Classic store will close doors
CHICORA — Chicora will say farewell to a community landmark when Ed and Linda Uber close the E.F. Hays & Sons hardware store by the end of the year.
The 117-year-old hardware store's roots go deep into Uber's past.
"It's been in my family since the beginning," Uber said. "There have been four generations of owners."
E.F. and G.W. Hays, Uber's great-grandfather and great-uncle, opened the store under the name Hays Brothers in 1882. They jointly owned the store until March 1, 1890, when G.W. sold his rights to E.F.
E.F.'s sons, F.J. and C.F., entered the family business in January 1901. They later were joined by E.F.'s grandson, E.H. Uber, in 1922.
Uber, who is the son of E.H. Uber, began working at the store on Sept. 1, 1965. He took over the business in 1976 when his father retired, but now he said it's time for he and his wife to retire.
On June 14, 1892, E.F. Hays & Sons was destroyed in a fire, but the Hayses rebuilt and reopened the store just shy of four months later on Oct. 12, 1892.Since being rebuilt, the store has remained virtually unchanged."Everything's unique in here," Uber said, looking around the store.One interesting feature of the store is its old-fashioned cash register. It looks like a large wooden box.At the top of the wooden register, there is an opening that looks down onto a wide piece of paper. Because the register has no printer, this is where the Ubers keep track of sales."We write the sale on this paper that moves through the till," Uber said. "There's a spot for taxables, non-taxables, the total."On the counter near the wooden cash register is an antique scale still used for weighing items. There also is a larger antique scale in another section of the store.Some features not immediately noticeable to customers are the store's fixtures."We have all the original cases," Linda Uber said.The most impressive feature of the store is its rope-drawn elevator."The elevator goes up to the third floor and clear to the basement," Uber said.However, the elevator is only for moving supplies throughout the three-and-a-half-story building. Since the elevator is operated by hand and uses a hand brake, it's unsafe for riders.Besides being convenient, the elevator puts E.F. Hays & Sons and Chicora on the map. It is one of only two rope-drawn elevators in Pennsylvania.Uber also decided to keep heating the store the same way his predecessors did. He uses a pot-bellied stove in the basement.He also left the original safe in the store. The safe is taller and larger than what most people see today."The office was actually built around the safe," Uber said.
E.F. Hays & Sons has provided residents with more than just hardware over the years.When the store first opened, E.F. Hays sold a variety of goods, including hardware and building supplies, farm equipment and furniture."We used to sell feed here until five years ago," he said.Uber also said he has gone above and beyond with customer service. He has always provided services, such as cutting Plexiglass and helping customers figure out difficult problems such as with pipe fitting.E.F. Hays & Sons also has provided Chicora with a sense of community."I remember seeing all the old-timers sitting out on the porch talking," Linda Uber said.The Ubers also have given Chicora residents access to their porch."We let people sell their vegetables out front," Uber said.
