“Name that Year” is designed to put your knowledge of Tracy and its newsmakers of the past to the test. Each week, we will publish a news item that ran in a past edition — maybe it was a major event, or a story about a Tracy resident — it’s up to you to determine in what year that particular news item hit the pages of the paper:
• RIGNELL HARDWARE OFFICIALLY OPENED THEIR BRAND-NEW BUILDING FOR BUSINESS IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR WITH A GRAND OPENING.
Prizes totaling $600 were given away to lucky people registering during three days, and roses were distributed to the first 500 ladies registering. Free balloons were also available for the children. Throughout the opening, demonstrations were conducted on many of the latest in home appliances.
For Barney Rignell, owner of the store, the occasion climaxed 43 years in the Tracy Hardware business. Rignell came to Tracy from a farm near New Ulm in 1912.
Barney began working in a hardware store with his father and Thor Moe in what was then known as Rignell-Moe Hardware. He worked his way into the business by degrees, taking over as owner in 1930.
Barney has been on hand for a number of major changes at Rignell’s hardware. In 1935, the old building was completely remodeled and a new front added to the two-story structure. In 1945, a basement was dug under the building.
Now he has the completely new and streamlined, 44x93 brick building for his business, “Seems like every 10 years I have to do something new,” Barney remarked, but refused to comment on any tentative plans for the future.
• Last week’s answer: Margaret Peterson, affectionately known as “Sarge” with students and band members, retired from teaching and working with the high school band in 1996.
