A Kentucky town of less than 1,500 people at the intersection of U.S. Highways 79 and 41, Guthrie was once the
cultural and entertainment seat of Todd County. It earned a reputation as the "crossroads of the South" when the
L&N Railroad Co. placed a stop there en route to larger cities such as Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit.
The train stop made Guthrie a popular destination for travelers. Thriving from an economic boom, the city quickly
acquired an Opera House, several downtown shops and grocery stores.
But the passenger railroads left Guthrie in the 1970s, taking the
people along for the ride. The population drop greatly
undermined efforts to bring in profits. Many downtown stores
and opera houses closed, no new businesses started, and construction came to a standstill.
With reconstruction initiatives, Guthrie hopes to reclaim its prominent standing. Business owners transformed the
old Opera House into Tres Amigos, a festive Mexican restaurant. The city also is repairing the streets, acquiring public benches and remodeling old downtown buildings.
Guthrie