There are stores that sell things, and there are stores that hold things. History. Memory. The particular smell of old wood and worn floors that takes you back before you even realize it is happening. Downtown Athens has one of those stores, and it has been standing since 1917.
U.G. White Mercantile is the kind of place that feels like it belongs to the whole community, not just its owner. And in a way, it always has. On a recent episode of Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama, I sat down with Derrick Young, the man who stepped in nearly two decades ago when it looked like U.G. White might close its doors for good. What followed was one of those conversations that reminds you just how much a single building can mean to a town.
A Story That Started With a Farming Accident
The original owner, Ulysses Grant White, was a native of Giles County, Tennessee, just across the border from Alabama. After losing his right arm in a cotton gin accident, he could no longer work the farm the way he once had. So he came down to Athens and became a merchant. In 1917, UG White Hardware and Implement Company opened on the southeast corner of the square.
By 1937, he had moved to the current location, converting what had briefly become a pool hall into his store, adding a new facade with double store windows and double doors. From there, the store passed through four generations of family ownership, carrying everything from farm implements to appliances, cutlery to automobiles. It was, as Derrick put it, the big box store of its day.
Derrick grew up knowing the family. He bought his first pocket knife at U.G. White as a kid, making payments from his lawnmower money. So when the fourth-generation owner, David Aycock, told him the store was going to close due to his father's failing health, Derrick did not take it lightly.
He called it pure foolishness, with a grin. Then he and his brother-in-law jumped in with both feet.
Some Things, Once They Slip Away, Don’t Come Back
That line stuck with me. Derrick said it plainly, without any drama, but it carries weight. There are fixtures in a town that, once they disappear, leave a gap nothing else quite fills. He had watched it happen in other places. He was not willing to watch it happen in Athens.
Being a commercial pilot for over 34 years, Derrick has traveled the world. He has seen the cities that people talk about, the ones people return to and remember. And what he has noticed is that the places people love most are usually the ones that have held onto something real. Preserved it. Maintained it. Not because it was easy, but because someone decided it mattered.
That is what drives him at U.G. White. The authenticity. The creaky floors. The smell of the old store when you push through the door. His mother used to work right next door at Wilson Fabric, and when Derrick would come home during his years in the military, walking into U.G. White felt like coming home in a different way too. That feeling, he was not willing to let go of it.
Trial, Error, and Old-Fashioned Candy by the Pound
Keeping a 109-year-old store alive in the era of big box retailers takes more than nostalgia. Derrick will tell you that plainly. You have to make adjustments. Some things work. Some fail dismally. You cut your losses and move on.
One thing that has absolutely worked is the candy. Old-fashioned candy sold by the pound, displayed in copper containers that Derrick helped build himself, mounted on racks made from heart pine salvaged during a store renovation. You fill up your bag, pay by the pound, and walk out with the kind of sweets you probably have not thought about since childhood. They also have a chocolate counter, and it has been a genuine hit.
And then there are the knives. Case pocket knives have been a cornerstone of U.G. White for as long as Derrick can remember, and they still are. Case is one of the few vendors that still works with small independent stores, and that partnership has meant a lot. Even better, a retired NASA engineer named Brad Perkins, originally a customer and serious Case collector, came on board a couple of days a week to help manage the knife section. He organizes an annual event that has become one of the store’s biggest draws.
I will say this: the last time I was in the store with a friend, I told her I was not even into knives. We both ended up standing at that display for a while. The presentation pulls you in.
Hi-Plane Coffee and What’s Coming Next
A few years back, Derrick added something new to the mix: Hi-Plane Coffee, a small-batch coffee brand roasting its own beans and operating right inside U.G. White. The name is a nod to an old tobacco brand, one that connected to his love of vintage aviation and old store signage. He wanted the coffee to have its own identity, separate from the mercantile, and that vision is continuing to grow.
Derrick owns the building adjacent to U.G. White, and within the next year or so, Hi-Plane Coffee is set to move into its own dedicated space next door. A full standalone coffee shop, roasting its own beans, right there on the Athens square. That is something worth getting excited about.
The Employee Who Has Been There Since the Beginning
Here is one of my favorite details from this conversation. Derrick’s oldest employee, Charlie Hughes, came on when Derrick first bought the store back in 2007. Charlie is 92 years old, nearly 93, and he is still working two days a week.
That says something. About the store, about the people it attracts, and about the kind of place it is to spend your time. Derrick described U.G. White as more fun than stressful. People come in happy. They are not there to fix something that is broken. They are there to browse, to remember, to discover. Most of the time, it is pretty low stress, and the staff reflects that energy.
A Downtown That Is Worth the Trip
U.G. White does not exist in isolation. Derrick was quick to talk about the broader downtown Athens square and what has been happening there. Merchant’s Alley, the bright mural-filled alleyway that runs off the square, has become a genuine gathering spot. Music on Friday evenings. Community events tucked into a space that used to be, as Derrick described it, just an old dump alley. A lot of people and volunteers put real money and real work into turning it into something people want to be around.
And with new restaurants opening downtown, there is more reason than ever to make a full day of it. Come for coffee. Browse the candy and the knives. Walk the alley. Have lunch. That is a North Alabama Saturday worth having.
What to See on Your First Visit
If you have never been to U.G. White, Derrick’s suggestion is simple: start at the candy counter. Most people have a sweet tooth, and the old-fashioned selection is the kind of thing that gets you talking before you even finish picking out your bag. From there, the chocolate counter, the knife display, and the upstairs section of vintage toys are all worth your time.
And do not rush. This is one of those stores where slowing down is the whole point. The ledger books stacked in the basement and out on the floor. The old signs. The fixtures. Every corner of it has something to say if you give it a minute.
Plan Your Visit
U.G. White Mercantile is located on the historic downtown square in Athens, Alabama. You can find more information at U.G. White, and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for new products and store updates. For coffee, check out hiplane.com, where you can also order Hi-Plane shirts and merchandise.
Listen to the Full Conversation
There is a lot more to Derrick’s story than we could fit here, including what it was like coming into retail after years in the military, how his wife has been an essential part of keeping the store running, and what the Alabama Centennial Retailer Award means to him as someone who stepped in just to make sure the lights stayed on. To hear the full conversation, tune in to Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama on your favorite podcast platform and search for the episode featuring Derrick Young of U.G. White Mercantile.
You will come away with a new appreciation for what it takes to keep a piece of history alive, and probably a very strong craving for old-fashioned candy.
