Looking back at where we started in 2015 to now present day in August 2024 as we roll into year number NINE in the hardware business, I’m just shocked and amazed at the amount of change we have been able to accomplish over time. When you are there everyday, working amongst all this, it’s harder to see the progress sometimes. As the old saying goes, “can’t see the forest, for the trees”.
A small stack of old pictures were gifted to us by our friend, Steve Foster, who is our Orgill Hardware representative. Orgill, is our main hardware supplier. When we purchased the store in 2015, a new layout was in order. Initially, Steve took some photos to share with the Orgill layout team who helped us to reconfigure the best use of the available space. Did we follow the design they planned out??? Well, no. We modified a few things to suit what we wanted and needed our business to be after reviewing the blueprints with them. But those pictures are a good reminder of what the hardware store was, A Blast From the Past.
The original blueprint developed for us after we purchased Wilkes Hardware.
Those photo memories stirred a bit of excitement in me to create a pictorial version of that journey. Here’s an insider blog post reflecting upon some of the changes that have been made over time since our beginnings in 2015. The series of photos that follows in this blog will be featuring the 2015 photo then 2024 pictures will follow highlighting certain aspects of the hardware store.
2015 outside view 2025 outside view, exterior holding area for bagged goods which was not available in store prior to 2015. 2015 front door view… one thing I noticed was the lack of light 💡 interior of the hardware store2024… LED lights installed, and artist inspired designs on the front doors. Seasonal Flowers blooming at the front doors.
Initially, we were encouraged to paint the interior ceiling white. I pushed back hard. I wanted to keep it as “vintage, old hardware store” as I could. The ceiling and posts are still intact with original wood.
Summer of 2015: view around wood stove Summer of 2024: New work areas for staff has been created over time and in 2024 a new point of sale was added. We moved from the era of simply using a cash register to a full scale point of sale system in the first few years of business. 2015: Sink area used by employees but surrounded by merchandise2024: Now mostly a true work area for our staff, same area in view but this area is less customer friendly due to the proximity to the key desk work area and pool water testing computer work area. I noticed the amount of light is much more visible in this recent photo!2015: Back door entrance, note that the key 🔑 desk is not here!!!2024: Back door entrance. Key desk area present AND more light! 2015: Work area at back door entrance 2024: Key Desk area at back door entrance Behind the scenes of the key area Rekey area Pool computer, chip keys and more! 2015: Front Entrance View, it was a bit of a maze to find what you needed 2024: Front entrance view, we have tried to created a more open flow for customers to walk through2024: Front Door View2015: Key Desk was tucked away in the back of store… near the stairs leading to the second level2024: This area is currently being updated… it’s a work area for chain cutting, kerosene heater repair, stove pipe replacement parts, etc 2015: The back front windows of the hardware store were covered with pegboard, which was used to display long handle tools. 2017: These doors were uncovered and the pegboard removed! Wayne worked on the old lock mechanism so the doors were moving and mobile to unlock. Look at that beautiful door handle!!! 2024: Doors are open on the warm, summer days to add extra air flow into the hardware store 2024: Same view as the 2015 picture 2024: Lawn and Garden has been moved up to the front of the store 2015: Lock shop entrance door opened 2020: Covid AND the flooding of our hardware store with the water originating from the lock shop created the need to close the connecting door permanently. Due to the nature of the lock shop business, they are often gone on call. The security of the lock shop is more secure with the hardware store door closed.2020: Water entered from the back door of the lock shop, pushing the doors open. Water entered into our building as a result from the massive amount of water coming into flooded lock shop. The water was knee deep inside the lock shop! 2020: Water, water everywhere!!! It took several hours, lots of friends helping us to push the water out, and days of drying out. We were extremely lucky that the water level never reached higher than it did! 2024: Threaded rod, wooden dowels are right at home in front of the old lock shop door. Believe it or not, we still have folks who still try to go through this door to get to the lock shop. They are shocked to find it closed when they come in and find that they must use the main front entrance. 2015: View from back of store
Richard told me the other day the staff used to keep and carry a small flashlight (in pocket) with them as they worked inside the hardware store when he first started in the summer of 2015 due to the lack of light coming into the space. I had no idea that was how they were working. Adding light was a key factor initially as we began to analyze what should be done. Slowly, the light has been expanding and more work is yet to come!
These pictures are a treasure to me. Steve thank you! One of my biggest regrets is not taking enough pictures to photograph our beginnings accurately as we have grown and evolved.
2024: This area is currently being reset now!
Thanks for being part of our hardware journey. Stay tuned in for more updates! We appreciate your continued support.
If these walls could talk… the stories they could tell! Our hardware store is located at 324 10th Street. The outside brick exterior of the building looks well-worn… a few signs of old age are visible, as it should have, this building is approaching the age of 120 years old!
As you enter, you will probably find the front door open most days, weather permitting. The interior is full of beautiful treasures of the past, a fully functional freight elevator, wood stove, rolling ladder wall, and old wooden cabinetry lining the entire back wall. That venture into 324th 10th Street, through the hardware store reveals some of the days from long ago… the legacy and memories of times when hardware stores were simply different.
Yes, I believe that our hardware store is definitely a unique shopping experience that is worth exploring, even in 2024, as the days of ordering online has become a staple for many people. You can’t find some of these unique items online… Only inside these vintage walls. There’s no connecting or having a longing to go back to an online shopping cart versus wandering throughout your hometown old school hardware store. The experience is distinct and rare in today’s modern retail world. The two can’t be compared.
I definitely feel that a stroll back into time to get a visual sense of the origins of this old building is definitely blog worthy. So here’s a more detailed look at some of these iconic, vintage pieces found inside 324 10th Street revealing what we know as the true history of 324 10th Street.
The Freight Elevator
One of the unique features of our “Old School Hardware Store” is the freight elevator. Secret being told, the remaining oral history that we have been given is a bit disjointed. So we have in earnest, started trying to track down some information about this elevator from the direct source… the company that built it, Park Elevator.
Park Elevator is one of the oldest, independent elevator companies in the Southeast, dating back to 1898.
I continue to be absolutely fascinated by the fact that such a massive machine as this one was made in Charlotte, NC!
How very fitting that the former owners at 324 10th Street sourced materials locally and from our state. Richard and I are honored to carry on that tradition still in 2024.
Locally made items are available year round inside Wilkes County Hardware
Our old freight elevator has to be inspected by the state each year. The state elevator inspector requested a full load test in 2023. To be honest, we were very worried about that requirement to continue to have it in use. We debated for several months… what to do… is this a safe thing to do for such an oldie Goldie??? A full load test is a tough thing for an “old school elevator” to handle. Uncertainty loomed in our minds.
We decided to make a few phone calls. The elevator experts were very helpful. We actually have a few elevator technicians who frequent our hardware store and they often speak about how special and unique this old elevator is! They love it! So drawing from their experience and expertise, the phone call was made.
After speaking to the elevator experts about the situation concerning the full load test, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the needed test was NOT a full load test but instead, a NO load test. Our old freight elevator has wooden side rails, therefore a full load test is impossible to do!! A full load test could literally shred the wooden side rails 😳. We had a path to keep the elevator moving!
State inspection done ✅ . Still waiting on the No Load Test.
The Wood Stove
Likewise, the wood stove was manufactured in Greensboro, NC. The wood stove has been quite a showcase for many of our visitors and regular customers. Check out the blog post that includes details of the information we know about this old classic wood stove below.
Researching and LearningMore About 324 10th Street
Ask and ye shall find! So, here’s the thing, we need your stories about this old freight elevator, and we need more history about our building. I actually had started doing my own research around the time the Smithey building burned down… but I haven’t had an opportunity to get back into it since then.
Life sometimes gets busy and projects get pushed away for a space of time. But here’s a quick rundown of the main essentials on what we know via oral history and research…
1. Building dates back to 1905.
2. EE Eller Wholesale was located at 324 10th Street until 1941 when he moved his business to Forester Street (advertisement in Journal Patriot – 1941) the space was used by ______________________ after Mr. Eller left???? we are unsure of what type of business existed after that…
Learn more about Mr. Eller’s Legacy: Mr. EE Eller, Chickens and Turkeys… Nothing but Clucking, Gobbling, and Plucking out the TruthThis photograph was sent to us by Mr. Eller’s Family and will be hung in its rightful place on the owners wall soon! The original photo hanging on the wall that had been identified to us as Mr. Eller was not really him! To read more about this click the link above about Mr. Eller. Look for this beautifully restored photograph the next time you come by Wilkes County Hardware.
3. Yates Wilkes Hardware began 1940’s???? No definitive date has been discovered.
Legendary Stories: We have been told that Mr. Yates began a hardware store for supplying his “moonshine friends” with needed equipment/supplies… as they say, nothing ruins a good story like the truth. I bet the truth lies somewhere between the two, the legend and the facts.
4. Glascock wood stove- Giant 24N style stove went into production 1930’s-1940’s in Greensboro, NC and unsure of date when installed in building (Nollie Neill, Glascock Stove Historian) Linked in blog today is a detailed overview of what we know about the wood stove.
5. Freight Elevator made by Park, based in Charlotte, NC. Research ongoing.
6. Rolling ladder Wall made by Putnam Rolling Ladder Company
Piecing Together The Puzzle of 324
A while back ago, I asked our social media followers to share their thoughts about painting our front doors at the hardware store. It was fascinating to find out everyone’s thoughts when we were curious about changing the paint on the front doors. Some people said don’t touch those doors, others wanted to make color suggestions.
I enjoyed the story one customer told us about the doors being a beautiful dark green color when she first came to the hardware store when she was younger which helped us connect the past to the present day.
These bits of information and history are the small pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that we are trying to “piece together” of our building and the objects inside. The timing of these stories helps us to “piece the puzzle together” and connect the jigsaw puzzleinto a whole. So we deem everything as important as we are gathering information and adding to our knowledge base of our building and its historical contents.
All of your stories are inspiring to us. Gathering these memories and stories helps keep this building alive long after we all are long gone, in hopes of creating a lasting legacy. Ourbuilding boasts the beginnings of the poultry industry in Wilkes, the legend of moonshine, and the hardwareindustry rooted right here in Wilkes.
Legendary stories, which maybe more fictional than fact, let’s face it, those stories are always fun to tell and listen to. But,ultimately, may not help us with our mission of fact finding concerning 324 10th Street and the ultimate dissemination of the lasting legacy at 324 10th Street. Truth be told, honestly, I believe we need a bit of both types of memories and stories for balance. I realize that we may not ever fully discover everything there is to know about this timeworn, treasure of a building, but it’s definitely worth the discovery in my minds eye.
Yes, in case your curiosity has gotten the best of you and are wondering… we ARE still planning to paint the front doors, BUT we know it will be a HUGE project. The doors will have to come down and be prepared for a full makeover. This old hardware store building is like an onion, and we slowly peel a layer away at a time and tackle what we can as we get time to do so.
As I have mentioned before, in an earlier written blog posts, Stories help keep our past history alive, & keep us linked together.
I feel that it is extremely important to undertake the quest of learning about a building that is close to 120 years old. Not many buildings in Wilkes can boast such a history! Sharing the legacy of a great old historic building in the center of Downtown North Wilkesboro for future generations yet to come should be a central part of who we are and why we are still relevant today.
Thank you for continuing to support us by shopping with us as we head into year NINE of business! We appreciate your willingness to help create the bridge between our past experiences to our present day by sharing memories and stories of a treasured building at 324 10th Street. After all, that is the heart of legacy.
A HUGE thank you to Kim Anderson Reid for this incredible address totem pole!!!
Cornbread, is strongly rooted in Native American tradition. Maize, or corn as we know it today, at its most natural form, fed and nourished the earliest settlers in our state. Native American “cornbread” was originally known as Corn Pone (meal, water, salt). Cornbread became a popular staple daily bread for many Southerners centuries ago when corn was a food source that everyone grew for themselves and could be used in a variety of ways.
I would venture to guess that cornbread made centuries ago is vastly different from what is served on our Southern tables and in local restaurants today. In order to have a tasty cornbread AND to keep the “A-Maized” factor high, view the slice of what makes cornbread so delicious and extra special…
Non-Negotiables for A-Maizing Cornbread
In need of a new cornbread pan? Wilkes County Hardware has got it!
1. Begin with a HOT and well seasoned Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. I always preheat my oven and melt my butter (or oil) in my cast iron skillet while I’m mixing up my cornbread.
2. Hot cornbread freshly baked from oven tastes the best! Enough said right???
3. The outer, crispy crust and the center must be cooked through. Nothing is worse than a cornbread that sticks to skillet or isn’t cooked all the way through. Ugh!
Now that we have a few of the absolutes out of the way, there are some things that are absolutely up for debate regarding cornbread, depending on how you were brought up, and your palate preferences.
Cornbread, An “A-Maizing” Debate
1. Yellow versus white cornmeal- The ultimate question… which do you prefer? People seem to have a definite preference over one or the other. My family prefers the white cornmeal overall and that was my personal experience with cornbread growing up.
2. Sweet, savory, or simple cornbread- the choices are endless! Most folks are probably in the sweet cornbread camp OR the simple cornbread crowd… I grew up with the simple cornbread without any sweetness attached. Savory cornbread adds flavor to any meal. Which do you prefer? Love all three???
3. Biscuits or Cornbread– why decide right??? Just eat both!
4. Box mix or Mill ground– Sorry y’all, for me, there is definitely preference. I don’t think I have ever made a box cornbread mix before. I’m sure they are perfectly fine, but it is not what I’m accustomed to making. Linny’s Mill cornmeal has always been a family favorite.
A Slice of Cornbread Perfection: Memories of Cornbread and More
Growing up at home, when I opened the pantry or refrigerator, I knew exactly which container to go for in order to find the cornmeal. As a hungry kid learning the kitchen basics, helping my mom cook, cornmeal was a standard pantry staple. I could easily navigate the cabinets to find the cornmeal in a tall, bright, Tangerine orange Tupperware container. Out the container would come, and learning to mix up a simple cornbreadwith Mom…we were well on our way to getting dinner finished and the cornbread sliced, perfectly wedged and onto the kitchen table.
My memories of helping in the kitchen are strong. I spent many hours prepping alongside my Mom for family meals. I recall Mom didn’t always make the traditional simple cornbread baked in the hot skillet. That’s the nice thing about using diverse ingredients like cornmeal. Many variations of the same basic recipe can be made. Mom often made variations of Cornbread… corn muffins, hush puppies, cornbread fritters, and my Dad even sometimes crumbled the last piece of cornbread in milk.
My favorite way Mom used cornmeal was in making cornbread fritters. Cornbread fritters are a fried version of cornbread, and they are scrumptious and flat like a pancake. These fritters were a summer staple to supplement our supper, going alongside the freshly picked summer garden vegetables. I’m getting hungry as I write this!
I feel sure we ate more cornbread fritters than cornbread that way the oven stayed off, not heating up the kitchen unnecessarily on those long, hot, sultry, humid summer days.
The one cornmeal variety that I have memories of BUT not made or personally experienced is cornmeal mush. My Granny used to talk about making cornmeal mush for her dad often. He would request cornmeal mush when he just needed a little something to eat for a meal. It was just enough to sustain him.
I had heard the stories about him wanting cornmeal mush so often, that I would relate to Granny when she was feeling poorly before she passed away. She would often tell me she wasn’t hungry or didn’t feel like eating much… The cornmeal mush was a story we shared… so when I told her that I would not make her cornmeal mush, and I would smile as I said it… she would always smile back, we both knew of course, if she really wanted it, I would have made it. We always giggled about it then went onto discuss other options for her supper, keeping things simple, as she needed them to be. I miss her everyday.
Cornmeal is such a versatile ingredient in the Southern kitchen. Roll fresh okra, squash, zucchini in cornmeal before frying.
All that being said, Cornmeal is a simple staple that can guide you into many different directions in the kitchen by creating Casseroles, dressing, and even a cornbread salad. Cornmeal has been also used in many Southern kitchens as a breading for fried squash, okra, zucchini, and let’s not forget about fish as well! The potential for new recipes are unlimited!
Cornmeal is used as a base in this fish fry and yummy hush puppies.
Ahhh Shucks, Cornmeal A Versatile Ingredient
The key ingredients that our ancestors used centuries ago, to make a Corn Pone (meal, water, salt), have been tweaked and refined in order to make the perfect slice of cornbread in the 21st century . As a result, your favorite cornbread is probably a bit more flavorful.
Whether you are adding in savory ingredients, flour, sugar, egg, milk, buttermilk, or simply using water or milk/buttermilk to mix… cornbread has definitely changed over time. Making cornbread is definitely not quite as simple as it used to be and the flavors and variations are limitless!
The Cornbread Mentality
Our memories of how cornbread be… it is my gut feeling that those memories of cornbread are strongly tied to our family experiences and traditions regarding cornbread. We make, what we love to eat, and what’s comforting to our hearts and minds.
Your personal routines about making cornbread are deeply rooted in the way your Grandparents and Parents made cornbread…hence what I’m calling, The cornbread mentality exists in my own personal opinion.
My guess, your basic cornbread recipe is similar to what you grew up eating and loving about cornbread. AND that is your traditional cornbread recipe, always. No specific formula or recipe exists for all cornbread, making it the heart of the cornbread mentality… defining it as your own personal cornbread story. Ahhh, shucks y’all!
A bit of magic of the summer season integrated into my photographic lens from this past month. I have truly enjoyed the simplicity of the photographic blog posts each month that I began earlier this year. Photos do tell their own story. July, it’s been a warm month… in memories and temperatures. Thanks for tagging along with me!
I have linked a few other blog posts from this month in here as well. Take your time with this one folks and find all the other blog posts within, coming back to them as you can. I so appreciate your continued support! I hope you enjoy these special July memories in photographic form.
A Walk Around Kerr Scott
ReflectionsPeaking ThroughA Walk By the Lake … If you didn’t get a chance to read Rooted in Wilkes yet, I hope you will get a chance to do so soon!
Home
Contradictions in the SkyTime to BlossomBlue Skies and BloomsYoung BloomsJust Like LaceBusy Bee 🐝In Full BloomAngel TrumpetA peak inside a blooming Crepe MyrtleSimplicity of a trailing vinePeaceful, Easy Feeling… Morning SunriseBarely ThereRising to the OccasionNight skySeeking Raindrops
Friday Flower Fun at Wilkes County Hardware
First Flower Friday… success! See you again August 9th!!!
North Wilkesboro Greenway
Growing Field of DreamsWildflower Dreams
Blue Ridge Parkway
Where the Wildflowers GrowBlue Ridge HorizonBlue Ridge Skyline
Last Spring I was basking in the sunshine, kneeling in my front flower garden, while planting one of my favorite “memory flowers”, a little white geranium. I should provide a bit of background on a “memory flower” for those who are new to my blog. A “memory flower” is a specific flower or plant that I have associated with special family members/friend that either gifted the plant to me OR I have sweet memories associated with the flower. My personal connections to flowers and what I plant in my garden is deeply rooted… linked to my personal life experiences and memories of those who I love and those who are no longer with us.
Read more about Flower Memories in the blog post: Flower Power
As I carefully took that “memory flower” out of the small, green container and placed it into my hand, I realized the root system of the tiny, white geranium was extremely shallow and weak. I began to cringe. My first thought was that the white geranium wouldn’t make it.
White geraniums are a staple in my containers every year. This planter in my garden has a nice healthy mix of summer annuals
After lots of TLC, it did survive the long, hot summer season but it didn’t thrive like some of my other plants that had a stronger established root systems when they were originally planted.
This shallow planting experience began an instant stream of thoughts about, “Being Well Rooted”. Howwould that translate into my understanding of my own life experiences?
Beginning with the concept in mind, establishing a good root system offering a deeper and stronger bond to the plant, conveying nourishment to all the branches…This began a spiral of thoughts.What roots have I established in my life? Am I well rooted in Wilkes?
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you find a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
Life is different here from anywhere else in the world. The pace of living is slower. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. Wilkes is simply HOME. My Roots are here. That part was easy to discern.
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you find a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
This blog post was created out of my life experiences and memories… remembering and honoring those who helped me to establish and discover my Roots and in good time, cultivated my unique story.
A Bit of Personal Perspective: A Foundation of Memories
I grew up in Wilkes County, surrounded by the beautiful, majestic mountains as our daily view looming at our back door step. It was the perfect blue mountain scenery that surrounded me and greeted me, and hugged me from the distance. As a rambling traveler moving away from and returning to our county borders, a definite welcome sight, the Blue Ridge in the distance, whispering, “Welcome HOME”.
Summer at Buck Mountain
I spent my “kid summers” wading in the creek that was located in the woods behind my house. No shoes were ever needed on a hot summer day. Running in the grass, barefoot, was the order of the day. As a kid, summer days seemed endless… these days were marked with sweet memories. From eating a watermelon wedge, soaking up the last bite of summertime sweet goodness to a full on chase and catch of lightning bugs, all were definite summer staples. I can remember being absolutely giddy with excitement about the opportunity to put those little, bright yellow bugs into a mason jar and watch them blink away in the dusk of a humid summer evening. Then finally, reluctantly, releasing them from the jar before heading inside before my nightly slumber ensued. Summers were filled with the beauty of the natural world that surrounded me in Wilkes. Wonderful childhood memories marked by the love of family and HOME.
Growing into My Roots
Eventually, I grew up and went away to college and enjoyed the experience that a larger city offered. I came HOME to Wilkes often during those college years to visit my family. Little did I know, ultimately, I had unlocked my ROOTS. My foundation was strong and I was slowly beginning to find my center.
Each return trip back HOME was so similar… marked by the familiar smells of freshly cut grass, and sometimes, with the pungent smell of manure which signaled, the hard work of local farmers. The sights of rolled hay fields, and corn fields in full view abound in my memories.
The sounds of nature … birds singing cheerfully, and crickets chirping their solitary song each evening at dusk. You could also listen to the church bells ringing in the distance calling out to its members singing a soulful little tune on Sunday mornings. The sounds that are mostly removed from the ears…heavy traffic, sirens, and other street noise that tends to dominate city life.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
And if you could pause long enough and listen… the rambling sound of race cars in the distance could be heard certain times of the year. You just know, if you live in Wilkes, when to expect and hear the humming sounds of race cars churning around the race track. I could always hear the roar and hum of race cars rumbling through the woods when the wind carried just perfectly from my childhood home.
Thankful to see North Wilkesboro Speedway open again!
And lastly, the pinnacle view, that I always took for granted, as a young person, the mountains in the distance, all signaled that I was HOME. Those beautiful mountains, served as a big hug from my surroundings here in Wilkes County, HOME. All familiar, and part of my heart and soul from my own life experiences. Memories branching out becoming my ROOTS.
A view from my front yard… we are blessed to have Mountain View’s everywhere
Finding Support and Growth
After College Graduation, I found myself returning HOME again, looking to fully take up ROOTS as an educator in my community where I grew up. Those formative years provided me with a sense of belonging to a welcoming community, where Southern hospitality still exists and I’m grateful that we live in such a friendly place.
The colors of Fall🍁
I found work and I began to prepare for the future. I worked in middle school education for over 25 years before retirement. I enjoyed teaching. What I discovered in my educational years, Creativity was at the utmost importance as I planned my lessons to make middle schoolers feel more engaged with their learning, but, it still had to be challenging. Creativity was a central element that has become part of my internal root system.
Summer at Kerr Scott Lake
Sometimes we realize that change is happening, and I knew it was time to concentrate on my ROOTS again. People can be easily replaced at work with another person, but you can’t be replaced at home. HOME and FAMILY an essential part of my daily being, deeply rooting me back to where I needed to be, HOME.
Initially, my vision of work after retirement was not what I anticipated. The ultimate reality that happened… Staffing changes, COVID, and other factors have put me in the forefront along the side of my faithful husband and partner who definitely welcomed me with open arms. We are now ROOTED in the hardware industry that had such strong roots and ties within our local community.
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you find a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
Branching Out
When retirement came, it was a bit a relief. I was utterly exhausted. I had been as they say, “burning the candle at both ends”. I had been working as a full time Mom, as an educator, working as a part-time business owner for our hardware store, blogging, and lastly, beginning to care for my aging grandparents. My life was extremely full.
We have found a rhythm at work inside our “old school hardware store” and have launched headlong into helping our community as we can through our business ownership in Downtown North Wilkesboro.
Thanks Susan for the pic!
In the last few years, Richard and I have worked alongside other Downtown Merchants, to form The Downtown North Wilkesboro Merchants Association, and we both actively participate in this group. You may recognize this group, as we have worked to create, The Spooktacular Festival for our community when the Greenway Trail of Treats was cancelled a few years ago.
The Hardware Life: A Life Lesson in Grafting
Wilkes County hosts a Peach Festival in July and Apple Festival in October, so the tradition of farming is central in our community. Fruit farmers often graft their fruit trees to create a new variety. The act of grafting… taking one plant cutting and merging with another, creating a unique union and the growth of a new species.
One of the quickest ways to send information out to our hardware store customer base was using the different creative tools that social media platforms offered. I literally had to dig deep into these tools and just go for it. Over the last 9 years, we have slowly grown a loyal audience on Facebook and Instagram, growing and expanding our hardware community. We have been able to share our product offerings, and our staff personal skill sets that make our hardware store a unique shopping experience for our customers.
My blog has continued to grow since I began, The Hardware Life Wife in 2018. As a novice writer, the blog pieces were fairly short and without pictures. I have learned more about the “how to blog process” as I have had the time. Initially, I honestly couldn’t devote much time to it. It was mostly a “summertime project” and I worked on blog posts between planning school lessons while I was still teaching full time. My blog has been a wonderful ROOTED creative outlet for me to share with others.
After a few years of consistent blogging, it became a goal of mine to add as many authentic pictures as I could to help break up the longer content pieces that I was now writing. Photographs provide a visual experience for the reader, adding an extra dimension, or as I could say “branch” to the story that is needed.
Kerr Scott Lake Sunset begins
Drawing upon my experience as an educator, I knew that I must give reluctant readers a reason to engage with my blog, as my writing pieces grew into more lengthy content. Another overall goal was to increase my blog readership.
Using these new goals and being ROOTED in educational experience, I decided to use “Chunking”. Chunking is breaking content down into smaller sections. I could use photographic images to further break down the information which would help the reader to stay focused on the writing content and the images adding to the overall narrative. Grafting in action!
Sunset at Buck Mountain
The use of stock images was not my intention, so I opted to insert my personal images into each blog post where I could create a more vivid reading experience for my readers.
Surprisingly, my personal photos were well received. I was stunned. This new finding was giving me the confidence and the opportunity to share more of my personal photography for which, I’m thankful and extremely grateful. I have been able to “branch out” and graft my core ROOTS into new areas of creativity and it has been an amazing journey!
Slowly, my heart has been wrapped around creating more beautiful images to share with my readers. My love of photography has grown and developed over the last few years. Seeking my ROOTS of creativity… ROOTED in my heart, showcasing everyday life in Wilkes County as I see it through my life lens using my camera, Rooted In Wilkes. All of the images you see today are all my own, with the exception of the photo of myself and Richard. I hope that you find these pictures add to the story.
Closing Thoughts: My ROOTED Experience
I must admit that one does not have to be a native of Wilkes to enjoy the beauty our area. The sights, sounds, and scenery of our greater community where I grew up and discovered my ROOTS. As I age, my appreciation of the beauty of my surroundings has grown. Anyone can Experience life in Wilkes if you are willing to take a moment to “branch out” and look for new opportunities and places in your nearby surroundings. Grafting opportunities are endless. Change is constant. So no matter wherever you find yourself, share your roots/story with others.
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you found a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
The beauty of Wilkes is all encompassing and deeply rooted in my life and for that, I’m grateful. I encourage you to go ahead and make some deep roots here. I found HOME, multiple opportunities to grow into my ROOTS, expanding my branches of creativity and learning, and how to GRAFT when needed. My ROOTS have allowed me to stop and slow down to appreciate the small things in this world, which ultimately are the BIG things in life. I think you will be glad that you took time to be Rooted in Wilkes.
This piece is dedicated to all friends and family who have been such a supportive influence upon my ROOTS growing up in Wilkes County.
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 