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A business in Downtown Houghton will be celebrating their 150th anniversary this weekend.
I.E. Swift first opened for business back in 1869 and has been passed down through multiple generations.
Current owner of Swift’s True Value Hardware Marilyn Swift is the latest in a long line of family members to own the shop. “My great grandfather started this business in 1869, so he went through it and then he had two sons and then they took it over and then my father took it over and my brother took it over and now I run it and I’ve been running it for almost ten years and it’s just a fun, fun place,” said Swift.
Even with the number of challenges facing small businesses today, Swift says the store remains a valuable part of the community. “It’s a family owned business and I’m all about the shop local and everything,” Swift said, “but it’s just kind of like we support the community and the community supports us and so it’s kind of like a family and that’s what our family of Houghton is, really, because we’re all in this boat together.”
To celebrate their 150 years, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held Friday at 11:00am to usher in the next century and a half.
Swift True Value will be offering free food and drink, and a duck pond with prizes both Friday and Saturday, with live music on Friday from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
They will also be collecting donations to support DDIY–Don’t Do It Yourself.
