Ted's mention a few weeks ago of his 1993 purchase of a Charlin LC-1 from the Denny Dennis Hardware Store coincided with traveling back to my Missouri hometown for the funeral of my last bro-in-law and stirred up a lot of good memories of my boyhood hardware and sporting goods proprietor - the very same Denny Dennis. We already lived in the area when Denny opened the store in 1957 on the high bank side of the Meramec river. It was mainly hardware, plumbing and paint but the smaller sporting goods section was where the magic occurred. Whenever my Dad needed something I'd ride down to the store with him and when we went through the door I automatically turned left to the gun counter while he headed for the hardware side. Denny could and would talk to anyone including a kid with lots of questions and no money. Over the years the sporting goods expanded and pushed out the other inventory. Eventually it became a strictly sporting goods store. Sometime around the turn of the millenium the store burned. They rented another location temporarily and built back "bigger and better." My first 22 and my first fly rod came from that first store as did a lot of dreams, many of which came true.

This painting of the early store hangs just inside the front door.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

The current store.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


Memories of your own home town haunt?

Last edited by FallCreekFan; 04/19/23 11:10 AM.
Speude Bradeos