Throwback Thursday : Acquisition
We are always immensely grateful to have enjoyed a long history in a town where history presents itself, quite literally, on every street corner. We’ve told you all about the building here on the corner of 4th and Main, gone over the history of our prized cash register and even taken you on a journey through the past to figure out exactly when old fabrics and stamps made their way to the store.
Some items have been in our possession for up to 110 years – but others come to us by different means. This week we wanted to highlight a few antiques that we’ve been privileged to acquire from friends of the store and community members who enjoy the history of city.
Most days people take things out of Fitterer’s and back to their own home. Other times however; they bring something in to us!
We’ve received yard sticks imprinted with Fitterer Bros. branding and contact info from days gone by. Some of these we can’t even date back to, as their age and rarity make it difficult to pin point. The yard stick pictured below for example , we simply could not date. We usually try to find clues on the item to give us an idea of age, and the phone number “Main 97” would be the most distinctive marker. With no search results on the web, we actually took to our Facebook friends for this one. We got a few leads and possible date of 1922 from our fans and local history buffs!
Antique yard stick , given to the store by a friend. This is oldest Fitterer Bros Yard stick that we’ve come across thus far. |
Discovering something new is always a joy -as is discovering something with an interesting back story! A few days ago, we were fortunate to receive a lithograph that was removed from the side of an old building in the process of being demolished. The metal plate, about one yard wide was a newspaper lithograph that happened to feature Former Rodeo Queen Kathie Fitterer and her 1965 Royal court. We were able to share this treasure with the Kathie herself, and learned that its common to find these lithograph panels on old buildings.
1965 Lithograph found on a building being demolished – featuring Rodeo Queen Kathie Fitterer and the Royal Court |
Right side of the lithograph – featuring the full Rodeo Royal Court |
We’ve even received China, purchased as a wedding gift at Fitterer’s just a few years after the new store on 4th and Main was opened, and an amazing 1896 coin on another occasion.
Taken from our original Facebook Post: This beautiful vintage cream pitcher with gold detailing was a gift for Mr. and Mrs. John Ringer ( Married March 1909) , later given to Fitterer’s by Merle Ringer. The Johnson Bros. (England) pitcher was purchased in a china set from Fitterer’s in the early 1900s; a note included with the pitcher states that Mr. and Mrs. Bert Richeson |
We value the relationship we have with our customers and the community of Ellensburg above all else. We love to be able to share stories that make their way to us through the generous tight knit network that we call our friends, family and neighbors.