Our goal is to allow visitors to see Harlan County through the eyes of a local. It is one thing to see Harlan through pictures and posts, but it is another thing to live in and experience Harlan on a day-to-day basis. By interviewing locals in our Local Love project, we hope to share a bit of why Harlan is so special.
April Collins is the definition of a true Harlan Countian. Like so many Harlan Countians, she grew up a coal miner’s daughter. April owns and operates both Sassy Trash and Henry’s Souvenirs and Gifts. Both of these beautiful storefronts are located in Downtown Harlan, Kentucky. Her dedication and love for Harlan County has been vital for the transformation of Downtown Harlan into the place that we know and love today.
- Tell us your history and connection to Harlan County. “My dad was originally born and raised here in Harlan County and had moved away to Madison County, which is where he met my mom. Then my dad moved us back to Harlan for him to work in the mines when I was a young child. Since then, I have always considered Harlan to be my home.”
- What’s your favorite attraction in Harlan County or where would you take a visitor if you were showing off Harlan? “That’s a tough question, because there are so many beautiful places in Harlan County. Kingdom Come would probably be my first, and Camp Blanton would probably be my second.”
- Why do you love Harlan? “I love Harlan for a lot of reasons. I love the small town feel that we have here in harlan. We have the most genuine nice people here in Harlan. People pay a lot of money to travel and to look at these views for just a weekend, but we get to wake up to them every morning.”
- How do you think that Harlan County has changed over the years? “Our heritage is coal mining. It has always been coal mining, and it will continue to be our past and our heritage. But, I have seen Harlan move more towards tourism. A lot of the younger people don’t really associate Harlan with mining as much as they do tourism. That’s been a change that I’ve really seen in the last probably ten years. We are getting a lot of tourists and stuff coming in because of other reasons besides mining.”
- How do you see the future of Harlan County, and what are your hopes for its development? “I see the future of Harlan County really going towards tourism. Everyone has heard of Harlan. If they get anywhere even close to Harlan, they are going to make that extra drive to come to Harlan. I think that people come here to enjoy the scenery, and to enjoy our slow paced living. I think that definitely is our future. My hopes would be that we can build to the point that we can keep our locals here, employed, and not have to leave.”
- What do you think makes Harlan County unique compared to other places? “Harlan is a destination on its own. You have to be coming to Harlan. A lot of people see that as a bad thing because it is an hour to get somewhere else from Harlan, but that’s also what keeps us kind of quaint and offbeat– a slow pace kind of living.”
