Century Home Hardware owners Harley and Pam Petersen recently gathered together with former owners Dick Minato and Walter and Viginia Zielke and shared some memories.
Dick says 55 years ago, he and his wife, Nancy, bought a Marshall Wells store from Reg Conn of Clinton.
“When we purchased it, it was just north of the bus depot where the Dairy Queen is.”
Back then, in 1960, they were leasing the space but before long built their own store on Birch Avenue where United Floors stands today, Dick explains.
“It was called Link Hardware in those days.”
He notes they had the business for 20 years before selling it (but not the building) to the Zielkes in 1980.
Shortly after Zielke’s took over, the business changed over to a Home Hardware, which they operated for the next 17 years.
However, Walter notes it was an industry he worked in for close to half a century.
“I started as a ‘young buck’ in school in Clinton down the line. I began working in a hardware store after school and [during] summer holidays and so on. That was about 1950.”
He came to 100 Mile House in 1959 to manage the Marshall Wells store, and managed the hardware business for Dick until buying the Link store from him 21 years later, he explains.
Walter says in the 1980s-90s there were only seasonal flyers, but a lot of merchandise was special-ordered since there were fewer electrical, plumbing and building supply outlets available back then.
“It’s become a lot more diversified – [with] lots more competition today – but they were good days.”
There was plenty of building going on as the town began to boom and side streets started to appear where there were nothing but fields before, he adds.
“When I came here in ’59, there wasn’t much here.”
Their earlier customers were mostly portable mill operators, but also farmers and ranchers, builders and homeowners, Walter explains.
“Those were good years. We certainly enjoyed our time in the hardware business.”
Virginia says everyone at the store in those days got along really well.
“We all had a real good, fun time working together.”
Walter adds they moved the store to the current location in 1986, and continued to watch the town and economy grow over the next 11 years.
The Zielkes were always pleased with the business and the folks they saw at the store, he notes.
“That’s what I miss now, I miss a lot of people. You got to know a lot of people when you were in retail.”
Harley notes he and Pam bought the Home Hardware store from the Zielke’s in 1997.
The business has continued to expand and changes have been made to the products stocked on the shelves and to the ordering methods and technology, he notes.
“The information that is available to the public today is quite a bit more accessible than what it used to be.”
Harley adds since taking ownership 18 years ago, he and Pam have also enjoyed working with the team of staff and their customers, and they still do today.
