The Charm and Change of Downtown Seminole, Oklahoma

Originally published October 14, 2016

Have you ever heard a downtown referred to as a mouth full of teeth? Well, part of those teeth in Seminole, Oklahoma went up in smoke recently. On October 2, 2016 five buildings were destroyed by fire on Main Street in downtown, our old neighborhood. Thankfully, the building we used to live in was not damaged, but our hearts go out to those who lost so much.

We lived on the second floor of an old bank building for two and a half years in downtown Seminole. Grant and I would walk up and down Main Street almost every day. He loved riding his bike on the bumpy sidewalks. We relished the old charm and community feel of living in a commercial area. There was an amazing thrift store, a delicious bakery, classic sandwich shop, and library all within blocks of each other.

Sadly the old Parks Drug Store caught fire on Sunday. It took four other buildings down with it. Over our time spent there, I would peek inside the drug store window hoping to spot a peek into the past.

My mom tells stories about her childhood when she would go to the drug store, sit on the bar stools, and sip her fountain drink. I longed to take my children there to experience the same delight. During our time in Seminole, the drug store was closed which is too bad because it would have been a lovely addition to the downtown experience.

So many downtowns in rural America are going downhill or dying due to the competition of big box stores, online shopping, and the flight of youngsters to larger cities. I love the idea of living in a place where you can walk to get a fresh cup of coffee or wave to the shopkeepers as you stroll down the sidewalk. Maybe I’m an old soul, but I think that kind of life has much appeal today.

In recent years, Seminole Main Street, Inc. has been working hard to revitalize the historic downtown, but there is still so much to do and this fire was a tremendous setback. I know the people of Seminole will rise to this challenge, but I also know that it is okay to take some time to mourn the loss of buildings that held so many memories.

A lot has changed since we lived in downtown Seminole but it will always hold a special place in our hearts. A few spots that are worth checking out if you are in the area would be taking some time to find an antique at Pirates Cove, grab a patty melt at Boomerang Diner, and enjoy a walk through Magnolia Park.

What shop in your downtown brings fond memories?

You may also like this post about having a dinner party in the woods because it happened just outside of Seminole, OK.

If you purchase from a link on this blog a small percentage of the sale may come back to me. You are never charged more for the product. It’s a way to keep this site going and I’m very selective about the things I list. It’s mostly things we already own and love or things I think you would enjoy. Thank you for reading!