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Hardware Store Life

Top 5 Questions People Ask…

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Our store is rich in history and the building architecture is unique. As folks tend to say after walking around and looking up at our beams, “they just don’t build em like this anymore”. Our legacy begins to unfold with these questions that first timers or locals often seek the answers to learn more about our space. I hope you enjoy!!!!

  1. Do you use that wood stove?  YES!!! It is our main source of heat in the winter. We have locals who love to come inside our store just to warm by our wood stove, especially on a snowy day.  The stove was originally used as a coal stove. A few months back, we actually found a bag of coal upstairs from many years ago!!!!
  2. Is this the original Lowes Store? NO, Lowes Companies did begin near us and if you look out our back door you can see the where Lowes began.
  3. How old is this building? Has it always been a hardware store? Our building history dates back to the early 1900’s. The structure was rebuilt after a fire in the late 1800’s and the brick building that stands today, is the one we currently reside in as a hardware store. The first use of the our building was EE Eller Produce. Mr. Eller was a major poultry processor in our area. Turkeys and chickens were herding into the building, processed and then put on the railroad just down the street from us and sent away. It was estimated that the Eller could process 1 million in a year!!! Not too shabby for early 1900’s standards…. In the mid 1940’s the building was converted into a hardware store by Mr. Yates- the new owner. It has been a hardware store since the 1940’s
  4. Does that freight elevator still work? Absolutely!!! We use it everyday, the elevator is inspected each year by the state of NC and we have been told that it could be one of the oldest in Western NC.
  5. Is Wayne/Richard here? These two fellas are the heart and soul of our business, & many people seek these two out for advice. Wayne is the person that so many of our customers wish to have a key made by or a lock question answered by him. I told Wayne last week, that when he went to lunch each day that we just need to put up a sign to advertise that he was out for an hour and would be back at 12… he always has someone to drop by to see him while he is gone to lunch. We all laughed but it is very true!  He is well loved and appreciated.  Richard is the face of our business and many folks know him and trust his advice. We love these two dearly!!!!
Hardware Store Life

“The Chicken Ghost”

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The tale I am about to unravel goes back way in history to the beginnings of our store… well, actually before it was a hardware store. Our original building was constructed in 1905.

In the early 1900’s, our building was known to all the residents of Wilkes as EE Eller Produce. Mr. Eller was a major poultry buyer/ dealer where local folks would bring in chickens, and turkeys for processing.

Here’s an old advertisement from local newspaper

The processed chickens & turkeys were loaded up on the railroad cars just down the street. The North Wilkesboro Train Station was a bustling center of commerce in our town.

It was a major operation that farmers routinely made their journey into North Wilkesboro from the surrounding mountain areas and nearby communities.

Signs like this one were placed along the route to guide local farmers towards EE Eller Produce. A big thank you to Jerry Dameron for sharing this picture with me!

I have been told that over 1 million chickens and turkeys were processed in year!!!! Now that you have just a bit of historical background information about our building, our story can officially begin. Here we go…

A few years back during the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival we had a gentleman who was visiting with us in the hardware store and he began to tell us about his experiences inside our old, historic store…. this gentleman had spent some time with our neighbor next door and he stayed in his “man cave”.

Our neighbor had let this man stay in his “man cave” for a few months until he could figure out where he wanted to go and what direction life would take him next. This gentleman said that he would often be awakened around 2 am.

He reported to us that he regularly heard at night… chains dragging across the floor and sounds of chickens. He never could see or find anything unusual once he went to investigate. This man then continued with his story, by stating “now I know all of this is true because I am a reincarnated Buddhist, Catholic priest, I can sense that things happened here”. After that statement, we just simply didn’t have any words.

Our conversation moved to other topics and we of course were super busy in the mix of Apple Festival Day and we all laughed about the story the man told us that day and continued on with our business. Maybe he was being a real “comedi- hen”… 😂

Sometimes when the shopkeepers bell rings attached to our front door, without an apparent reason, we always joke, “it must be the chicken ghost” going back to the gentleman’s story on that Apple Festival Saturday. Lots of times we think it is the wind catching the door, elevation change of the door position, etc. We can usually explain it away….

But it is hard to explain the random chicken feather that just floats down from the ceiling… you wouldn’t think that would still happen after all these years???

Now, I”ll share this piece of information with you as well… we have had a few paranormal/ghost hunters to come into our store to ask if they could set up after hours. They thought our store would be a great location to pick up paranormal activity. We have always declined the request of these folks.

The logo we choose is a chicken to honor our historic roots of our building

The last aspect of our story goes back to the blog post that I did a few weeks ago entitled “Messy Monday”, it was one of those very busy days and our cash register/credit card machine were not working-via no internet plus we had lots of other factors playing into that day that made it a very long and hard day. 

After supper, Richard went back to the store that night to try to make sense of the day, clean up somewhat, etc. He did not get back home until after 10:30 pm that night— here is what he told me the following day.

“I was standing near the front cash register looking down at something and all of the sudden I heard a huge SLAM sound on the front doors, ironically, the shopkeeper bell never moved.” He then continued by saying that he looked up because he just knew someone was outside possibly walking a dog on the street or someone had run into the front door from the outside… it was dark of course but nothing had alarmed or signaled on the cameras at the front door. He could see no one or nothing alarming. 

This picture was published on Facebook in 2021 after our store was closed on evening. A follower noted the figure was in the reflection of the window. No one was outside the building or inside when I snapped this picture

Could it be the “chicken ghost”???? I suspect it could be “fowl play”.   OR even a “poultry geist”😂.

Happy Halloween to all!!!

 

Hardware Store Life

Hygge “hoo-gah” in the Fall Season

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What is hygge? It is a Danish word for coziness, warmth, & comfortable living which brings about a feeling of contentment. Celebrate the everyday moments with ease… the art of simple living right???? This sounds really easy in theory but can we all slow down in life and truly put this into practice? I read about this about a year or so ago. I have not tried to put this into true practice yet. My life has always been extremely full of work, family and activities. Now that my lifestyle has changed dramatically, with retirement, I am devoting more energy and efforts into putting Hygge into our routines in daily living. Small progress is progress. Keep moving in the direction in which you wish to go. Right???

Hygge can be accomplished anytime of the year, but Autumn would make a great transition to begin practicing Hygge. So this is a personal goal of mine to put this into motion as I write this and no time like the present???  Today I am going only to focus on 5 key elements to bring in Hygge into your home- yes, these items can be located as conveniently in your local hardware store or even within your home.

  1. Lighting- This is a crucial element to bring Hygge into your home. Natural lighting can help to improve your productivity, happiness, calmness, & health. Wherever you can let the natural light flow in just do it!!!! Then think soft lighting- Mrs. Meyers scented candles, string lights, lamp lights, etc. Soft lighting areas creates a space that is soothing, calming and relaxing. I love to use string lights year round. One of my favorite places for string lights is around my kitchen window that overlooks my backyard. Early morning or late evenings, it is beautiful to see these lights glowing softly. The string lights have created “cozy corners” in my home. Lamp lighting helps to add softness/comfortable Hygge feeling to your home. We have customers who love their old lamps and they need repair parts for them. Our team members can help them find the replacement parts or even sometimes will do repair for them if it is more in depth than the customer expected.
  2. Bring the Outdoors Inside your Home- Autumn time is an easy time to bring the outdoors into your home. Decorate your home with pumpkins, pinecones, acorns, sticks, or any other all natural items that remind you of the Fall season. Handcrafted wooden bowls from our local artisans inside Wilkes County Hardware, would make a nice addition to your home decor. Don’t forget to add in greenery from the great outdoors or update your house plants with new pots. So many great options as the fall season begins. To add some Hygge to our home this year, I took one of my favorite wooden bowl that was filled with sea shells and added a few fall accents to the bowl. It has been so hot here in our state that it did not seem practical for me to put up my beautiful shells yet. I have the outdoors inside in a unique, rustic way.
  3. Food and Drinks- Yeah!!!! This is truly the comfort part of Hygge in my thinking. Oh my goodness, nothing is better than your favorite “comfort food meal” on a cool Fall day right???? We love homemade soups/chili at our house in the Fall and Winter.  Fall season is the perfect time for soups, stews, & casseroles. Is there nothing better than hot, homemade biscuits made in a Lodge pan or even freshly made cornbread???? The possibilities are endless. Gather your family with one of your favorite comfort meals and set up candlelight- going back to number one- soft lighting. Enjoy the family time laughing, and slowing down life one meal at a time. Speaking of slowing down, Hygee experts suggest that you should plan to make a dessert once a week…. make what you love and enjoy it….  Well, I guess I need to work on that one too!!! When it comes to drinks for the Fall season- think warm!!!! Hot cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or even hot apple cider. Curl up with a blanket and just get comfortable.
  4. Create Hygge Experiences with the Family- Hygee is keeping things simple…  host a game night with your family or invite friends, enjoy a firepit… this goes back to number 1- lighting …. fire light is very soothing to the soul. Kids and most adults  love to do S’mores – Wilkes County Hardware can make your S’mores experience great- 31 inch skewers!!!! They work great and are safe for kids to use. Think about how you could “unplug from the busy workings of the world”. It could be a movie night with no cell phones,  or playing card games, the possibilities are endless. Creating family Hygee experiences should slow the pace of living down, and help bring family together in a new way.
  5. Get Outside- It is time to connect to nature and disconnect from the world of technology. Yes, even working in your yard in the fall can be a great way to unwind from a long work week. Raking leaves with that new rake from Wilkes County Hardware, or working in your garden, in the cooler weather can help you to feel content as the seasons change. Take your family and go on a hike/walk, find a pumpkin patch and scout out the perfect pumpkin, pick apples at an orchard, the choices are endless!!!! Sometimes you just need to step outside, get a bit of fresh air, and remind yourself of who you are and what you want to be…..the end result of Hygge- connectedness to nature and self.

I hope that you find these tips to helpful as the seasons change, and as seasons in life change. Happy Hygge Fall:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardware Store Life

Brushy Mountain Apple Festival

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If you are a local, you know the first Saturday in October is always the date set aside for the annual Brushy Mountain Apple Festival. This year will mark the 42nd year of festivities 🍎🍎🍎. It has become a bit a tradition for folks in these parts… either you flock to downtown North Wilkesboro and embrace the festival or you ignore the downtown area totally. There is not much in between. People either are ritual followers of Apple Festival or not. As a downtown merchant, we are in the first category. We love it! 🍎🍎🍎🍎

It is a unique way to experience the festival through the eyes of a downtown merchant. After purchasing the hardware store in 2015, we were told by our existing staff that they tended to close early on Apple Festival Day— they always worried about people asking to use the bathroom. We found out pretty quickly that it was not the case. In the past few years, only a handful a folks have ever asked to use our restroom. It was not a legitimate reason to close our doors to a very captive audience who are ready and willing to flood inside our doors to browse around and shop.

Many people who are Apple Festival 🍎goers return to our store to shop each year because they love being in our store. We love to see them each year. There are certain items they have come to expect to find in our store- Mrs. Hanes Cookies 🍪 for example…

It takes loads of preparation for Apple Festival. Usually at the August Hardware show, we always try to target some of our new product offerings to be in store by Apple Festival Weekend. We are well on track this year.

This year a few of our local artisans will be in store to talk to our customers as they are shopping. They get to see their products in store. Now our customers can put a face/name to a specific local artisan. I am hoping for a great showing for all!!!!

The morning of the Apple Festival 🍎 many craft vendors come inside our store to purchase last minute items they may need to finish up the setup process. That takes lots of planning on our end, & we have made a coordinated effort to stock essentials that might be needed- from the proper fire extinguishers, sharpies, duct tape, tarps, extension cords, etc.

Finally, that preparation is executed on the day of Festival… we arrive early to serve those vendors early- we set up our store beginning around 5:30am so we are ready to go, and we will work a long day- closing our doors as the festival breaks up and clean up begins.

Apple Festival is a big day, the crowds are usually big, and we love to see a full downtown. As a downtown merchant, it makes for a full heart ❤️ to see the streets packed with people and activity. Are you ready for the Apple Festival??? 🍎🍎🍎🍎

Hardware Store Life

Hardware 101

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Since my retirement as a teacher, my role has changed dramatically at the hardware store. I am continuing to learn more about the day to day business of hardware. It has been a great adventure of learning new things in the last few months. I have met many “new faces” of some of our regular customers that I did not normally get to see everyday. Here are some of my big take aways from the last few months of “Hardware 101”.

  1. Richard and I spoke with a new Orgill sales Rep. this week and he summed it up the best way, “Hardware is hard, honest work or it would be called “easyware” instead of hardware.” Some days are laborious, new stock to move around, truck days- stock replenishment… but when the work is done, it feels like a great accomplishment!
  2. The Midwest Fasteners display is like a huge “jigsaw puzzle”. For those of you who are not familiar with this company, it is a lot of bolts, screws, washers, etc of all shapes and sizes…. When a customer comes in the store to find that one single bolt to replace what they need- it like recreating a puzzle, it is magical once you find the right piece.
  3. Our staff- Wow!!! I am working with a team of guys who really do love what they do. I am so thankful that we all just work together to get things done,  & we can laugh together.
  4. My role as a business owner is evolving and changing as I continue to learn more and more about the business. Richard is extremely knowledgable about all components of the business. I am the “new entrepreneur” in the mix. I am doing “all things merchandising”with helpful input from the staff of course. New product acquisitions, local artisans contacts are continuous in our business and these folks are becoming our WCH family as well. We have been blessed to work with some fabulous local artisans!!!!  My role as the social media person has been ongoing since we purchased the business in 2015, and that is a daily task that I still enjoy.
  5. Our day to day customer base is amazing!!!!  I have met some great people who work hard everyday doing incredible work in all types of fields. We try to listen to what our customers need and wish to see in our store. New products are sometimes driven by customer demand and need for a product.
  6. We provide some amazing services to our community. Where else can you go in Wilkes to find all these services under one roof???? Pipe cut/threaded, glass cut, tool handle repair, kerosene heater wick replacement, knife/tool sharpening, pool water testing, window screen repair
  7. KEYS- what can I say… we do lots of keys for our customers, and they keep coming back because our keys work. Wayne does a fabulous job making our customers feel welcome at WCH.
  8. Our store layout has evolved over the last few years. We are still working on tweaking where products sell most effectively and what is convenient for our customers. We are continuing to look at product lines that are performing well and not so well.
  9. Locally sourced products are important to our customers. We sell local honey, bbq sauce, handmade soaps, knitted dishcloths, to name a few. The shop local attitude is strong amongst our customer base.
  10. And finally, “Love what you do, do what you love” is the most important thing to remember… and I am loving what I get to do:)