Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

In the early 1980s, I worked downtown every Saturday at Cordia’s Gift Shoppe (where Grand on Oak is today). Cordia Mote was the owner and my grandmother, Viola Burnett, was the store manager. We made some wonderful memories selling gifts for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas.

The store had a bridal registry so it was a major destination for wedding and bridal shower gifts. Cordia’s Continue reading →