The Blue Mountain eagle., August 26, 2015, Image 49

Hunt tales:
Story & photos
by Cheryl Hoefler
Outdoor conquests on display
First buck, biggest fish, youngest hunter – they’re all on Ace’s wall
picture is worth a thousand words.
If that saying is true, then the photos on the
walls at Nydam’s Ace Hardware tell volumes
about local hunting conquests.
The photos, posted along both sides of
the doorway in the rear of the store – and
now overflowing onto any available empty
wall space in the backroom – run the spectrum. Locals and
visitors, men and women, kids and older folks bring in pho-
tographic tales of their fishing, hunting and other outdoor ven-
tures, both in Grant County and outside the area.
At the current rough estimate, there are about 300 or so
photos.
Store manager Darren Pettyjohn said the collection began
in the mid-70s in his father-in-law,
John Nydam’s, Coast-to-Coast
It’s a
Hardware Store, which was next to
Len’s Drug in downtown John Day.
continually
A few friends started bringing in
evolving
their post-hunt photos to show off
their trophy catches, and soon others
and growing
began doing likewise.
historical
In 1995, when Coast-to-Coast
moved to its present spot at 652 W.
showcase
Main St. – later becoming Ace Hard-
of outdoor
ware – the photos made the move
too.
adventure
Among the earliest entries is one
and the
of Dave Traylor, of John Day, with a
rather impressive-looking buck, and
exploits of
another from 1967, of Bill Gienger –
hunting
whose granddaughter Linda Roether,
works at Ace – showing off his buck
enthusiasts.
with a couple of horses and a dog
alongside.
There’s a photo of young-at-heart hunter Chris Berry, who,
at age 88, bagged herself a nice elk. Pettyjohn’s own mother,
Mary Ann Pettyjohn, is on the wall too, hoisting a pair of
17- and 19-inch catfish.
It’s a continually evolving and growing historical show-
case of outdoor adventure and the exploits of hunting enthu-
siasts.
Not all the photos are of hunting and fishing exploits. A
strip of baseball cards of local ballplayer Aaron Mathews is
among the mix. Pettyjohn and childhood pal Kerry Smith
made the cut too – though they are showing off muscles, not
critters, in a shot from 1970.
So, the next time you’re in Ace, check out the hunting
photo showcase in the back of the store – and consider adding
your own chapter to the compilation of hunting tales.
And if you still don’t have a story of your own to share, re-
member – hunting season is right around the bend.
A
MyEagleNews.com
A photo on Ace's hunt wall from 1967 shows Bill Gienger, his team and a prize buck after a successful hunting adventure.
Dave Traylor of John Day was one of the first contributions to the hunt wall at Ace Hardware in John Day.
Grant County Hunting Journal 2015 • 29