Oneontans got their first look at big supermarkets in 1952, the likes of which hadn't been seen yet in our area. By today's standards, what were the Victory Market on Chestnut Street and Grand Union on Main Street would be quite small. But for that time, these offerings were state-of-the-art, and within the city limits. Many grocery stores were still found in neighborhoods or at small storefront locations in the downtown area.
Some grocery stores that had been considered big for the time before these two had been an Acme Market on Ford Avenue, now a law firm next to the Wilber Mansion, or the A&P Market, once found on the street level of today's Dietz Plaza, the Dibble Block, 8-12 Dietz St.
The Oneonta Star reported Wednesday, Jan. 30, 1952, that Victory Chain Inc., based in Norwich, planned construction on Chestnut Street near the Star building of what was called "the largest supermarket in this area." Part of that building is now home to a Rite Aid store.
The two properties at 94 and 96 Chestnut St. would be occupied by the new store with a parking lot capable of holding 80 cars.
The Victory store of that time was found at 226-230 Main St. The two properties on Chestnut Street were moved to the rear of their respective lots and available for rental purposes.
"According to Charles A. Smith Jr. of Norwich, vice president of the chain, the new supermarket will include frozen foods, fresh vegetables, groceries, drug items and hardware among its sale items, and will also have custom-cut and self service meat counters." The store was set to employ 25 to 30 people, "and will incorporate the most modern streamlined fixtures."
The new store opened at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 1952. The Star said more than 5,000 shoppers swarmed into the newly constructed $250,000 store, said to be "the largest and most modern of its kind in the state." Mayor Roger G. Hughes was the guest of honor to cut the ribbon for the opening. In a newspaper ad from the day before, part of the copy for the opening read, "See the Doors That Open Themselves."
Not to be outdone, Grand Union announced Monday, June 2, that the sale of the McMorris property at 332-340 Main St. was completed … as one of two main steps toward construction of a Grand Union supermarket. That was at the site of the current entrance and exit of the James F. Lettis Highway.
The old McMorris residence, a brick structure that then housed a small Grand Union store, was set to be razed for a one-story masonry building with about 12,000 square feet of floor space. This larger store would also absorb another Grand Union store, then found at 145-147 Main St.
The new store would be capable of accommodating 100 to 125 cars.
As the McMorris house was being taken apart, discoveries were made in the walls. This was said to be the first house in Oneonta to have running water. Workers found a contract to erect the house, dated January 1853. On the other side was a contract to employ a carpenter, Andrew Cogshall of Laurens, to work for eight months at $18.50 a month plus board, lodging and washing. The house was originally built for a Baptist minister, and Wellington McMorris and his wife, the former Lulie Emmons, acquired it later. Both died in 1948.
The demolition contractor in 1952, John Gaisford of Morris, was amused by that finding, noting that he paid his contractors $18.50 a day.
The supermarket opened later that year, with similar celebration and opening day attendance as the Victory opening in July.
This weekend: New home and other Oneonta building projects of January 1922.
City Historian Mark Simonson's column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or email him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com. His columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/marksimonson.
Mark Simonson
Modern, streamlined supermarkets debuted in Oneonta in 1952
- Mark Simonson
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A Main Street facelift for Oneonta in the 1920s
It has been just a little over 30 years, 1980 in fact, that Main Street in Oneonta went through a major transformation in appearance. Even now I'll hear mixed comments about the changes, which included antique style lamps, trees, planters and brick trim. Some liked the changes while others liked the wider street with the even-sized sidewalks.
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
Oneonta became a settlement and has been a place to do one's "trading," whether it was the 18th century, or 2012, because of the five valleys that converge here. Only the places of doing the "trading" have changed a bit over the last 100 years, and Oneonta remains a place that attracts visitors and has always been a decent place to live and work.
100 Years Ago -
Recalling the Hindenburg, John D. Rockefeller in May 1937
A young person of 75 years ago may still recall where they were or what they were doing in the month of May, as two big news events took place. They were the Hindenburg disaster and the passing of billionaire John D. Rockefeller. There were some local connections with both news items.
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Oneonta residents had diversions aplenty in the spring of 1952
It is always good to keep up with current events. However, it is starting to become an unwritten requirement to seek some diversions from staying up to date on news, as for some it can become overwhelming or depressing.
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Damaschke essential to ensuring Oneonta baseball in 1927
Oftentimes, in the distant past, the place you worked for became a social nucleus in the village or town. Employees at large companies such as Endicott-Johnson Shoe Co. or IBM in the Binghamton area took part in activities after work such as sports, music and theater, both in and out of town, to represent their company.
- Monday, May 7, 2012
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Area tunes to WONT in November 1972
As a youngster growing up in the area and having a fascination with radio broadcasting, I used to consider it a part-time hobby to put the earphone into my transistor radio and go exploring what was out there to listen to, up and down the dial. It was indeed a long-distance journey at night when listening to AM radio, as you could hear live and locally staffed stations from Chicago, Windsor/Detroit, Atlanta and New Orleans, to name a few cities. I never spent a lot of time listening to FM radio 40 years ago, simply because there wasn't the same "excitement" of the long-distance journey. Little did I realize, things were changing locally on that "other" band of radio frequencies that included decimal points.
- Saturday, May 5, 2012
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Congressman Fairchild added downtown growth in 1912
Another case of wandering imagination struck this historian recently, while learning about the building at 244-248 Main St. in Oneonta, storefronts for the Autumn Café and Razzle Dazzle. This structure is known as the Fairchild block, and it turns 100 this year.
- Monday, April 30, 2012
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From no TV to saving eagles, it was life in April 1982
No television. No place to pay the phone bill. No more Spaulding's baked goods. Possibly no more Center Street School. While these were some of the noes in the news of our area in April 1982, there were some yeses as well, including a new structure at Corning Inc. of Oneonta and help to save bald eagles.
- Saturday, April 28, 2012
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A daily newspaper for Oneonta was an achievement in 1887
Depending on the electronic device you have these days, accessing news can be made nearly as soon as something happens. Oneontans of 125 years ago got their news on a weekly basis, courtesy of The Oneonta Herald.
- Monday, April 23, 2012
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Area saw Hollywood stars up close in April 1952
It has been a mighty long time since Greer Garson, Victor Jory, Don Taylor and Audrey Totter drew big numbers of people at the box office of our local movie theaters. Make it 60 years, in fact. Now generations removed from popularity, some are still able to remember the names of these four movie stars who paid a visit to our area in late April 1952.
- Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Spring tree plantings were numerous in 1927
None of my calendars at home or at my other workplaces show that April 27 of this year is Arbor Day.
- Monday, April 16, 2012
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Nuclear weapon debates were plentiful in April 1982
Plan for a nuclear war -- or seek a nuclear weapons freeze. That was a frequent debate going on in our region during the month of April 1982.
- Saturday, April 14, 2012
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A Titanic survivor stopped in Oneonta days after disaster
Edward Bean was one amongst the lucky one-third of the passengers aboard the Titanic who lived to tell about the disaster of the ill-fated ship that sank after hitting an iceberg on April 15, 1912. Only about a week after the disaster, Bean was in Oneonta, on his way home to Cincinnati.
- Monday, April 9, 2012
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Simonson: April 1952 brought educational developments in Oneonta
There were some interesting new developments in education in Oneonta during the month of April 1952. These took place in the public and private schools, as well as on the Hartwick College campus.
- Saturday, April 7, 2012
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Oneonta's first automobile exhibition took place in April 1917
An automobile show as large as those in Albany or Utica. That was the heady claim of the organizers of Oneonta's first such show, set for early April 1917.
- Monday, April 2, 2012
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Thruway bridge collapsed 25 years ago into Schoharie Creek
I had just started my evening music shift at a Binghamton radio station on Sunday evening, April 5, 1987, with a network newscast at the top of the hour.
- Saturday, March 31, 2012
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Oneonta responded to declaration of World War I
"President Asks For War."
- Monday, March 26, 2012
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Devastating fire, loss in sports status, education made major area news in March 1982
A fire destroyed a foundry in Morris, Hartwick College basketball dropped a division level, two schools considered a merger, and a local Odyssey of the Mind was born. These news items and more made for a busy month in March 1982.
- Saturday, March 24, 2012
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Useful advice for farmers came to the area in 1912
It is practically a rite of autumn for high school students, or college students looking to transfer to a different college.
- Monday, March 19, 2012
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St. Mary's Church of Oneonta dedicated 55 years ago
"With solemn, historic pageantry, the Most Rev. William A. Scully, bishop of Albany, yesterday dedicated the new St. Mary's Church."
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A Main Street facelift for Oneonta in the 1920s
