Economy too much for century-old lumberyard

A lumberyard and hardware store that survived the Great Depression and two World Wars has fallen victim to modern economic pressures and will close after more than a century.

Manager Toney Robertson tells the Kokomo Tribune that Galveston Lumber and Hardware Co. could shut its doors by the end of the year.

The store about eight miles northwest of Kokomo has been open since at least 1899. Robertson's family has owned it for 50 years.

Robertson says the recession's impact on home construction and on home improvement projects are the main factors behind the closing.