Friday, June 11, 2010

Grocery store musings




It's been several years since Albertson's closed and left Alamogordo with only one grocery store (two if you count WalMart). Now apparently Albertson's wants to come back and, according to the newspaper, there is controversy on how much economic aid should be given to get them to come.

I got to thinking about the past grocery stores. 

Vacant lot on the SE corner of 16th and Florida. 
I think it was on this corner that as a kid we walked to a grocery store. 

This complex on 10th street housed a grocery store, Food Mart, when we moved to Alamogordo in 1960. It later became a Piggly Wiggly and ultimately the more recent IGA.  I loved the Motts 5 and dime that was at the east end. There was a drug store at the other end and the 1st Nat'l Bank branch in the parking lot. 

Where the hospital's Medical Plaza is now on the corner of Washington and 10th there had been a Safeway. Prior to that it was a strip of stores that included a fabric store and a wooden floored store that sold jeans. I got my first pair of button up the front Levis there for $5.00.

Safeway was also located on Cuba Street where there is now a church facility that had previously been a furniture store.  I don't even really remember which location Safeway had first.

The Counseling Center on College and 10th was a Furr's grocery store and maybe others.

Flowers.com which is now closed took the old Big 8 grocery store that was there in the 80s
and into the 90s.  I think they had another location as well.

And now we have just the Lowe's grocery store.  Frustrating that we have less in Alamogordo than we did years ago, but for whatever reason, that's the way it is.
JM

4 comments:

  1. The old grocery store at Cuba and 10th was once long ago a orchard field with a manner house before the town grew up 10th. This was probably over 70 years ago maybe 90. The old hospital was across the street where bank of u is now. I been in both those buildings the hospital below and on roof. The old washington pool I was there during a fire exercise before it was demolished as the building was utilized for training purposes. Took a few pictures. The old theater dome I also have pictures from inside of it. You would be surprised what use to be in what spot. The old new York street in alamogordo has had similiar look since early 1900s. Allot was torn down or redone in the 50 and 40s. The white sands and 10th area changed major. 10th never use to go across past the water tank which is above a natural well. The old rail station for alamogordo and sacromento rail road use to be there. The park across the way near zoo is pretty much intact since 1908. The old stone fencing with chain is original. The area by the tracks between zoo and 10th was the walking area to zoo and to train platform. I've only seen 1 picture of it from 1908. Now the ground by tracks is 2 feet higher then it was back then you can tell that the stone fencing is buried a little. It use to be a busy spot but now is dead south of zoo. The train station use to be where 10th crosses the tracks 10th ended right there up till 90s. I'm surprised allot has been torn down since it was historical. I recall the city getting sued by state for removing old buildings with historical significance. Billy the kid use to frequent new york ave stay in hotel on it and a bar that use to be in the middle. There was a famous shoot out that occured during the 1800s with a sheriff and deputy against a western gang. Both were killed near the intersection of 10th and new York on south new york. The deputy was killed above what is now the floral shop he was on roof and was shot from down below in shoot out. The sheriff and leader ended up having a draw and sheriff lost dying in the middle of new York just by the old Arab pillar looking corner building. Soon after Marshalls from El paso came and ran the gang out.

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    1. B4 that that whole area almost to where lowes is now on 10th st. Was a lake where as the town developed making the streets to where founders concrete park is now was underwater now all that is left is the natural pond when u enter the zoo now

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  2. Allot is gone now but allot of those buildings along new York below and above in attics from 9th to 12th had stuff buried in them from 1800s and 1900s. Allot has been sold off to historical societies and collectors anything from old western to medical equipment furniture and some guns were found. The old sheriffs office was where the radio shack was that whole section from 8th to 9th is not original. Most was redone in 30s then in 50s in that section.

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  3. There are like 6 tunnels under tenth st all going to the old hospital to transport like bad radiation patients strange viruses that they first found out to be deadly the prescriptions pills and medical machines of the times was easier to share with everyone then for everyone to buy there own but there r these tunnels like 50 feet below 10th and 9th and that whole little medical area up to Washington street in to each old medical building in that old part of town right there they r sealed up tight now and reinforced so the roads don’t fall in I found the old blue prints In in what the second or third basement floor That listed the tunnels and how to get to them threw the hospital subfloors and walkways

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