LOGANSPORT, La. (AP) - A 122-year hardware and department store that once saw a visit from Bonnie and Clyde is closing in northwest Louisiana.
N.J. Caraway & Company has been serving customers in the town of Logansport since 1897. The DeSoto Parish store nestled on the bank of the Sabine River sells an eclectic collection of hardware, antiques, clothing, candles and much more.
"They say if you came in this store and couldn't find something that you needed, then you didn't need it at all," store owner Janet Palmer told KSLA-TV. "They just sold the first of everything, from the pioneer days on."
But Palmer said she's ready to retire. She's having health issues, and her husband died nine years ago. The couple had run the store for nearly 40 years.
"This is our child," Palmer said. "I wish he was here to help me in these final days."
N.J. Caraway & Co. started as a store popular for travelers making their way up the Sabine River. The shop survived two fires and even received a visit from the notorious duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, looking to buy ammunition, which the store didn't sell.
The store's final day of operations will be Dec. 28. Palmer said the closing will be filled with celebration.
