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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, July 14, 2024, pg. 6 Recently the building housing the Dollar General at 110 S. Eaton St. was sold to a new owner, and upgrades to the structure and parking lot are currently being made. This building is 70 years old this year. It was originally erected and operated as the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, otherwise known as the A & P Supermarket. The A & P opened on this site on Tuesday, November 16, 1954, moving from its downtown Albion location (315 S. Superior St) where it had operated for many years. The year 1954 was a significant one for shopping in Albion. That year we saw the opening of three "super" markets as they were called, and the beginning of the demise of the small neighborhood grocery stores. The new store boasted 12,000 square feet of floor space, and 3,500 different grocery items. The parking lots contained spaces for 92 cars, making it one of the biggest parking lots in Albion at the time. It had a 30-foot bakery section featuring Jane Parker (remember that brand?) breads, pies, rolls, and related items. Remember the Ann Page peanut butter and the Eight o'Clock coffee? Manager of the store was John Kehoe (1921-2010), who managed the place from 1954 to 1975. Kehoe helped educate Albion shoppers to the "self serve" concept that A & P helped bring to our town. Previously a shopper would stand at the counter and tell the clerk what he/she wanted, and the clerk would go to the shelves behind the counter, pick out the items for you, and place them on the counter." With the new A & P however, most everything was under one roof. One "holdout" of the "old era" was milk, which was still being delivered to residences around town. That method too eventually disappeared within several years and people began purchasing their milk also at the supermarket. Assisting Kehoe were assistant manager Lewis Quick, and head checker Jennie Oakley. Lillian Frank served as the store bookkeeper. Walter Herriff worked as head stock and receiving clerk, and Harold Wilkinson managed the dairy department. John Richardson served as the head of the produce department. Although A & P closed in March, 1976, it was followed by other food stores at this site. Today it is the site of Dollar General, which still sells canned, boxed, and refrigerated grocery items. From our Historical Notebook this week we present an inside view of the newly opened A & P Store in 1954, shelves and bins filled with cans and boxes, ready for purchase by customers. Notice in the foreground is the "Open Check Out 8 Items or Less" sign, a familiar fixture in the store during its entire existence. How many of our readers remember the A & P Store in Albion?  A & P Store in 1954
All text copyright, 2024 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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