L.G. Lee & Sons. L.G. Lee & Sons located on Mill Street in Almonte, Ontario, opened last month. Gardening Newsletter Vol. 10, Issue 7 - July 2015

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Jesse Dawson
5 years ago
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Over the span of 100 years, two world wars, a great depression and a catastrophic fire, there has been an almost unbroken thread of hardware-store history in a stretch of brick buildings in historic

1 Over the span of 100 years, two world wars, a great depression and a catastrophic fire, there has been an almost unbroken thread of hardware-store history in a stretch of brick buildings in historic Almonte, Ontario. Recently opened, L.G. Lee & Sons is an old-fashioned shop that harkens back to a bygone era. Featuring impressive general-store cabinetry and displaying restored period details, it s a way for customers to explore many of Lee Valley s popular products. L.G. Lee & Sons located on Mill Street in Almonte, Ontario, opened last month. 1/6

For Leonard Lee, the founder of Lee Valley Tools, the opening of this small hardware store is like returning to his small-town Saskatchewan farming roots, where trips to the store in Archerwill were

2 For Leonard Lee, the founder of Lee Valley Tools, the opening of this small hardware store is like returning to his small-town Saskatchewan farming roots, where trips to the store in Archerwill were a significant part of his early life. Mr. Lee had the space restored, including the tin ceiling seen in early photographs of the store. Semi-retired, he ran a number of businesses out of the two-story building, including Canica Design, a medical tools company; Algrove Publishing, the publishing arm of Lee Valley; and Chestnut Tools, a small company that designs and sources woodworking and gardening tools, as well as a variety of household items. When Canica was sold, it left an empty space on the street level of the building, but provided the opportunity to create this old-fashioned store. Records show that the first hardware shop in this building was Kaufman s Hardware Store, which fire destroyed in The building was replaced the following year with the brick structure that still stands on Mill Street. The new building included three separate two-story units, numbered 34, 36 and 38. This photo hangs behind the front counter, showing Kaufman s Hardware Store around During the brief period between 1922 and 1924, the Knight family leased the space at 36 Mill Street, operating Knight Bros. Hardware Store. The store and its stock were bought by Norval Stewart Lee (no relation to the Lees of Lee Valley) in N.S. Lee & Son Hardware Store was part of the Almonte retail landscape for three generations. It became known locally for its eye-catching front window displays and second-floor toy land full of children s treasures. 2/6

3 Leonard Lee s family bought the building in 1998 and has run businesses from it since. Mr. Lee and his sons, Robin and James, intend to keep the legacy of serving the community alive through their old-fashioned store, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Among the most interesting features in the new L.G. Lee & Sons store are wall display cabinets Mr. Lee purchased in the 1990s from the owners of a five-generation hardware store in Harlem, New York. 3/6

4 It took three truckloads to bring the wall units, including this ladder, to Canada. 4/6

5 The unique display units line two walls, the length of the store. The lower units of this section were covered in coal dust and had to be cleaned before being installed. 5/6

Text and photos by Lee Valley staff Disclaimer: As with most information gathered from the past, nothing here was written in

6 The original tin ceiling was repaired and painted. The store features a wide variety of items for the home, shop and garden, including Chestnut Tools. Text and photos by Lee Valley staff Disclaimer: As with most information gathered from the past, nothing here was written in stone. Stories and documentation were often at odds and archival dates and names could vary. We have made every attempt to be meticulous when sourcing information, but as new information comes to light details may change. 6/6

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Then... North Side of West Main Street (1890s-1960s) MOORESVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY 220 West Harrison Street Mooresville, IN 46158 www.mooresvillelib.org (317) 831-7323 (317) 831-7383 Fax Mooresville's Treasure Trove #11 (July 2008) Bill Buckley, Indiana Room