BOUNTIFUL—Since 1916, Bountiful Lumber has been a staple on Main Street, offering everything from sporting goods, paint, hardware and more. The store became somewhat of a gathering place where customers could expect individual service. It’s now the home of Strategic Planning Group but many of the historical elements are still there such as the original brick in the front ceiling and a coal chute in the basement. It’s also listed as a Bountiful Area Historic site.

Bountiful resident, Gordon Fisher has ties to the store that go back to his great grandfather John Fisher who came from Liverpool England. “He went through New Orleans, then to Missouri and joined a wagon company that arrived in 1854,” said Gordon. “In Wyoming the wagon hit a bump and his 8-year-old sister fell out and was run over. They buried her in an unmarked grave. They arrived in Salt Lake and settled in Bountiful.”

Many years later, John’s son and Gordon’s grandpa, Thomas Fisher worked at the lumberyard, he said. “He had a dispute with Mr. Heywood (owner) because he sold lumber to a fellow he didn’t like while he was out of town. He railed on my grandpa so he quit.”

He (Thomas) went to Nevada to a gold rush mining town called Rhyolite, Gordon said. “He built a little lumberyard in Rhyolite. The town grew to 5,000 residents. But when the California earthquake hit, the funding dried up.”

Thomas left and went to Richfield and stayed there for about 10 years, said Gordon. “He moved to Salt Lake for work.”

In 1925, after a slump in the economy, the Bountiful Lumber and Hardware Company was caught with more debts than they could pay and had to close its doors. Three months later, Thomas and his wife Josephine bought the business for $17,000.

The name was changed to Bountiful Lumber and Supply Company in 1928. 

“My dad Wayne worked for grandpa before being drafted into WWII,” said Gordon. “He was driving the truck at 12 years old delivering lumber.”

He was drafted into WWII in 1946, Gordon said. “He was in Okinawa when the bombs were dropped. When he came back he worked for grandpa.”

Wayne became manager and then owner of the store and ran it until 2006, he said. “I wanted to take dad’s place but he couldn’t give it up.”

It closed in 2006, said Gordon. “It sat for four years. I cleaned it up with the help of my sons and sold it in 2011 to Brian Knowlton. The same day, he sold the front half of the store and kept the back half. He tore down the lumber shed and built townhouses.”

The Robertsons bought the front half, he said. “They were collectors of antiques. There was an old, old saw in the back. To me it was a piece of junk. When I was selling everything the saw was too big to be moved so I left it there.”

Gordon said the Robertsons spent thousands to have it refurbished and then put it in the front foyer after they remodeled. “There was an old coal stove that they also cleaned up and had painted. Now the Bountiful Museum has the saw.”

They had financial trouble and lost the building, he said. “The bank took it over and later Strategic came in.” 

It was a friendly place, said Gordon. “I knew all of the people around here. I remember Bountiful Drug, Carr Stationary and Sidewalk days. My favorite was Carmack’s. Doughnuts were 7 cents or two for 7 if they were a day old.”

On his birthday, Gordon said he headed for Carmack’s. “My sister worked there and she called over to tell them it was my birthday and that she would pay for my lunch. When I got there the whole place erupted in Happy Birthday.”

Bountiful Lumber might not still be there but the memories are.