The James Porteous Blacksmith & Wagon Shop and Fresno Agricultural Works as they appeared in the late 19th century. Founded in 1876, the business is marking its 150th anniversary this year. Photo, logo via Fresno Ag Hardware

A Fresno hardware store that got its start outfitting farmers and solving the region’s early irrigation challenges is marking 150 years in business this month.

Fresno Ag Hardware, founded in 1876 as Fresno Agricultural Works by Scottish immigrant James Porteous, traces its origins to the agricultural frontier of the San Joaquin Valley. The store began as a downtown wagon shop serving farmers, ranchers and pioneers who needed reliable tools and equipment to develop the region.

Selling the scraper

The store’s most significant contribution to agriculture came in 1883, when Porteous invented the Fresno Scraper — a C-shaped bowl design that lifted soil rather than pushing it. The invention is credited with quadrupling the productivity of manual labor and becoming a direct predecessor to modern bulldozer blades and earthmovers. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated it an International Historic Engineering Landmark in 1991.

Between 1884 and the 1910s, thousands of Fresno Scrapers were produced at the shop and shipped across the U.S. and internationally, including use on the Panama Canal, according to the company.

Gardening saving grace

The business survived at least one near-brush with collapse. A lease dispute in 2008 forced a costly relocation from its longtime location at Gettysburg and Blackstone avenues to its current address at First and Gettysburg — a move that coincided with the housing market crash. The store operated in the red for four years before turning around in 2013, driven in part by a surge in gardening sales as Central Valley residents increasingly grew their own fruits and vegetables during the recession’s final years, according to a 2018 Business Journal report.

Milestone events

Today the business stocks more than 70,000 products across two locations — Fresno and Clovis, the latter opened in 2023 — and is described in a news release as the largest independently owned hardware store in the Central Valley. Ian Williams, grandson of the man who purchased the business in 1953, serves as chief operating officer.

To mark the anniversary, the store is holding an Anniversary Bucket Sale June 5-7 at both locations, offering 25% off regularly priced items that fit in a 5-gallon bucket, according to a company news release.

“One hundred and fifty years is not just a milestone — it’s a testament to the loyalty of our customers and the dedication of every team member who has ever walked through our doors,” Williams said. “This community built us, and we are proud to keep serving it.”