ON THE COVER: Abraham Dow migrated to Minden from his home in Syria shortly after 1900. His store on what was commonly called “Back Street” served both the black and white communities for nearly seven decades. The store was torn down in 1970 as part of the construction of the Minden Civic Center and City Hall Complex. This image, taken in the early 1920s, shows Dow (center with no hat) and customers. (Author’s collection.)