The Nuts and Bolts of It...

This Mural was created by: Andy Goretski

The year is 1910; the end of the pioneer days and the beginning of the industrial revolution. Wittenberg is bustling with activity. Agriculture and lumbering are well established as well as the growth of the village itself. The Chicago Northwestern Railway brings visitors as well as transporting freight in and out on its vital artery to destinations near and far. Fish, logs and mail in; lumber, mail and Wittenberg Drops out, the latter being a concoction created by Rev. Homme to raise funds for his homes for the elderly and orphans.

With the growth of the population and the increasing diversity of their needs, people needed provisions. The hardware store became an important place to get tools, equipment and household needs. What has changed? Not a lot! The hardware store is still the go-to place for what we need to fix our homes, our machines, our businesses.

An additional virtue of the store was its role as a warm gathering spot for catching up on the news, camaraderie and a brief respite from work.

Roger Schneider, owner of True Value Hardware, has added pleasing framing to Andy Goretski's mural.