THE JUKE BOX

TIME TO CELEBRATE!

GRAAFSCHAP HARDWARE IS 150 YEARS OLD.  THAT BRINGS US BACK TO 1860 WHEN THERE WERE NO AUTOMOBILES, NO TELEPHONES AND NEITHER THE HOLLAND FIRE NOR THE CIVIL WAR HAD HAPPENED.

UNTIL 1956 THE HARDWARE OCCUPIED THE BRICK STRUCTURE ACROSS THE STREET.  IT WAS HEATED BY A LARGE COAL BURNING STOVE, WHICH WAS A GATHERING SPOT FOR THE OLD TIMERS TO CATCH UP ON ALL THE EVENTS OF THE DAY.  CLARENCE MULDER, ONE OF THE OWNERS WAS ALSO A FUNERAL DIRECTOR.  THE HARDWARE PROBABLY HAD LITTLE COMPETITION BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE TO HOLLAND.  A SHOPPING TRIP TO HOLLAND COULD TAKE THE BETTER PART OF A DAY.  MOST OF THE OLDER HARDWARE STORES ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS.  THERE WAS LAMPEN HARDWARE IN HAMILTON WHO COMBINED HARDWARE WITH THE SALE OF FARM IMPLEMENTS AS DID BOWMASTER HARDWARE IN HOLLAND.  

THE GRAAFSCHAP HARDWARE HAS BEEN IN THE SAME FAMILY ALL THESE YEARS SO ITS A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4,2010.  STOP IN AND SAY HELLO.  

SEE YOU THERE!