In 1970 John McGaugh started a newsstand at the bottom of the Alston building in the location where Fetch was the most recent business. John’s new business had the now politically incorrect name of “Injun Johns”. John sold out of town newspapers and books and magazines. John also had a sideline of cigars, pipes and pipe tobacco. John moved to a much larger location on the same block at 617 Greensboro Avenue in 1977. He built a walk in humidor to house his growing selection of cigars. He continued to sell many hard to find publications as well as hardback and paperback books. It is said that at one time he had to largest science fiction selection in the state. During the first energy crises in the late 1970’s John tried his hand at selling mopeds and called that part of the business “Engine Johns”.

In about 1983 after falling on hard times John sold the store to Bill (Mr. Bill) Gipson. Bill continued the same theme of the store for several years. Many may remember the two basset hounds that were always in the store during Bill’s years, Bo and Bea. By 1995 Bill had fallen on hard times and needed a boost to keep the store open. As I had recently quit my job at Phifer Wire, Bill asked me to come to work with him and help out with the store. I worked in the store as an employee for a while and in March of 1996 I became Bill’s business partner. We started to give the store a makeover, reincorporated and dubbed the store the Big Cigar Co. At this time premium cigars were booming, there was a nationwide cigar boom with celebrities such as Arnold Swarzanegger, Demi Moore, Bill Cosby and David Letterman showing up on the cover of Cigar Aficianado magazine. We built a much larger humidor in 1997 and concentrated more on cigars than publications. By this time the publications were widely available elsewhere and our magazine business had started to wane.

Unfortunately Bill passed away in 2000 and at this time I purchased his shares of the company from his family. With Bill’s passing I started to look for new merchandise to carry since the books and magazines were no longer profitable. My wife, Kathy lived in the Atlanta area at the time and I had noticed that there were many stores that seemed to be thriving by selling New Age and neo hippie merchandise. I tried it. With a new line of merchandise I decided to give the store a new name in 2001. I chose the Downtown Trading Co. because I figured with a name like that I could sell anything. The new merchandise sold OK at first but after a few years it became evident that what works in Atlanta doesn’t necessarily work in Tuscaloosa. In 2005 I secured a beer and wine license and started to sell fine wines and beer along with our still strong tobacco selections. We’ve had good business over the years but the last few years have been a struggle to say the least. 2008 has probably been the worst year since I’ve been here. After much thought and number crunching, I’ve made the heart wrenching decision to close to store. Of course I’ve been over many things in my mind as to what may have caused it, gas prices, construction downtown or the economy in general. The bottom line is, it costs more to operate the store than it takes in.

Thank you for allowing me to be a member of the Downtown Tuscaloosa Merchants Association and to serve as your president over the past year and a half. I wish you all the best and I will miss you. Finally I’d like to thank all the loyal customers that have kept us going this long and all the employees that have been my right hand over the past 12 years. Tracy Cloar, Chester Tillman, Sylvia Looney, Celesta Riner, Christin Mathes, Corrine Harris, Bob Bogart, Suzanne Lea, Monte Brown, Kenny Farmer, Roger Born, Nicole Sims, Wendy Washington, Kim Scott, Melody Galloway, Tom Halladay, Micah Wright, Lindsay Sturm, Brooke Leichweise and Nathan Utley. You will all always have a special place in my heart. Thank you all for your service.

So long and may you prosper,

Rod Walker