Lead Belt News, Flat River, Missouri, January 5, 1957. FLAT RIVER HARDWARE & FURNITURE ONE OF OLDEST FIRMS. Flat River Hardware & Furniture Co., Flat River, Missouri, is one of the oldest business concerns in the Lead Belt. It was incorporated in 1898, the same year the Lead Belt News was established. It is a subsidiary of The Miners Lumber Company and has been in the present location since 1910. For many years, the late G. B. Gale was manager of the store as well as Miners Lumber Co. After his retirement the management was turned over to the late Frank Sigman who served in that capacity until his retirement about fifteen years ago. The management was then turned over to his nephew, Thomas Sigman, who has held the job ever since. Other employees of the company are Eugene Dalton, Carl Ross Shannon, Robert Sigman, and Miss Barbara Hamors, bookkeeper. The firm handles a complete line of hardware and furniture as well as electrical appliances. They were the first to introduce iceless ice boxes as they were called many years ago. They handled a Crosley refrigerator which was operated with an oil burner. They also did an extensive business in the sale of Edison phonographs.