Kentucky's Beloved General Store Narrowly Missed Another Devastation
By Andrea Limke|Published February 27, 2018
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
The passion and spirit in Kentucky is never more evident than when locals are faced with devastation. Communities across the Bluegrass State know how to come together and support each other, as well as local businesses and historic landmarks. The community around the town of Rabbit Hash is the perfect example of this aspect of Kentucky. This tiny town, along with its beloved General Store, has seen its fair share of heartache, but the people always rise above. Thankfully, this historic store just narrowly missed recent devastation as the Ohio River rose dangerously close to its recently rebuilt front door.
The Rabbit Hash General Store and the town itself are both beloved Kentucky landmarks for both locals and visitors. The photo below shows the store in its original state, which has been a working general store since 1831. The store has seen many ups and downs over the years, but perhaps the most devastating event took place almost exactly two years ago.
On February 13, 2016, the General Store caught fire on a frigid night. As much as it was fought, the damage was extreme and many wondered if the store was going to be able to be rebuilt.
The iconic sign, historic structure, and charming interior were reduced to ash. The community was overwhelmingly saddened, but the promise to rebuild was immediate and passionate.
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The Rabbit Hash General Store did, indeed, rebuild, and the store reopened a little over a year after the fire. Since then, things have resumed as normal in Rabbit Hash, with large, festive gatherings, regulars enjoying the town, and visitors traveling to experience this classic Kentucky hideaway. But this past week, the town and the General Store faced another threat as the Ohio River began to rise dangerously close to the store's doorstep.
Rabbit Hash is no stranger to flooding, given its location right next to the Ohio River. In fact, in the epic flooding of 1937, the store was completely covered by flooding river waters and much of the town was washed away. The store thankfully managed to survive, thanks to a strong structure and the iron rods that secured it to the ground.
But luckily, as the river crested, the waters ended about a foot and a half shy of the interior of the General Store. It seems the store has been spared this time. Volunteers rushed to move all of the items from inside the store to higher ground, and they will now work to put everything back together.
As we work our way out of winter and into the warmth of spring, there's no doubt that the town of Rabbit Hash and the front porch of its General Store will soon be filled with plenty of excitement. And if hard times come upon the store again, it'll only be a matter of time before it's back on its feet again.
Even if flood waters had reached the inside of this vibrant General Store, it’s obvious that the community would have again come together to rebuild and continue the traditions of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Have you visited the iconic Rabbit Hash General Store? Share your memories with us in the comments!
For more information on how the General Store rebuilt after the devastating fire, check out our previous article here.
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