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HONORING THE HISTORIC ZIMMER HARDWARE FOR THIER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PALATINE COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware was founded by Albert Zimmer in 1883; and
WHEREAS, Albert Zimmer was born in the Village of Wheeling in 1856; and
WHEREAS, Albert Zimmer apprenticed as a Tinsmith; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware moved from its original location at the corner of Bothwell and Slade streets in downtown Palatine to its ultimate location on Brockway Street; and
WHEREAS, Albert Zimmer and his family lived in an apartment above the hardware store; and
WHEREAS, after Albert's death, his stepdaughter Lydia Wienecke and her nephew Howard Freeman took over ownership of the hardware store; and
WHEREAS, the Zimmer family continued to operate the store until 1972; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware prided itself as a local, hometown hardware store with a wide variety of products for all types of do-it-yourself projects; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware was known for narrow aisles with hardware items from floor to ceiling and two iconic, if not functioning, gumball machines at the front entrance; and
WHEREAS, in addition to typical hardware store offerings, Zimmer Hardware offered special services such as glass and acrylic cutting, glass repair, screen repair, key cutting and pet specialty products; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware carved out its own niche in a world dominated by big box retail stores thanks to the personal service they provided; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware was named one of the "Retailers of the 20th Century" by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association in 2000; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware was a staple in the neighborhood, often assisting generations of families; and
WHEREAS, Zimmer Hardware was lauded by customers as having friendly staff, attentive customer service, extensive product knowledge and a wide variety of home improvement items; and
WHEREAS, according to the Palatine Historical Society, Zimmer Hardware was the oldest continuous business in the Vil...
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