My trips across Kentucky require no skill greater than the ability to drive, navigate, and gawk out the window, looking for a building with a story. Sometimes, it is a place with a story, like the small community of Arthurmabel in southern Magoffin County, Kentucky. The old store was what caught my eye – and I wanted to know who inspired the name of this place.
The old store in Arthurmabel, Kentucky.
According to a current resident of Arthurmabel, Berney (or Burney) Arnett, a farmer in southern Magoffin County, made trips into Prestonsburg (Floyd County) in the early 20th century to buy supplies, like flour.
It was an all-day trip by mule and wagon, so Arnett bought in bulk, bringing back barrels of dry goods. His neighbors often requested that he bring back a little something for them – so in the 1930s, Arnett opened up a general store.
A section of the 1954 USGS topo map showing Arthurmabel.
His two oldest children, Arthur (born around 1918), and Mabel (two years younger), lent their names to the post office when it opened in 1925. And thus, Arthurmabel became a location on official maps.
At some point, the store moved, and a different branch of the Arnett family became proprietors of the store and post office at the location I visited. The two-story, front gable concrete block section on the far right of the store building was constructed first, after World War II.
The front gable section on the far right predates the store. The upper level was a residence, while the ground floor functioned as a root cellar.
Both the front gable outbuilding on the right (sometimes called a “warm house”) and the store are built from concrete block, which could have been made on-site. The Menifee Arnett Grocery, as it was known at one point, carried a little bit of everything, with bright signs on the exterior advertising feed and soft drinks. A metal awning provided a shady place to sit and catch up with your neighbors. Gas pumps, once located out front, were removed in 1997 (according to owner of this store building). The post office closed in 1959, and the store (at this location) closed in 1960.
One of the original doors on the store.
Increasing regulation by the state (and higher taxes) forced many small rural stores in Kentucky to close in the mid-20th century. But other forces conspired as well: better roads (Route 7 was first paved in the 1950s), increased automobile ownership, and rural flight. Rural communities across the Commonwealth began to shrink and disappear. But on a sunny day in November, Arthurmabel beckoned to me, a wonderful spot in the road to learn some stories.**
Undated photo of the grading of a Magoffin County Road. University of Kentucky Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection.
**Stories vary depending on the storyteller. Oral history is not always 100% accurate. The information I shared in this post came from two residents and neighbors of the former store building. Memories can be faulty, and folks remember things in different ways. This post is not intended to be an exact chronology of the store in question, but rather a small glimpse into a rural Kentucky tradition, the country store.
Not , Tom Wireman. It was Toney Wireman. My uncle.
The history of the store in this picture is somewhat different than what was written in the original article. My grandparents, Menifee & Ella Wireman Arnett, lived on Whitley Creek and this is where the store originated. They later purchased property and moved to this location. My dad, John T. Arnett & Tony Wireman built the store building for them . This was at Arturmabel, Ky.(Burney & Harriet Wireman Arnett had the original Arturmabel, Ky. Post office at their home. It was named after their first two children, Arthur & Mabel.) The post office was later moved to my grandparents’ store and this was when my grandmother, Ella, became postmistress. They ran this business (store & post office) until their retirement . At this time, my dad & mom , John T. & Josephine Hale Arnett, became the owners of what was known as the J & J General Store. They ran this business many years until their retirement. This is when my brother in law, John Montgomery, acquired the J & J General Store ( John & June). A few years later, John , built and moved the store to a new location just above the old store building. It is still called the J & J General Store.
Thank you for sharing. This post contained information I gathered from two of the residents, and was not intended to be an exact history of the store, but a brief snapshot of a rural community. I have removed any information/facts that may be misleading.