theatre, Good Pictures and Low Prices; Hotel Stearns, Modern and Fireproof, Famous for our Southern Chicken Dinners (pictured), Central Dry Cleaners, Oscar Garner, Somerset, KY (pictured); Renfro Lovell Bargain Store (pictured).
For questions or additional information contact Debbie Kidd-Trammell at dtrammell@historicstears.org.
