MEMOIRS OF SCHOOL STREET VILLAGE

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A special thank you to those who have passed it on to others. We are heading quickly to amazing page visits to this blog! Welcome to folks from all over the country and other countries as well, including Lisbon!!

The "Village", as it was called, is located in the northwest corner of the city of Taunton, Massachusetts U.S.A. It covers about 1 square mile with the center being School Street. A large portion of the Village population was Portuguese when I was growing up.

This blog covers a lot of the history of the Village, much to do with my years as a child there: 1940 through the late 1950's. I do have many wonderful photos and information prior to that that and will share those as well. Always looking for MORE PHOTOS AND MORE STORIES TO TELL.

If you would like to send photos or share a memory of growing up in the Village
e-mail me at spinoart@comcast.net
feel free to comment on the posts. Directions are on the right side of the blog posts. Jump in, the water is fine and it is easy!!!


I will be posting photographs but not identifying individuals unless I have permission or they are a matter of public record. It you wish to give me permission, please let me know.

I am looking for any and all photos of the Village...

Please note: the way blogs work is that the latest post is first. It you would like to start from the beginning of the blog, check out the post labels on the right of the blog and go from there. Thanks.


Thursday, October 25, 2012

MORE MOM AND POP MARKETS IN THE VILLAGE

                                               Ventura Grocery in the Village in the 40's or early 50's
                                                                ...before my time, I think

When you entered the front door, the sound of a little bell announced your arrival in the unusual case that no one was minding the store.  You all knew each other.  Your receipt was written with the stub of a pencil on the paper bag where your groceries were placed,
the addition written in the same place.
Your meat was wrapped in waxy white paper tied with string.

When you walked in everything was right there in front of you: no need for a big wire carriage.  No need to walk a mile searching frustratingly for what you needed.  Anyway, you were probably a kid with a list and a few dollars from your Mom.  If you paid, a clanging sound on the cash register, along with the slap of the drawer, announced the fact. Otherwise, you were adding to your credit account.

Cynthia Luz Mendes remembered that although it was open there was not always someone in the White Front Market.  You had to call upstairs for Mrs. Aguiar who came down and helped you - even if it was only for some gum...

             Here are some of the long gone costs of items in the little grocery stores in the Village.

This price list is from a small neighborhood grocery store in Kingston, N.Y.
 http://www.fohk.org/wp-content/uploads/momandpopstores.pdf.
If you are interested it is an interesting 
website about this very subject.

2 comments:

  1. We went to Serras'Market.We had a book and paid every Friday.Rose would add up the total with a pencil just as you had said.Sometimes the store was very busy,but she calmly continued adding.I remember her red rough hands from hard work at the store. I think I developed my love for math just watching her. She went to Fuller School too. _

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  2. I would ask my mother why certain people would continue going to these little stores after the supermarkets started becoming quite popular.She told me that people never forgot how good these grocers were to families when they were down and out during the depression. Some to the point of tearing up the bill. _

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