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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
ACE Hardware
1938: 210 E Main Street
1950: 302-304 E Main
Today: 401 Bernard Street
1938
In March 1938 the Watertown branch was opened
at 210 E Main.
1950s
1957
1957c and 2008, 302-304 E Main, WHS_006_035b_comparison
1957c, 302-304 E Main, 1950s-70s city assessor form,
WHS_006_035a
1957c,
302-304 E Main, 1950s-70s city assessor image, WHS_006_035b
1963
07 17 25TH
ANNIVERSARY
The Harris ACE Hardware Store in Watertown, located at 302 Main Street,
is observing its 25th anniversary. This
is store No. 105. The ACE Hardware has
an interesting business success story behind it. In March 1938 the Watertown branch was opened
at 210 Main Street. The first manager
was Fred Heidtke.
Other managers over the years included Herman Howard and Edgar Wurtz who are well known in Watertown and are presently
interested in their own businesses.
1991
05 28 ACE
TO MOVE TO FORMER FARM & FLEET
Ace Hardware, one of Watertown’s major downtown retailers, will move to
the former Farm & Fleet store in the south side shopping center later this
year. That move, along with the
relocation of Klink Oil’s retail tire replacement and vehicle maintenance
facility to the same building, were announced today by the Grinwald
family, owner of the Fleet property. The
move will more than double the amount of retail space for Ace, and will allow
Klink to expand its business into new areas.
Cross Reference: 05 12 1967: Farm and Fleet, a new store in Watertown, has opened, and is ready to serve the shopping public. The store is located on the west side of highway 26, at the intersection of Bernard Street, opposite the site for the proposed shopping center. It is housed in a Butler steel building, 100 by 192 feet and contains 19,200 square feet of floor space. It is a self-service store, offering a large variety of farm and home supplies. The store building is erected on a site of approximately two acres, thus providing ample parking space for customers.
2000
04 01 ACE
HARDWARE SOLD, Ownership change
Bob and Anne Krystyniak, who have led Watertown
Ace Hardware to spectacular growth over their 18 years of ownership, have sold
the business to a father and son team which operates hardware stores in the
Milwaukee area. Jim Blair and his
father, Robert, became the new owners of the business today. Employees were told of the impending change
in meetings over the weekend. The Blairs
operate hardware stores in Menomonee Falls and New Berlin and also have a
commercial/ industrial division called Induserve
Supply which will also be available in Watertown.
Cross References:
1989
12 12 FARM
& FLEET RELOCATE TO WELSH ROAD
Farm & Fleet of Watertown plans to relocate its local store from 401
Bernard St. to a larger site at state Highway 19 and Welsh Road. Bert Blaine, president of Blaine Supply Inc.
in Janesville, said his firm expects to break ground next spring for the store,
which will have at least 100,000 square feet of space. “We’ve got to have more space for parking as
well as a larger store,” Blaine said today.
“We can’t enlarge the one that we have there.” The current Farm & Fleet building has
55,000 square feet and restricted parking.
Also, it is located at the southwest corner of Church and Bernard
streets, one of the most congested intersections in the city.
1991
05 27 FARM
& FLEET OPENS NEW STORE
Farm & Fleet expects to offer more product lines and a wider variety
of items in its new store, which opened at its new location at 1400 W. Main St.
last week. Employees are still putting
the finishing touches on the new facility, but the store is ready to meet the
needs of its Watertown-area customers, according to Bert Blain, president of
Farm Supply Inc. of Janesville, the parent company of Farm & Fleet. “We haven’t changed our business practices,
only our location,” Blain said. “We appreciate the business Watertown and the
surrounding community have given us. Now we will serve those loyal customers
better.”
History of Watertown, Wisconsin