Today, everyone in town knows where the hardware store is located. But, did you know there were at least seven others?
Village Hardware – circa 1964
It seems that every week or so, most homeowners need something from their hardware store. And, our earliest village residents were no different.
If you were one of the 1,258 people living in Western Springs in the early 1920s, you probably patronized the West Towns Hardware Shop at Burlington & Grand avenues. That’s where Oberweis is now located.
In 1924, the store was purchased by Hinsdale resident Fred Mohr and was renamed Mohr’s Hardware. In addition to offering paint, electrical supplies, and tools, Mohr also stocked sporting goods and general merchandise… even tricycles, Pyrex ware, and Sunbeam electric irons. But, by the mid-1920s, Hessler Hardware had opened for business in the Potter Building, just a block or so east. While also carrying a complete line of hardware, one of their 1926 ads featured hunting supplies, shotguns, 22-caliber rifles, and ammunition.
In 1929, the Hessler store was sold, renamed “Home Hardware”, and operated into the 1930s. Next came Bigler’s Hardware, which located further west at 835 Burlington. There it operated until September of 1954 when it was purchased by two men, Tony Longo and 24-year-old Ed Johnson. They re-named the 1,976-square-foot store “Village Hardware”. The “True Value” would be added later.
In 1959, Village Hardware expanded to include the corner of Lawn & Burlington, space that was previously occupied by an A&P grocery store. In 1962, Ed Johnson became the full owner and, in 1965, expanded into space vacated by the Western Springs State Bank. Further expansion in 1999 added both warehouse and retail space, which then totaled 12,500 square feet.
Sadly, Ed passed away in 2002, just two years before his store celebrated its 50th anniversary. But, Ed’s daughter, Linda Johnson, took the helm and kept the store changing with the times. First, it was new computerized check-out terminals, next a complete reorganization of the retail displays, new flooring, frequent buyer rewards, and a brand new façade. And, in 2014, the store celebrated its 60th year in the village.
While downtown Western Springs may have recorded the most “hardware history”, the Garden Market Shopping Center was also a major player at one time. In 1969, Richard Merz opened a 10,000–square-foot store in space that is today occupied by “Tuesday Morning”. The new store was called “Home Hardware Value Center” and offered both hardware and consumer goods, including toys and even Pampers.
In 1989, Jim Grandchamp and Charlie Zin assumed ownership of the store, renaming it “Western Springs Ace Hardware”. But, increased competition from surrounding suburbs meant that their store’s days were numbered. That left Village “True Value” as the town’s one and only hardware store.