The Parts Store

[Ryan]

This one has been sent to me via email no less than 10 times... So, many of you guys have probably seen it as well. In any case, I wanted to post it simply because it's such a d... To read the rest of this blog entry from The Ford Barn, click here.

[TonyM]

Yep, great photo.

TM.

[ken ct]

Oh my god,i died and went to heaven. ken ct.

[Model A Man]

the good old days :-)

[392roadster]

Droooooooolllll!!!

[Chris Haynes]

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Where is it?

[rustyangels]

Saw this on the HAMB too, History of Los Angeles thread

[raceron1120]

Oh yes, the good old days for sure! Kinda reminds me of a story I was told many years ago by an old-time & long-retired Ford Parts Manager. I was a young parts guy and Ernie - he had to have been in his late 70s or early 80s - would stop by the dealership once in awhile, I think he was lonely and missed working in the department. He'd come up to the counter and if we weren't busy he'd chat and reminisce about "the old days" with us. The building was old too, built in the early 40s when steel wasn't available - so all the trussess, rafters, framing etc. was wood. He'd look out across the service department and tell "... I remember when...." stories about back in the day.

He told about how there used to be a rail siding behind the dealership to unload cars off the trains, and also so a boxcar could be parked and the parts unloaded from it. He said that "during the war (WWII), there were shortages but we stocked nearly everything ... to build a car or truck from parts". Wish I could've seen it.

I'm guessing it resembled this picture. Thanks for posting it!

[Tom Wesenberg]

About 20 years ago I visited an old hardware store in Superior, Wisconsin and it was like going back to the turn of the century. Not only was it the largest hardware store I'd ever seen, but they had all kinds of goods as a 100 year old store would have. Coal buckets, copper boilers, wood stoves, horse harness, etc. I always wanted to get back there, but I heard the fire marshall shut them down and they had an auction. Too bad, as that was a piece of history I'll never see again, even in a museum.

My dad used to tell about a hardware store in Crocker, South Dakota that was so large a team of horses could enter the basement to unload the goods and turn around down there to leave. Imagine a hardware store that large in a town of less than 100 people.

I used to enjoy coming across old stores like that with the wood floors and old stock, but haven't been able to find any in many years. Now, with gas at $4 you can't just drive around looking for that stuff either.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

...I used to enjoy coming across old stores like that with the wood floors and old stock, but haven't been able to find any in many years...

The last store I was in like this was McLendon's Hardware in Renton, WA. Years ago, Ol Man McLendon would greet you at the door, or you could find him sitting on a high stool talking with customers. He was 95 then. They had the wood floors, narrow isles, stuff everywhere! Years later the store burned down, but was rebuilt much like the old one was, just fireproof this time. They eventually grew out of that store and moved into an old K-Mart store. Now they look sorta like Lowes, only they still have lots of the "old" stuff you would expect to see in a 100 year old hardware store. I miss that place!

[JimK1930A]

It reminds me of Little Dearborn Antique Ford Parts store in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[Roach In Tacoma]

Thats what Hagens was like before the Fire......

[ratamahata]

the wooden floor is made in heart pine, just kidding, most of the firsts houses in Argentina 1850-1900 had a wooden floors, the wood was heart pine export to Argentina from USA by Ship, the ship came to Argentina with a wood cargo using as ballast, the ships leaves the Argentina with cargo grains (cereals)

[Mike V. Florida]

There is a Packard museum here in Ft Lauderdale that has wood trusses. When they wanted to expand they were told they would have to replace all the trusses because of them being made of wood. Well the wood is Dade County pine, hard as steel, once aged you cannot put a nail into it. The owner took a truss and subjected it to stress testing to prove to the county that it was as strong as steel trusses, it beat the test. The museum was expanded and the wood trusses remain. (Dade county pine is extinct now).

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

There is a Packard museum here in Ft Lauderdale that has wood trusses. When they wanted to expand they were told they would have to replace all the trusses because of them being made of wood. Well the wood is Dade County pine, hard as steel, once aged you cannot put a nail into it. The owner took a truss and subjected it to stress testing to prove to the county that it was as strong as steel trusses, it beat the test. The museum was expanded and the wood trusses remain. (Dade county pine is extinct now).

That's great. I commend them for doing that.

I live in Hunterdon Co. NJ & if you took a B&W photo without any cars in it, you'd be hard pressed to tell what era or year it was taken.

We have a "country store" called Rambo's. It's like the stores you describe. They use to have a pot belly stove next to the meat counter. A previous owner [still works there as a butcher] is in a semi-famous blue grass band called the Byrd Boys. He'd play his guitar when things were slow around the stove.

I think some out-of-towner burner themselves on the stove so they had to take it out.

Anyway, you can still get 1 cent candy and other cool things like that. Old signs w/ the prices of food are all over the place and the floor is so worn in the well traveled areas are concaved.

I know my post isn't car-related but I try to go there whenever I can for I know they may not be around forever.

[2manycars]

Meriden CT had a hardware store like what is being discussed. When I put my car plaques on a large pine board about 1975, I went to the store and asked about some tiny nails to use to attach the plaques. The sales clerk, (no self service) told me what I wanted was escution pins and brought me to an isle of tiny drawers, where he showed me a selection of different size tiny brass nails. They were sold by the each, naturally, not in a plastic container of 50, even though you only wanted 10, as they are today. (if you can find them)

[BCCHOPIT]

That is very cool... thanks for posting the pic

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Ryan

This one has been sent to me via email no less than 10 times... So, many of you guys have probably seen it as well. In any case, I wanted to post it simply because it's such a d... To read the rest of this blog entry from The Ford Barn, click here.

Since today is "earthday" and we are supposed to think about being "eco-friendly", this picture is a prime example of how much more "eco-friendly" they were in the good old days. You don't see any excess packaging here!

[ratamahata]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

There is a Packard museum here in Ft Lauderdale that has wood trusses. When they wanted to expand they were told they would have to replace all the trusses because of them being made of wood. Well the wood is Dade County pine, hard as steel, once aged you cannot put a nail into it. The owner took a truss and subjected it to stress testing to prove to the county that it was as strong as steel trusses, it beat the test. The museum was expanded and the wood trusses remain. (Dade county pine is extinct now).

Mike in Argentina the old bridges and the sleepers of the railway tracks were originally made of a wood called quebracho (quiebra hacha), in the beginning of the century has also been widely used for having tannin for tanning leather.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schinopsis_balansae

[Deluxe Delivery]

OK, not quite the same, but I thought barners would like a peek inside my gas station. It was run by my grandfather in the 20's and 30's. He had a Ford agency and sold anything automotive. Closed up in '39 and went fishin. Most of the merchandise is unsold stock original to the building, which I had to completely restore. Open the door and it's 1930 ! That's What I'm Talkin Bout!