Search found 689 matches

by Andrew T.
10 Sep 2016 12:27
Forum: History: Specialty Retail Chains
Topic: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity
Replies: 14
Views: 13327

Re: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity

Basically, what Rich said. The "Teague" in question was industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague; Teague died in 1960 but his consulting firm is still in business. The Teague Texaco design was widespread (moreso than the Matawans), and it was so significant that a mock-up of such a station...
by Andrew T.
09 Sep 2016 23:16
Forum: History: USA Mid-Atlantic
Topic: An unusual and unlocatable Kroger store (Beckley, WV)
Replies: 12
Views: 11163

An unusual and unlocatable Kroger store (Beckley, WV)

Since my local library provides me with access to Newspaper Archive, I've been entertaining myself lately by doing a little research on landmarks and retail stores here and there...including those in West Virginia, where I used to live. That's how I found this: kroger-beckley-unified.jpg This Kroger...
by Andrew T.
09 Sep 2016 19:59
Forum: History: Specialty Retail Chains
Topic: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity
Replies: 14
Views: 13327

Re: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity

More show-and-tell: Matawan-style Texaco (Madison, WI)_8069321217_m.jpg This Matawan is the most local of any I've seen (it's in Madison, Wisconsin), and it now houses a rainbow-striped custard stand. This example is comparatively unmodified; the dining room is in the office while the kitchen is in ...
by Andrew T.
07 Sep 2016 19:05
Forum: Announcements, FAQs, Etc.
Topic: Loads of new site content
Replies: 2
Views: 10425

Re: Loads of new site content

A question (and I suppose this is as good a place as any to ask it)... When you parse directories for your chain grocery location tables, how do you decide which locations to include and which to omit? City directories often list chaff like one-off grocers and convenience stores alongside the chain ...
by Andrew T.
06 Sep 2016 23:32
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Color photo of Northville, MI Kroger in the 1950s
Replies: 6
Views: 6809

Re: Color photo of Northville, MI Kroger in the 1950s

As a postscript, the store in the slide was replaced by a new Kroger at 133 E. Dunlap Street in October 1961. (PDF with grand opening ad here .) This new store lasted at least until the 1970s, and the building eventually housed an Arbor Drugs and CVS drugstore before being demolished and replaced ar...
by Andrew T.
06 Sep 2016 23:08
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Color photo of Northville, MI Kroger in the 1950s
Replies: 6
Views: 6809

Color photo of Northville, MI Kroger in the 1950s

While rummaging through some loose slides at my grandfather's house, I found this image of a procession walking past the Kroger store in Northville, Michigan, possibly on Memorial Day: nville54a.jpg nville54b.jpg This picture would have been taken facing east on East Main Street, and by my estimate ...
by Andrew T.
06 Sep 2016 22:30
Forum: History: Specialty Retail Chains
Topic: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity
Replies: 14
Views: 13327

Re: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity

Groceteria wrote:Of course, they're never in use as Texaco stations anymore. I miss Texaco...
Tell me about it. There was an original 1950s-era Texaco open in my hometown up to the end of the 1980s, but the brand seems to have been slipping away ever since.
by Andrew T.
06 Sep 2016 22:14
Forum: History: Specialty Retail Chains
Topic: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity
Replies: 14
Views: 13327

Re: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity

My last Matawan sighting was in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where the station in question was still pumping gas as a Marathon. The trapezoidal roofline was almost obliterated from view by a banner and mega-canopy in front, but was plainly visible from behind. img_6442s.jpg img_6448s.jpg The building lo...
by Andrew T.
06 Sep 2016 20:52
Forum: History: Specialty Retail Chains
Topic: Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity
Replies: 14
Views: 13327

Matawan-style Texacos, and their rarity

How rare are the Matawan-style Texaco service stations of the late 1960s and 1970s? As far as roadside relics go, these are some of my favorites: Nice and glassy, with stone accents and a recognizable profile. Compared to the Teague-designed Texacos of the 1930s to 1950s or the contemporary ranch-st...
by Andrew T.
06 Sep 2016 11:27
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Grocery spottings in and on the way to Michigan
Replies: 8
Views: 7392

Re: Grocery spottings in and on the way to Michigan

West Dundee was an A&P as of 1960. Nice stuff BTW! Ooh, thanks! I'll have to dig through my road trip files to see what other stores I've photographed in the last few years. As for West Dundee, I'm a little surprised it was an A&P. I usually associate A&P stores of the 1940s and 1950s w...
by Andrew T.
04 Sep 2016 16:03
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Grocery spottings in and on the way to Michigan
Replies: 8
Views: 7392

Re: Grocery spottings in and on the way to Michigan

Ypsilanti is most likely a Kroger, but could have been a National. Kroger usually didn't have interior lit signs (neon letters on a backdrop was the norm), National occasionally did--they were in the Detroit area from '52-'66 after buying the CF Smith chain and some others, which gave them a large ...
by Andrew T.
04 Sep 2016 15:36
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: A&P spottings in and on the way to Michigan
Replies: 1
Views: 3244

Re: A&P spottings in and on the way to Michigan

Aimg_6624_8234_telegraph_rd_taylor_mi.jpg 8234 Telegraph Rd., Taylor, MI. The Super China Buffet must be enormous to envelop an entire A&P supermarket from the 1960s: Seems like an unusual reuse of such a building, but I've seen weirder. The central entrance also looks unusual; I assume the sto...
by Andrew T.
04 Sep 2016 15:24
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: A&P spottings in and on the way to Michigan
Replies: 1
Views: 3244

A&P spottings in and on the way to Michigan

As a follow-up to my other thread , here are the A&P stores I photographed on my last road trip. A&P survived in Michigan longer than average, doing business under its own name until the early 1990s and persisting in metro Detroit under the acquired Farmer Jack brand until 2007...so maybe it...
by Andrew T.
03 Sep 2016 19:25
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Grocery spottings in and on the way to Michigan
Replies: 8
Views: 7392

Re: Grocery spottings in and on the way to Michigan

img_6673_326_e_main_st_benton_harbor_mi_natl.jpg 326 E. Main St., Benton Harbor, MI . Massive pylon on this one. Searching online for the address brought up references from mid-1950s newspapers to a National at this address, so I guess that's one mystery solved. How long and how far into Michigan N...