Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store was opened in 1863; my great grandfather, My grandfather, my father, me and my sons have all shopped here.  

When I was a kid in the 1950's my uniform for school was a t-shirt, blue jeans, mostly with holes in the knees from playing marbles.  I usually had a sock of marbles hanging from my belt.   

I liked cats-eyes best, and had a couple of boulders, like the ones in the top corners here.  One kid had a steelie boulder that probably was a train bearing or something. 

Lots of nostalgic items in stock, much of it quite useful today.   I have a galvinized wash tub that my kids cooled off in on hot summer days.  We iced the beer in it for Adam and Savanna's Rehearsal dinner

In Natchitoches, you don't have to buy a new shovel when the handle breaks, just go on down to Kaffie Frederick.  They also have gas hose, pipe fittings, carriage bolts and well, you get the idea.

The store is right down on Front Street, just a few blocks from my house. On a Saturday morning I'm likely to run into my plumber,  (I'd much rather see him here than at my house)  my neighbor, or someone I know from when I lived in New Orleans.  It draws tourists too.       

 

They have an online store:   http://www.oldhardwarestore.com