Before The Fire, Rabbit Hash General Store, Rabbit Hash, Kentucky

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On February 13, 2016, a fire nearly destroyed the historic Rabbit Hash General Store in rural Boone County, Kentucky. This video was filmed in July of 2015 just 7 months before the fire and may be the last time the original building was filmed before the 2016 inferno.
The Rabbit Hash General Store was built in 1831 as a repository for produce from the local farmers. It was built and operated by "The Grange" which is a fraternal organization which encourages families to band together to promote the economical and political wellbeing of the community and agriculture. The original building only consisted of the center section. In later years the two "sheds" were added to either side for additional storage. It was eventually transformed into a general store and operated by a 17 year old by the name of James Alexander Wilson. The store was originally called "Wilson & Riddell".
The town of Rabbit Hash was originally known as "Carlton" for the Carlton family who first settled in the area. The Carlton name was being confused with the town of Carrollton about 15 miles downstream. The postal service requested that they change their name to end the confusion in mail delivery. In a nutshell, the name was changed due to the plentiful population of rabbits on the hillsides above the town driven from the frequent flooding of the river in the area.
Speaking of floods, in the "Flood of 1937" the Ohio River crested at 79.99 feet which put the river over the roof of the store. Fortunately the builders of the store were familiar with flooding problems and when the store was built it was fastened to the Earth through a series of rods buried deep in the ground surrounded with concrete and then the store was anchored to these rods with hooks so it wouldn't float away in a large flood. To this day the hook and rod system still keep the store firmly in place when the Ohio River overflows her banks. Flood markers can be found on the side of the ironworks building.
In the past a ferry boat ran in between Rabbit Hash and Rising Sun, Indiana. The town of Rabbit Hash is all of 2.5 acres. The first Mayor of Rabbit Hash was a dog named "Goofey" elected in 1998. The current Mayor of Rabbit Hash is also a dog. A Border Collie named Lucy Lou.
This video was filmed 7 months before the tragic fire of February 2016 which destroyed the Rabbit Hash General Store. It has since been rebuilt.
GPS Location: 38°56'31.6"N 84°50'45.7"W