As to Willie Wallace, there is only a handful like him. Some businesses are eclipsed by their owners. The Hoka was great, but Ron was a monument to the town. Square Books means much to Oxford, but it revolves around Richard. Howard was much bigger than Duvall’s. Local Color was really cool, but Willie was its character. And among that handful, there is the subset of folks who are so cool they are beyond reproach. We realized some decades ago that this businessman and his store were a part of the foundation upon which we build our unique Oxford myth.
Willie Wallace in his element. Photograph by Georgia Huddleston.
