Fresno Ag

Of course, the day after posting something about keeping me honest on a daily posting, I miss a day. See why I need help?

I had to pick something up at Fresno Ag, the other day. For those of you from out of town or unfamiliar with Fresno Ag, it is a hardware store of the old school type. Need a 2/7 inch reverse countersunk bolt with a rubberized nut? This is the place you go to find it.

Now, to be honest, they might not have it in stock. But they know what you are talking about and how to order it. There are actually people in the various department AND they know the difference between AC and DC (no, not the band) and which end of the hammer you use.

There’s a scene in the mall chase from The Blues Brothers (if you are unfamiliar with the movie, stop reading this and watch it. Seriously, stop and go watch it, you’ll thank me later) where Jake says of the Mall, “This place has got everything.” That’s Fresno Ag.

Walking around, you can ask yourself, “Why the hell is a cherry pitter here?” You have to remember the store has been around since 1876. That’s so long in the past today’s hipsters would have to go hatless and shave to stand out. Back then, you didn’t run to ten different stores when you came to town. You wanted to get the errands done so you had more time in town. So a farmer coming in from Kerman would bring his wife and she could get her shopping done, too. Thus, they would have not only the expected kitchen in a hardware store, but the dishes washed in the sink and the soap to clean the dishes

Today, our shopping habits are changing dramatically. Not only do we demand more options, we’re getting it shipped to our door more frequently. So, when you go into a place that has a little bit of everything, it’s fun to look around. Not that you’re going to buy the tea kettle shaped like a rooster, but it’s important to know where to get it.

I have strong memories of my dad doing shopping at Fresno Ag (Gettysburg/Blackstone store, contrary what some think, I’m not old enough to have visited their downtown locations). He was a lawyer (the very definition of white collar) and I was always amazed when he did blue collar work, but he did have an incredible back-up in my grandfather. (Later, I hope to give you a sense of how incredible my grandpa was, but I don’t think I’m a good enough writer for you to fully grasp it.)

When we entered the store, my brothers and I headed for the soda machine.  It was dirt cheap, like a quarter or something, and everyone got their own soda. Then the tools. Seeing rows of tools lined up was for a kid (and adult) pretty cool. Must be how some feel about shoes, you know you can’t own or use (wear) them all, but it’s a rush to see them all in a row. I always like the display of Swiss Army knives. My grandpa always carried one and I always seemed to lose whichever one was given to me.

You could always tell that instead of doing something fun like the zoo or sailing, we were doing some physical work, when the day started with a trip to Fresno Ag. I don’t know how my younger brothers felt about it, but being the oldest, I knew I was slated for a greater degree of participation than I wish to contribute. Today, of course, I would trade the winning Powerball ticket for a chance to do one more trip to Fresno Ag with him.