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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, March 16, 1997, pg. 5 My recent article about the Koroluk Confectioners on Austin Avenue is a reminder that there were once numerous neighborhood grocery stores in town in the days before the supermarkets came in. If you have photographs of such neighborhood stores and information about them, I would be happy to write an article in this column about them. One such grocery which existed for many years was the West End Market at 500 Austin Avenue, operated by John Mymochod (1884-1961). John was a Ukrainian immigrant who came to the United States in 1911, and first worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania. He worked at the Albion Malleable Iron Company for 15 years. He co-owned a meat market on the corner of Austin Avenue and N. Albion Street from 1915 to 1917, and then opened his own West End Market on the corner of Austin Avenue and Carson Street in 1926, operating it for three decades. There were also living quarters in the back which he rented. John’s farm at 941 Austin Avenue was the last large farm within the city limits of Albion. He purchased the property in 1943. At the time it was known as Oak Grove. The 70-acre plot of land was purchased from family descendants in 1993, and is now being developed as the new addition to Albion’s Industrial Park. From our Historical Notebook this week we present two photographs. The first is a 1957 photo showing John in front of his store. The second is an inside photo of the original store, with John on the left, and his son Michael on the right. Potatoes, onions, apples, and other produce were sold by the pound from bushel baskets. Sugar, flour, rice, beans, etc. were sold also by the pound from bins. "Sunshine" cookies were in the glass covered boxes lined up at the right. Bananas were hung from the ceiling to the right of the fan (they were taken down for this photograph). In later years the store was enlarged and a tavern was added on the left (west) side. Michael Magnotta, Sr. was the original tavern operator. Later, the building was remodeled into one store with a liquor outlet added until the facility was closed.  1957, John outside of his store
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