We all know the liquor stores are closed on Sundays, but who runs the liquor store scene around here the rest of the week?
If you live in Stillwater, then you probably know it's Charles Calvin Smith.
He is known by most as Calvin and his natural habitat is the Barn Liquor Store, although sometimes he’ll venture to the adjacent drive through if he’s feeling adventurous. This humble establishment can be found on the strip across from Outlaws which, by the way ladies, is a great place to find Cal after work, if you’re looking for a little two step action.
Born in Bixby, Okla., Calvin found himself attending college in Talequah as a member of Phi Lambda Chi fraternity. If you ever venture to the Barn, you can see his pledge cap displayed over the counter. Its been rumored that sometimes after a long day of work, he blows the dust off the cap, puts it on, and shotguns a warm six point to remember the good times. Calvin then met his lovely wife Brenda, to whom he has been married for 44 years. Brenda is also a regular at the Barn.
Originally, employment brought Calvin to Stillwater, however on a trip to Texas, he came across an idea that he thought would change the game in Stillwater. No, he did not come up with the vodka soaked watermelon – that idea was thought of in Cabo a few years after. Calvin’s idea was to open up a drive through that sold beer. So in 1994, two things were established: the North American Free Trade Agreement (we still have no clue what that is) and the Barn. From that day on, Calvin cemented his legacy, along with other Stillwater greats, such as Boone Pickens, Eddie Sutton and Preacher Bob.
The Barn was in full swing, up until two and a half years ago, when Calvin suffered a tragic accident while working on a project. A terrible fall put him in the hospital for almost a month. In a coma for almost two weeks, Calvin finally came out of it and was functioning. Brenda says she calls him her “walking miracle." However, the hospital called him their little escape artist. Fed up with the hospital life, Cal tried to leave numerous times and was finally put under the watchful eye of hospital security.
When Calvin’s son, Travis, heard about the accident he feared that the business would take a huge hit and possibly perish without someone taking over. Practicing law at the time, Travis dropped everything to help his father and take over the family business. “There was no thought, it was just natural. He had taken care of me my whole life, it was a no brainer,” Travis said.
Over time, Calvin made a miraculous recovery and went back to his classic spot behind the counter. There have been many twists and turns throughout the Barn’s history but Calvin definitely has his favorite memories. One of his favorites was back in 1995, when our men’s basketball team took down the Tim Duncan led powerhouse, Wake Forrest, to put us into the Final Four. “You could hear a roar from campus, people were coming through, cheering, hanging from telephone poles, it was great,” Calvin said. "Believe it or not, a few cats even loaded up a truck bed with kegs and drove down University handing out Stillwater’s favorite beverage to all who could run fast enough."
Although the store hours haven’t changed since the '90s, the culture definitely has. People like Justin Blackmon and Russell Okung come back to the Barn whenever they are in town just to see Calvin and reminisce about the college days. Whoever you are, whatever your story, if you are attending OSU then Calvin Smith will touch your heart at some point in your stay here. Whether it be a nice, “hey, how,s it going?" or an hour-long conversation about sports and life, Cal will be there behind the counter.
The next time you are at the Barn and happen to see Brenda, Travis or Calvin, say thank you because without all of them, we would be missing a major Stillwater staple. So here’s to the most interesting man in my and Dave’s eyes, and many others. Keep it kosher, Cal, because we will be back tomorrow.
