Harry was born in Gold Hill, Nevada, just south of the world famous Virginia City. His father and grandfather worked in the area gold mines. As the mining industry in the area waned, his family moved to Sparks, Nevada. He graduated from Sparks High School, serving as the school newspaper and yearbook editor.
Harry Stephen Foote worked for Reno area business equipment companies thereafter, and met a young lady, Marie Williams, from Ely/ Lane City, Nevada that was attending the University of Nevada at Reno (yes, a woman attending university in the 1920's!). They were married in 1928, and honeymooned in San Francisco. (That was the year the Coit Tower was built in the city, and the trip from Reno to San Francisco was quite an ordeal, taking two days time or more, along with numerous spare tires). He received a telegram from his Reno employer that read, "Take your time coming home. Have another man to take your place. Would suggest that you get a job in Frisco."
In the next couple of days he made contact with suppliers who not only gave him some business advice, but agreed to give him credit for equipment. Although he asked one supplier for the advance of six typewriters, a day or two after he arrived home he received eighteen. And that was the beginning of Harry’s Business Machines.
The business was first located at Six Arcade Building, where the Reno City Hall (formerly Wells Fargo Bank and Cal Neva Tower) now stands at First and Virginia Streets. Until incorporated on March 4th, 1929 the business was known as "Harry’s Typewriter Shop". In a few years, growth dictated a move to 120 West Second Street. By the middle 1940’s the business moved just up the street at 130 West Second Street, and soon grew to occupy 132 West Second Street also. In 1949 another move was made to its own building and present location at 323 West Street.
Over the years, Harry’s represented a variety of companies and marketed and serviced a wide variety of business products, continually adding and changing to best serve the growing City of Reno and surrounding territory. For many years the sales and servicemen traveled as far south as Tonopah and north to Susanville, east to Ely and west to Truckee. In the early days of the business (in addition to typewriters and adding machines of the day), Harry's sold grocery scales, coffee grinders and meat slicers - necessitated by the times of the depression and World War II.
During World War II, manufacturing was almost exclusively dedicated to the war effort (most office equipment manufacturing operations were converted to munitions factories) - therefore little or no new equipment was available, and the business had to rely on the rental and repair of existing equipment. In order to survive during the slower winter months, toys (yes, toys) were sold. Small wooden Jeeps were even made in a shop behind Harry’s home.
When World War II ended, new national production wasn’t directed toward business equipment, but rather items for the home. So for a period of about five years, the business sold home appliances. So in addition to the few new typewriters and adding machines that were available, one could find television sets, refrigerators, washing machines and kitchen cabinets at Harry’s. This period ended in 1950 when the last of the home appliances were moved out and additional office equipment and furniture took its place.
Although the addition of electric motors to business machines had been accomplished several years earlier, the 50’s was the time when they became widespread. It was during this time that Harry's son Gordon Foote became active full time in the business.
The era of mechanical and electromechanical machines began to fade in the late 50’s with the advent of electronics, first found in electronic calculators. This set the stage for the change from a the rather huge and heavy desk-model mechanical calculators with a price of around $1,000 to a pocket electronic calculator years later at $9.95 or less in the 70's. The products and services at Harry’s would continue to change with the times.
In 1980, the computer age (along with Harry's grandson/ Gordon's son) Gary Foote, arrived at Harry’s Business Machines. It was at that time that we first were asked to represent Hewlett-Packard products. A few years later, on the introduction of the first laser printer, HP began to allow dealers to service their products, and Harry's participated wholeheartedly. Harry's continued to evolve into a technology company, while maintaining the tradition of assistance, service & dedication to their clientele.
We're working to become Your Technology Partner, a key resource you can rely on to help manage and maximize the business benefits of your technology.
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