Union has been fortunate indeed to have had dentists living and working in Union since early days. Dr. W.A. James was the first documented dentist who opened in 1921 in Room 2 above Union Drug Store. In 1923, Dr. N.A. James moved to Union Bakery’s second floor next to the Masonic Hall.
Although Dr. S.F. Red was practicing dentistry in Union as early at 1925, he is recorded as constructing a two-story brick building for his dentist office at 204 Bank St. in 1929. His office was upstairs, and he first rented the ground floor area to a car dealership. Next, the Post Office was located downstairs there from 1932 until Marshall Lewis bought the building in 1952. Dr. Red died in 1957. The building burned in 1995. Our friend the late Sue Addy proudly kept possession of Dr. Red’s desk, which was left in the store when it was sold to her father.
During the same time period, another dentist Dr. J.C. Harbour had his office through the second floor above Union Drug Store on the southeast corner of Bank and Main. There is no documentation of the beginning of his practice in Union, but he was recorded as already practicing in 1921.
Mr. Allen Carlson shares his recollections of Dr. Harbour’s office. Patients entered the office on a long staircase opening on Bank Street. The dental office had two procedure rooms, both in the front of the building facing Main Street. Dr. J.C. used the corner room right above the entrance to Western Auto. There was no air-conditioning in those days so he kept the windows wide open during summer months. It was not unusual for people on the sidewalk to hear moans coming from that building.
Dr. J.C.’s other procedure room was to the east of the corner one and was occasionally used by his brother, Dr. Sam Harbour. To the south of Dr. J.C.’s office was the waiting room, and south of that was a large room where they made dental appliances. Dr. Harbour died in September 1959. Then the next year, Marcus Gordon opened his first law office in the previously occupied dental office of Dr. Harbour.
Dot Hollingsworth, who worked for the next three dentists, recalls when each of them came to Union. When W.T. ‘Bus’ Howle’s son Bill was in the Navy, he was friends with Dr. John McKinion from Sturges, Miss. Bus knew that Dr. Red and Dr. Harbour, long-time dentists in Union, were getting near retirement age, and through his son’s friendship with Dr. McKinion, Bus was instrumental in getting the McKinions to come to Union.
Dr. McKinion and his wife, Jamie, moved into a duplex apartment on Decatur Street in 1957 and immediately began construction on a new building for his dental office at 300 Peachtree St. During construction time, he advertised in the newspaper for an assistant. Dot’s husband, Freddie Joe, suggested that she apply for the job. After going through an interview, she was hired.
Dr. McKinion opened his private practice on Sept. 9, 1957. At that time, most dentists worked without an assistant. There were no dental hygiene schools locally. Therefore, Dr. McKinion gave Dot on-the-job training with the things he needed her to learn.
While working as his only office assistant for three years, Dot realized that he was not happy. He never bought a home or became involved in the town’s activities. In addition, his wife was a nurse who worked in Meridian.
One afternoon just before Christmas in 1960, a young couple, Dr. Rex and Eleanor Warnick, visited the dental office. Dr. Warnick then bought Dr. McKinion’s office, moved to Park Street in Union, and began his own practice in July 1961. Dr. McKinion went back to the Navy to practice dentistry. Dot continued working for Dr. Warnick, who began to hire additional assistants as needed.
The original office has been through many remodeling sessions. For example, Dr. Warnick once took in the porch area on the south side of the office to make a room for a certified hygienist Libby Harris to do preventive dental work. Other rooms have changed to accommodate improvements each dentist needed at the time.
Dr. Warnick practiced in that building as the only dentist until 1983 when Dr. Jim Bennett moved to Union and became a partner. Dr. Bennett then bought Dr. Warnick’s part of the business in 1986, but they continued to work together until Dr. Warnick retired in 1998.
Dr. Nicole Flint Harrison came to Union later that same year to open her dental practice. She moved into a new building constructed for her Family Dentistry office at 25043 Hwy. 15 Bypass just south of Laird’s Hospital. She is currently practicing in that office.
Next, when Dr. Bennett retired in 2012, he sold the building on Peachtree Street to Dr. Dustin Smith from Hattiesburg, who stayed in Union only a short time. Finally, Dr. Loren Robinson purchased the building from him in 2013 and opened her practice there. Today, she is one of the two dentists serving the people of Union.
Thanks to Allen Carlson, Dot Hollingsworth, and Dr. Jim Bennett for their input into this article.
*During earlier years, ladies from Union visited in homemakers’ homes selling Avon and Stanley products. Do you remember any of them?
If you have corrections, additions or memories, contact me at teresablount26@yahoo.com or 601-774-5564.
