A family tradition in Templeton since 1923

In 1923 Harry Hewitt took his wife Laura for a railroad trip from Pennsylvania to Templeton, California.  On their way home, Harry asked Laura “what she thought of the hardware store in Templeton.”  Now I ask you, as a reader, how many women are going to get excited over a hardware store?  Of course she had to wonder why he was asking. So, Harry told Laura that he had just bought the store in Templeton from Carl Peterson who had started it in 1899.  And so began a whole new chapter in their lives as they immediately made the plans to move from Pennsylvania.

Harry and Laura Hewitt planted their roots in Templeton.  They had two daughters and one son, Bob.  Bob married Marge and had three children; Jim, Rod and Joanne.  Rod Hewitt is our local assistant fire chief and you can find him any day of the week planning a better system of emergency response.  Joanne is married and currently resides in Valencia, California.

Jim Hewitt also remains in Templeton and is the current operator of the family store as we know it today; Hewitt’s Hardware located in the historic building at 428 South Main Street in Templeton.  He and his lovely wife Traci are anxiously waiting for their tenth child to arrive.  Jim and Traci have been married for 22 years and in order, their children are: Amity who is 20 years old, Elijah who is 18 years old, Lindy is 16 years old, Jamie is 14 years old, Josiah is 12 years old, Jordan is 10 years old, Jonathan is 7 years old and Annie is 4 years old and Jessie is 2 years old.  I must say, it takes a special type of person and a special type of relationship to have 10 children these days; i.e., with the cost of living, cost of schooling, etc.  Family is very important to Jim and Traci and is the driving force behind the success of their business.

Some years ago, Jim and Traci met at a bible study which was being held at his parents' home.  They are active members of their church and when asked what Jim would tell those about his life in Templeton he said, “I am really blessed.  Life moved a lot slower when I was a boy helping my Dad at the store.  In fact it moved so slow that sometimes, I would fall asleep in my grandfather’s chair while resting my head on the railing.”  When Harry Hewitt bought the store, he felt the store needed a boost and added some additional farming products for the local residents. At that time, Harry was a grain broker and thus he knew quite a bit about agriculture and farming.  In 1927 he decided to add well pumps to his product line at Hewitt’s Hardware in order to supply his clients and the local community with more choices regarding equipment to access water.

Jim’s time away from Templeton to attend college is what made him appreciate just what a wonderful life he had in Templeton.  He also, at that time, realized just how strongly knit the Templeton community is, an important characteristic for Jim.

Walking into the historic building which houses Hewitt’s Hardware one is transported into 1923 for a brief moment. From the first moment you pull open the old iron doors to step onto the wooden plank floorboards you will forget that it is the year 2008.  If you look closely you will see the trap door which safely guards all patrons of the business from the entrance to the hand dug cellar which is part of the original building.  And if you listen closely, you may even hear Harry’s old wooden chair creak when Jim Hewitt sits down to take care of the daily records which are still done by hand and ledger.  The history, family, and tradition of Hewitt's Hardware permeates the walls of the building.

Many of the original cabinets, containers, and shelves are still fully functional. Even Harry’s chair is available for use. What is evident is that the Hewitt family has maintained the high level of service that built this business over the years.  While many of the Hewitt family members have gone on to pursue other goals which have taken them in different directions, Jim remains the steadfast member who guards the reputation of good service and fine products.  And do not be surprised to see the next Hewitt generation there to take care of your needs.

This is something that cannot be said by the larger box stores.

Hewitt’s Hardware is the keystone of Templeton’s history and represents all that we enjoy about our community. The Hewitt family is an integral part of Templeton and the history of this town.  If we are lucky, we will continue to have this business run by the next generation of Hewitts.  And if history is any indication of the high level of quality and service we should expect to receive, then we can all rest easy knowing that we can depend on the Hewitt family to provide quality products and services for your home and garden.

By Maria Eskandanian and Greg Chilina