Robertson's Hardware Celebrates 90th Year Sunday

Through all the changes that have come over the Village of Wauwatosa in nearly anybody's living memory, there are only a couple of constants: The Menomonee River has flowed on, and Robertson's Hardware Store has been open for business.

You'd have to be very old indeed to remember when Robertson's opened 90 years ago. But if you were that old, you'd have pulled on the same bronze door handle to enter.

You'd have been greeted by the same sense of well-ordered utility, aisles and drawers packed with items from up-to-date lawn and garden implements to the oddest-sized screw or bolt you need for that antique fixture.

Chances are if you grew up in Tosa, you might have gotten your first tricycle or sled from Robertson's, or maybe, if you were lucky, a little red wagon – a classic Radio Flyer wagon.

As a longtime dealer of Radio Flyer, Robertson's is featuring the brand Sunday in a parade of little red wagons that starts at the Little Red Store, 7720 Harwood Ave., and winds its way back to a block party at hardware headquarters, 1417 Underwood Ave.

The Great Radio Flyer Parade will start at 1 p.m., working its way via the pedestrian bridge over to State Street and round-about to the historic Dittmar-Robertson Building. Parade vehicles and participants will assemble in the Little Red Store parking lot at 12:30 p.m.  

Parade participants can then join friends and neighbors for the anniversary celebration, enjoying complimentary hot dogs, cake and ice cream, and gifts for the kids. Adults can enter to win a backyard party package, and everyone can enjoy live music provided by Sam Frederick, surprise guests, a memorabilia display, a fire truck to climb on, and more.

For those in the crowd who love the antiquarian, just explore the store – you'll find one of the oldest washing machines you've ever seen, a silver steel saw in its original case, a couple of cash registers from a bygone day, and a freight elevator that came with the 114-year-old building.

"It's inspected by the state every year, and it always passes," said manager Chris Lorenz – although on Friday, as they jammed equipment onboard, the staff was having a little trouble with the over-a-century-old brake mechanism.

Store owner Jeff Rauh stepped up to help though, and soon the elevator was back in working order.

"We're the only Radio Flyer dealer in the area that assembles every wagon in advance," Lorenz said. "Everybody else sells it in a box."

"How much is your time worth?" Rauh said. "We've put together so many of these, we can do it in 20 minutes. It might take you an hour or more.

"Or, you might find something damaged. Here, you buy it right out of the window, the wagon you're looking at. That's the wagon you want, right?"