10 Memories Of Growing Up In Pineville, Kentucky

Home of the notorious Chain Rock, Pineville, Kentucky sits nestled between the Cumberland Gap and Corbin. It’s a small town filled with a lot of people, with a lot of memories. Here are the top ten memories of growing up in Pineville, Kentucky.

Photo by Richard Mason

Preparing for The Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival:

Memories of homemade lemonade, vendors, and amusement rides will forever linger in my head whenever I pass through the downtown square. I know we all remember looking up at the beauty queens, dreaming of wearing those light pink dresses and the unique pearled crown one day. It’s a tradition that probably will never grow old.

Photo by Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival

Rumors of Closing the Floodgate Every Time it Rained:

I remember my grandmother calling everyone up on the phone asking about the rising Cumberland River and telling about the rising creek next to our house.. Everyone was always in a panic and rumors flew of the floodgate being shut. Who can blame them though after the flood of ‘77?

Running to Pic-Pac After WYMT Reported Snow:

I honestly don’t know how Pic-Pac always kept so much bread and milk to satisfy the people of Pineville during the winter. I’m sure we’re all picturing memories of that one mom that would leave with seven gallons of milk and eight loaves of bread as her kids groaned behind her.

Going Straight to Brian O’Brien for News:

School closings? Brian. Wrecks? Brian. Local Events? Brian. Growing up, to go-to man has delivered so much to the city of Pineville and the county with his radio station The Big 106.3 delivering all news, hosting Tradio, and organizing events. Aside from WYMT, I think we can all say he’s pretty much our #1 source of all things Pineville and Bell County.

Bell County Football Season:

For some of us, we spent the season walking the track around the field and catching up with old friends. For true fans, the stadiums watched Coach Dudley Hilton transform a team and take us to win the state championship in ‘08. Of course, nothing got us more hyped that watching them tear through that big inflatable helmet and banner of the week.

Going to Pineville Hospital Emergency Room Every Time You’re Sick:

As a kid, I remember always ending up in the emergency room when I pretended to be sick, or for a number of reasons. Being one of the top employers in Pineville, I know everyone knew someone when you walked in.

Always Wondering Why You Couldn’t Swim in Wasioto Lake:

Wasioto Winds Golf Course is a major staple in Pineville, Kentucky tourism and recreation, and they have a ton of little ponds. Looking back on it, I honestly don’t think I realized it was a golf course, I was just too focused on all that shimmering water, and always wondered why I couldn’t swim in it.

La Esperanza After Church on Sunday:

Everyone from every church in Pineville, Kentucky would all gather to the one Mexican restaurant we had. It was always the perfect place to catch up with your church friends, old church friends, and “friends” that you tried to avoid. No matter when you went to Mexican, you always saw someone you knew.

Going to the Bell Theater:

This closed down a while back, and now only plays select movies every now and then. Growing up, it was always a treat to go to this hot spot of a one-room theater.

Getting Offended When Compared to Middlesboro:

Sure, basketball and football season are very tense, but as a citizen of Pineville, Kentucky, I can attest to always being so defensive about our economy and little town. Comparison of the two cities in Bell County pretty much became a constant thing, and while some became use to it, some fought back and the little town that I remember is much larger now because of it.