Community rallies behind Chagrin Hardware and Supply store

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - It's the kind of town Norman Rockwell could have painted. Chagrin Falls. Main Street is filled with those family-run stores. Right in the middle is Chagrin Hardware and Supply. It's been open since before the Civil War.

It was 1920 when Jack Shutts' family bought the business.

“My dad was actually working here at 10-years-old sweeping floors during the depression,” said Shutts.

Back then he earned 10 cents a day. All these years later, and another huge test. The worst economy since that depression and competition from those big home improvement stores. It wasn't looking good and one loyal customer knew it.

Jim Black quietly emailed 40 neighbors there in Chagrin Falls with a simple challenge – "to spend at least $20 at that hardware store on the 21st of January.

“Next thing I knew, people were calling me saying, 'oh what a great idea. We're going to forward this on to people,'" said Black.

And when that day came, there weren't 40 customers. There were 500.

"This is just a pay back for all the good things they've done for the community," said Maureen Heufner.

The owner told the ABC News crew he was overwhelmed.

“This is the most amazing single day in the history of this business since 1857. I wish our my parents could be here to see it,” said Shutts.