One Day in Girard: Arthur’s Barber Shop
By Riley Wagner
For George Arthur, it is the simple things in life that make him happy. Working and serving others in his barber shop over in Girard, Kansas while getting to tell old stories to the locals that come in for a hair cut. Although this is where life has taken him now, being a barber hasn’t always been a part of his plan.
Growing up in Kentucky George Arthur started cutting tobacco at a young age. Finding odd jobs and doing tings to make ends meet. His father however worked for a mining company that unfortunately shut down. The company though, offered his father a job here in southeast Kansas. So, his parents up and moved to the middle of the country with no expectations whatsoever.
Mr. Arthur decided the Kentucky style of living was more his style. He stayed behind for awhile trying to get a job in construction. When he soon found there was little to no work in Kentucky for him. He decided to follow his parents and make the move out here as well.
While Mr. Arthur was still jumping from job to job, working as a lumberjack and finding work from company to company. It wasn’t until around 2009 he decided he wanted to become a barber. After speaking with the owner of the barber shop in town at Girard. They had hashed out a deal that if George completed barber school, he could by the business and make it his own. So he did just that.
George Arthur purchased the barbershop in 2010 and has been the sole barber in the shop since then. Only charging 13 dollars a haircut through walk-ins only, giving the shop a more old-school authentic style feel. His business has been doubled since November and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Mr. Arthur, now aged 65 has no intentions of doing so either.
