The combination of product knowledge and personal service has defined the hardware business that Craig Sagehorn and his wife, Elenore, built after relocating their family from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, to Sparta in 1976. This approach has helped sustain the business for 50 years across three generations.
Recovering from back surgery and looking for a different future, Craig had begun searching Minnesota and Wisconsin for a hardware business of his own. When his search brought him to Sparta, the surrounding countryside caught his attention. According to his daughter Kristin Pulham, he wondered whether the area remained that beautiful throughout the changing seasons. If it did, he thought, this was where he wanted to raise his family.
Craig and Elenore had five children and found in Sparta both a business and a place to put down roots. Craig purchased what was then Kelly's Our Own Hardware and got to work. Money was tight, so rather than buying expensive new fixtures, he salvaged shelving and displays from stores that were closing. The store sold toys, sporting goods and other merchandise before gradually focusing more heavily on hardware and home improvement.
Over the years, Craig developed some unforgettable sayings. "If we don't have it, you don't need it," Pulham remembers her father saying.
It was partly a joke, but Craig knew the store remarkably well. Pulham recalled that he could stand anywhere in the building and tell a customer which aisle held an item—and how far up or down the aisle to find it. That breadth of inventory remains a hallmark of The Hardware Store today.
Service didn't necessarily end when the doors were locked. If someone faced an urgent plumbing repair or another household emergency after closing, Craig was known to return to the store, unlock the doors, and help them get the part they needed.
"He didn't do things for recognition," Pulham said. "He just believed it was the right thing to do."
The family's first location occupied the building now home to the Corner Pocket before the business eventually outgrew the space and moved to its current location on Black River Street.
When Walmart announced plans to build nearby, Craig saw opportunity. He believed customers would continue to value knowledgeable advice, dependable service, and familiar faces.
Craig also purchased neighboring property and encouraged Burger King to move in. Sure enough, Burger King purchased the lot and built its restaurant, to the delight of Craig, who loved its burgers. To celebrate, he used funds from the land sale to take the whole family on a Bahamas cruise.
The Hardware Store was a family business in the fullest sense. Three of Craig and Elenore's five children—Lori, Paul and Kristin—worked there over the years. Kristin served as the business's bookkeeper for many years, while Paul later became an owner and helped lead the store into its next generation.
Family travel was also important to Craig. Summer trips eventually took the Sagehorns across the country to see all 50 states. Pulham shared that an Alaskan trip in 2018 with most of his family in tow completed that dream- all 5 kids and most of the grandchildren were on that trip.
Those travels became part of the store itself. A sweeping Americana mural wraps around the upper interior walls, depicting landmarks and scenes from across the United States. Commissioned by Craig and painted by local artist Tommy Orrico, it was inspired in part by the family's travels.
Pulham said her youngest sister later described the mural as Craig's "version of a tattoo"—a way of preserving the places their family had traveled together.
After Craig's passing, the family received a stack of handwritten sympathy cards that showed how far his influence reached beyond the store.
One former employee remembered the first real job Craig gave him.
"He taught me how to be a good employee, hard worker, and interact with people," he wrote. "He was always there for fatherly advice."
Another friend recalled the day Craig stopped by after her beloved dog died. Rather than hurrying on, he sat quietly with her in her truck until she was ready to bury her companion.
Others remembered his support of Scouting, his generosity, humor, and willingness to help without expecting recognition.
Today, grandson Wyatt Sagehorn leads the family business, continuing a tradition his grandfather began five decades ago.
Wyatt has been at the helm for the past decade. While much about retail has changed, The Hardware Store continues its core business in paint, plumbing, nuts, bolts, and fasteners- a huge variety of tools and hardware- while rentals have expanded from longtime U-Haul service to larger Bobcat equipment. Folks can also have keys made, and rent smaller tools to get the job done.
Fifty years after Craig Sagehorn came to Sparta, the business he purchased is still serving the community and still in the family.
"It's cool," Wyatt said. "I'm glad I can continue on the tradition."
His goal for the future is straightforward: maintain the operation and carry it forward. The family is also planning a celebration of the store's 50th anniversary, with details still being finalized.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here