By John Marks, Curator of Collections and Exhibits
“Food deserts” are a current topic in government and academic
research. The US Department of Agriculture defines the term as “urban
neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and
affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities
may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and
convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. The lack of
access contributes to a poor diet and can lead to higher levels of obesity and
other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.”[i]
One could say this doesn’t apply to Geneva; after all, we have
Wegmans AND Tops! We’re a small city and one place isn’t that far from anywhere
else. However, if you don’t have a car for whatever reason, you become
dependent on friends, taxis, or the CATS bus schedule. Then you know that
Hamilton Street is not, in fact, centrally located.
Many readers, regardless of where they grew up, will remember
this was not always the case. The historical society is blessed with a fine
collection of city directories that show the type and location of businesses
around Geneva. Let’s look at what was available, and where, in the 1940s.
In the 1945 city directory, there were 46 grocery stores.
Fifteen were part of chains: A&P, IGA, Loblaws, Market Basket (headquarters
in Geneva), and Red & White. Based on surnames, many of the independent
stores were owned by Italian Americans. The Market Basket and Red & White
stores were out in the neighborhoods as well as downtown, often near
independent stores.
There were 10 meat markets, not counting the Market Basket
headquarters.
There were six bakeries.
There were two local dairies – AJ Tarr and Geneva Milk
Company/ White Springs Farm Dairy (located at the same address) – on opposite
ends of North Street. While it doesn’t fit the USDA definition of healthy food,
there were seven confectioners selling ice cream and/or candy.
I mapped out the approximate locations of these businesses
with the following colors: green = grocery stores; red = meat shops; blue =
bakeries; and purple = dairies. I used a modern map and cropped the western
section of the city that didn’t really develop until after World War II; there
were no food stores south of Hamilton Street.
The heaviest concentration was in the downtown area. On
Exchange Street, there were several stores in one block, often on the same side
of the street. The working class neighborhoods of East North Street (“the Butt
End”) and North Genesee Street (Torrey Park) were well-supplied with stores.
The area with the fewest stores was the fairly new, at the time, neighborhood
west of Maxwell Avenue.
There are several points to keep in mind. Downtown was the
center of commercial, and often social, activity; people were accustomed to
going downtown on a daily basis. A good portion of the city was within three
blocks of downtown (if we include all of Exchange Street) – not a bad walk.
There was a public bus, operated by Lont’s Bus & Cab Lines, that covered
most of the city. Finally, the dairies and larger meat and grocery stores
offered free home delivery.
There was greater access to food stores in the 1940s;
obviously, wartime rationing, and poverty were limiting factors. Stores seemed
to coexist with each other, particularly the chain and independent markets. It
would take more research to determine the best prices – were goods cheaper
downtown than in the neighborhoods? – and when small stores began disappearing.
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