Founded on July 4, 1876, H.J. Smith and Sons Hardware and Museum is the oldest hardware and general store in the parish and houses unique artifacts related to the history of Covington, including a dugout cypress canoe and a lead coffin. It is a regular destination for school field trips. Cotton from north of town and from Mississippi plantations was brought in to be shipped to New Orleans, and as many as 40,000-50,000 bales passed through Covington in a year. Wagons pulled by teams of oxen regularly lined Columbia Street from the cemetery to the landing.