MALONE — A local business that has been a staple of the community for over a century and a part of a local family for over 70 years received recognition from New York state on Friday when it was designated as a historic business.
Malone Lumber and Ready Mix, Inc., on Friday morning was added to the state’s historic business preservation registry and was presented with a plaque in recognition of the designation by Daniel G. Stec, R- Queensbury, a state senator.
Stec met with owner, Tom Arnold, and his son, Lukas Arnold, the business’ vice president, Friday morning at the Arnold’s store on Elm Street, which has been in the family for the past 73 years.
“That’s an accomplishment and think about it from a family perspective. This business that your grandfather got started has taken care of this family, financially, long after he’s gone and generations later,” Stec said.
Tom Arnold said the business’ footprint has grown over the decades.
“We bought the feed business next store, bought the Texaco building out back, this was a milk factory and then it was Tru-Stitch,” Tom said, adding his grandfather was a carpenter by trade and built homes around Malone.
Mr. Arnold said it was nice to be recognized for how long the business has been in Malone.
“It’s an honor, it really is,” Tom said, adding he has been working at the store since he was 14.
Lukas said he has been around the store as long as he can remember.
“I been here, probably was running around in diapers at some point,” he said.
The historic business registry was started to honor and recognize longtime businesses throughout the state, according to Stec, who said a few years ago legislators got the opportunity to name businesses within their district to the registry.
“We wanted to present this. The program has been around for a while but just a couple years go they opened it up to legislators to within the district identify businesses that have been operating for more than 50 years,” Stec said, “It’s a tip of the hat from the state to say hey you have been here 50 years and I always add my own and say that’s in New York where we aren’t always known for being worried about the business climate.”
Stec said initially it was for two local businesses per session and that number has increased over the years, with legislators this year able to nominate up to 10 for the registry.
“I made sure I did all 10 and you are the 10th one of the year,” he said, “Locally we have also done Ward Lumber. One of the oldest and coolest businesses I think we recognized was Plattco in Plattsburgh. They make high end steel for valves.”
Deb Capezzuti, Stec’s chief of staff, said Barton Mines in Indian Lake has also been recognized by the registry as well as Poopie’s diner in Glens Falls.
“We try to move it around and are always looking for businesses,” Stec said, “We have Andrea (Dumas) here and a couple of part time staff members in St. Lawrence County who keep their eyes out. Sometimes there are stories in the paper and part of the story is how long that business has been there. That catches our eye and we say hey we should recognize them.”
Malone Lumber and Ready Mix was also presented with a letter of recognition from the state and a decal to display in the store’s window.
“Businesses like yours are the backbone of our communities and have helped to shape our state’s cultural identity,” a letter from Randy Simons, commissioner pro tempore, of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, reads, “We admire and appreciate all you have done to contribute to New York’s economic and cultural heritage and wish you continued success.”
According to Mayor Andrea M. Dumas, working at Arnold’s was one of her first jobs, and she said she appreciates the support Malone has received from the Arnold family over the years.
“Our ice arena would not be what it is without their assistance,” Dumas said.
According to Tom Arnold, the business was previously located on Pearl Street, before relocating to Elm Street in the 1920s. He said his family purchased the business in the early 1950s.
A report in the Sept. 13 issue of the Malone Evening Telegram in 1951, a business transaction was announced on that date that the farm machinery, feed and supply business of George A. Thomas had been bought by the Malone Feed and Farm Supply, Inc., whose officers included Robert L. Arnold, president, Thomas H. Arnold, vice president, and Mrs. Isabel Arnold, secretary and treasurer.
“It was a feed and farm machinery store so when my father and grandfather bought it they called it Malone Feed and Farm. We got out of the feed business and concentrated on lumber, concrete and stuff like that,” Tom said, “My father was Robert L. and my grandfather was Thomas H.”
Sale of the property ended 33-years of ownership by George A. Thomas, according to the Evening Telegram article, which states Thomas purchased the farm implement business of the late Joseph E. Forkey, when it was located on Pearl Street in January 1918, before purchasing the Elm Street property from Austin-Ryan Company in 1922.
“The railroad came right through here,” Tom said, “At first it was this building and a shed under cover. You would go outside and the feed mill was between the railroad, this was a siding that came between this building and the feed mill and then the railroad went behind the feed mill again. This was a siding, they unloaded cars on both sides.”
From left Tom Arnold, Mayor Andrea M. Dumas, and Daniel G. Stec, R – Queensbury, talk about the history of Arnold’s business in the Malone community, Friday. Alexander Violo/Malone Telegram
