Hoekstra’s Hardware Store Sign, 1940s-2017
Hoekstra’s Hardware, one of Kalamazoo’s longest lasting retail businesses, closed in 2016 after nearly 150 years in operation. Originally opened as a grocery store in the late 1860s by Jurien Hoekstra, the business transitioned into a full hardware and housewares store by 1912. This sign hung from the back of the building until 2017, when museum staff removed it.
Object #2017.28.1