By Jackson Keenan, Assistant Editor

On the corner of East Central Avenue  and South Penelope Street sits the oldest department store in the state of Texas. Cochran Blair & Potts opened in 1869 and was owned by Colonel H.M. Cooke, a Civil War veteran.

The store was initially called the Cook Mercantile Company and operated in Centerville, Texas. It then moved to Buffalo, Texas, and eventually found itself in Belton in 1884.

Cook Mercantile Company underwent five name changes before finally settling on Cochran Blair & Potts. In 1970, Rob and Jean Potts bought the company out, and it is currently run by Robert Potts Jr., Ashley Potts and Michael Potts.

Today, Cochran Blair & Potts sells various goods, “we call ourselves a department store, and that includes men’s department, women’s department,kids, gifts, shoes, outerwear, boots. Just a little bit of everything,” said owner Potts.

The store also has a museum that holds historical artifacts from years ago. Unfortunately, the museum is under repair due to storm damage from the tornados this past summer.

However, there were some displays outside of the museum that showcased some cool artifacts from the store, including an old receipt checkbook and a silver coin dispenser.

“We have been able to keep a lot of historical items in the store. We have even the original ledger book from 1869 which its awesome cause the fact that the store caught fire in 1928 and we still have that stuff,” Potts said

While it may be tucked away, Cochran Blair & Potts has continued to be an interesting slice of history. While the store sells new items, it tries to keep a rustic feeling. With a renovation in 2016, the store has ensured that it keeps its roots while making sure that everything is running smoothly for many years to come.

“It just has that good hometown bill by the locals, even after they move away during the holidays, if they come back to see their families, we will have customers that will stop in here first. Being down here is always one of the things that they miss about being at home,” said long time worker Rene`d Francis