10 S Main Street

10 South Main Street - Collin’s Grocery

Among the cherished haunts that feed Brooksville, Collin’s Grocery at 10 South Main Street stands out like a well-worn ledger, its shelves once brimming with goods and stories. From its opening in 1926, this grocery store captured the old-time atmosphere of early grocers, serving as a lifeline for Brooksville’s families and a gathering place for neighbors. Let’s step back in time and unpack the legacy of Collin’s Grocery.

Imagine Brooksville in 1926, a bustling hub of citrus groves and cattle ranches, with downtown alive with the clatter of Model Ts and the chatter of locals. At 10 South Main Street, Collin’s Grocery opened its doors, its wooden floors creaking under the weight of crates filled with flour, sugar, and canned peaches. The store, likely run by a family tied to Brooksville’s early settlers, was a classic mom-and-pop operation, with clerks in aprons weighing produce and kids sneaking penny candies from jars on the counter. The air hummed with the scent of fresh coffee beans and the buzz of conversation, as farmers swapped tales of the harvest and townsfolk caught up on news. Collin’s wasn’t just a place to shop; it was where Brooksville came together, a daily ritual of connection.

The store’s old-time charm was its magic. Picture glass cases displaying homemade sausages, barrels of pickles, and shelves stacked with essentials for a growing town. Customers, from courthouse clerks to cattlemen, relied on Collin’s Grocery to keep their kitchens stocked, especially during the lean years of the Great Depression. A 2025 Hernando Sun article notes that Collin’s Grocery was known for its “honest weights and fair prices,” a reputation that drew loyal patrons even when money was tight. The store’s ledgers, preserved in the Hernando Historical Museum, show it offered credit to struggling families, a lifeline that cemented its role as a community anchor.

New research sheds light on the broader impact of this business. A post on the Brooksville History Facebook group recalls that the store, possibly managed by a descendant of the Howell or Mays families—early pioneers of Brooksville—served as a distribution point for local citrus and vegetables, linking farmers directly to consumers. During the 1930s, Collin’s Grocery reportedly bartered goods for eggs or butter, a practice that kept the town fed when cash was scarce. The building itself, a two-story brick structure with cast iron columns, was a standout, with its pressed metal ceilings and original freight elevator. The store’s proximity to the 1913 Hernando County Courthouse made it a hub for downtown workers, who’d pop in for a soda or a sack of flour during lunch breaks.

Collin’s Grocery was more than a store—it was a stage for Brooksville’s daily drama. Housewives swapped recipes while picking out canned tomatoes, and kids lingered by the candy counter, hoping for a free licorice stick. During World War II, the store served as a ration point, with clerks doling out sugar and coffee under strict quotas, as recalled in a 2023 exhibit at the Hernando Historical Museum. The shop’s wooden sign, faded but proud, was a landmark for decades, and locals still share stories of running errands there for their grandparents, the jingle of the doorbell a sound etched in memory.

Though Collin’s Grocery closed—likely in the 1950s or 1960s as chain stores like Piggly Wiggly emerged—its building has housed other businesses since. The site’s legacy endures, with its brick facade featured in Brooksville’s historic walking tours, a nod to its role in feeding the town. Unlike the flash of modern supermarkets, Collin’s offered a slower, richer experience, where every purchase came with a smile or a story.

Citations

Brooksville History. (2025). Community Memories of Brooksville’s Historic Businesses. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/brooksvillehistory

Florida History. (n.d.). Historic Businesses of Hernando County. Retrieved from https://www.floridahistory.org

Hernando Historical Museum. (2023). Brooksville’s Wartime Ration Points. Retrieved from https://www.hernandohistoricalmuseum.org

Hernando Sun. (2025). Collin’s Grocery: Feeding Brooksville Through the Decades. Retrieved from https://www.hernandosun.com

Visit Brooksville. (2024). Historic Downtown Walking Tour. Retrieved from https://visitbrooksville.com