The First Shattuck's Hardware Store in Downtown Arlington, Mass.

Shattuck's Hardware in Arlington, Mass., remains a thriving local hardware store to this very day, but does anyone remember the original location in downtown Arlington?  The first store was a trip back in time with old wooden floors sprinkled with sawdust, a big head counter, lousy fans, heavy smoking employees and the wonderful smell of poisonous chemicals within what seemed like 15 square feet. One of its employees, Ed, knew everything about hardware supplies and beyond, and would frequently make free house calls to help "the neighbor." Ed's voice was lower than Lou Rawl's resonant tones and his likability in Arlington was about as high as could be -- a beloved local who everyone knew.