>>> WHEN YOU FIRST WALK THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR OF WILKES
HARDWARE IN NORTH WILKESBORO, A FEELING OF NOSTALGIA WILL COME
OVER YOU, SEEING OLD FRIENDS.
SITTING AROUND A STOVE AND JUST LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF A
STORE FILLED WITH SO MUCH HISTORY MAKES YOU REALIZE THE
WORLD JUST GOT A LITTLE LESS COMPLICATED.
[HARMONICA PLAYING]
>> THE WAY I WOULD DESCRIBE
WILKES HARDWARE, IT'S VINTAGE, IT'S RUSTIC, AND IT'S HELPFUL.
>> EVERYONE THAT COMES IN HERE IS AMAZED WITH THE HISTORY
OF THE STORE.
THIS STORE HAS PERSONALITY.
>> ASK ME IF I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN HERE ALL YOUR LIFE?
>> NO, NOT YET.
>> OKAY.
IT'S AN OLD-FASHIONED MOM AND POP TYPE HARDWARE STORE THAT
STARTED BACK IN THE '40s AND HAS CONTINUED VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED
SINCE THEN.
>> WILKES HARDWARE IS MORE THAN JUST A SMALL-TOWN
HARDWARE STORE.
FOR SOME, IT'S A PLACE TO BUY TOOLS AND OTHER
HARD-TO-FIND ITEMS.
BUT FOR OTHERS, IT'S A PLACE TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY LIFE.
>> NUMBER ONE PLACE TO COME TO.
YOU GET AMERICANA HERE.
AND EVERYONE THAT COMES IN HERE IS AMAZED WITH THE HISTORY,
HOW LONG IT'S BEEN HERE, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT
USED TO BE.
NOW IT'S A HARDWARE STORE, AND IT'S VERY PLEASANT.
PEOPLE THAT COME IN LOVE IT.
>> IF I WAS FROM OUT OF TOWN, I WOULD COME IN AND SAY,
MY GOSH!
THIS WOULD BE LIKE SOMETHING MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER WOULD
COME TO.
>> THE HISTORY OF THIS STORE, BASICALLY, STARTED AS A CHICKEN
PROCESSING PLANT.
AND MR. ELLER BUILT THE STORE IN 1904, AND HE BOUGHT BARNYARD
CHICKENS OFF THE STREET FROM THE FARMERS.
>> A MAN NAMED PHIL YATES BOUGHT THE BUILDING IN THE 1940s AND
TURNED IT INTO A HARDWARE STORE THAT ALSO SOLD SUPPLIES TO LOCAL
MOON SHINERS.
>> AND IN THOSE DAYS, IN THE '30s AND THE '40s AND THE '50s,
PRIMARILY, BOOTLEG WHISKEY WAS THE MAIN THING IN WILKES COUNTY.
>> THERE'S A HISTORY LESSON TO BE LEARNED DOWN EVERY AISLE.
THAT'S WHAT KEEPS BRINGING CUSTOMERS, YOUNG AND OLD,
BACK AGAIN.
>> MOST THAT COME IN, THEY -- THEY SAY, WELL, I NEED SUCH AND
SUCH OR I NEED THIS.
LET ME EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
AND WE CAN SAY, OKAY, WELL, WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS, AND WE'VE
GOT THAT PIECE, AND WE SELL IT TO THEM FOR THAT.
>> WE'VE GOT A THING ABOUT THE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
FIND JUST ANYWHERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE.
>> MAN, WHERE DID YOU GET THIS THING AT?
>> OH, IT'S ONE OF THE FINEST CROCKS YOU'LL FIND.
>> IS THIS A LEFT-HANDED OR RIGHT-HANDED?
>> EITHER ONE.
IT'S A UNIVERSAL.
>> HUH.
DO YOU EVER MAKE ANY CHOCOLATE BUTTER IN ONE OF THESE THINGS?
>> A LOT OF BUTTER WILL COME IN, THEY WANT BUTTER CHURNS.
THEY WANT A PICKLE CROCK OR -- YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY
THEIR MOTHER USED TO DO OR THEIR GRANDPARENTS USED
TO MAKE THINGS.
>> SO THE MORAL OF THIS STORY -- IF YOU'RE NEW TO AN AREA AND
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO, SEARCH OUT THE SMALL MOM AND
POP STORES DOWNTOWN.
YOU MIGHT BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN HERE FOREVER.
AND, YES, IT'S A HARDWARE STORE.
BUT IT IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE, THEY CAN COME AND JUST HANG OUT.
AS YOU'VE SEEN, THEY CAN TELL STORIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST -- IT'S A GOOD -- IT'S A PLACE JUST
TO COME AND HAVE -- HAVE FUN.
♪
>> I THINK IT'S PRETTY SOCIAL AT
THESE -- WITH THESE SHOPS ON -- IN A SMALL TOWN LIKE THIS,
LIKE THE OLD STORE OVER THERE WITH THE POT-BELLIED STOVE.
YOU CAN GO IN THERE EVERY MORNING.
THERE'S A GROUP OF MEN SITTING AROUND TALKING, HAVING FUN.
>> GOES BACK TO THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW.
EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY.
YOU COME IN HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMEBODY,
YOU FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW -- IT MAY BE THE FIRST TIME I'VE
MET SOMEBODY, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'VE KNOWN -- WHEN THEY LEAVE
HERE, I FEEL LIKE I'VE KNOWN THEM FOREVER, AND, HOPEFULLY,
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE KNOWN ME FOREVER.
>> IT IS A GOOD PLACE TO COME TO AND LEARN ABOUT THE THINGS
THAT'S HAPPENING IN -- IN OUR LITTLE TOWN TODAY AND WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE PAST, TOO.
>> IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH
EVERYBODY ON JUST A COMMON LEVEL, UM.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST HAPPENED THAT THIS HARDWARE STORE HELPS --
I THINK HELPS FACILITATE THAT.
>> TOUCH OF HISTORY HERE.
THIS IS TRUE LIKE APPLE PIE AND MOTHERHOOD.
♪