Smith & Sons

you can ’t Miss the obviously historic wooden structure on Covington’s Columbia Street, with its wagon out front, vintage swing and Bonanza vibe. Opened in 1876, HJ Smith & Sons General Store and Museum is still operated by the Smith family who’ve stocked it to the rafters with everything from camo to garden gnomes, and the precise nail needed for a home project. You’ll find everything you didn’t know you needed here, and more.

Floors creak and history hangs in the air, especially when a small ramp leads you into the original general store, preserved by the family in all its mercantile glory as a free museum. It’s fun to see the artifacts of Covington’s past including a cast iron casket, 20-foot cypress dugout and old-timey cases crammed with detergent-box china, farm tools and dry goods. Introduce yourself to Larry Smith while you’re here; he’s a wealth of information and is proud to share his family’s history and Covington’s heritage. 308 n . columbia st., covington

Five Spots

... to visit history

fontainebleau sugar Mill ruins

Dating to 1829, the old brick ruins are all that is left of the sugar plantation and mill built by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, founder of the town that would take his name. Located on the lovely grounds of Fontainebleau State Park. 62883 highway 1089 , mandeville