|
|
|
|
F. J. Mahar Service Stores Seventy-seven years ago the world was a very different place. World War I had ended five years before, women in the United States had gained the right to vote only three years previously, and prohibition was in full force, with "rum-runners" making the headlines daily. Closed cars were just gaining popularity, and Babe Ruth was hitting home runs for the first place Yankees. In the summer of 1923, President Warren G. Harding toured the Alaskan Territory, but his tenure of office was cut short by a fatal illness on the way home, and the new President, Calvin Coolidge, was inaugurated in early August. At this time in Olean, Francis J. Mahar was just starting out in the grocery business, working for the Market Basket Stores. Eager to venture out on his own, on his eighteenth birthday, October 13, 1923, he opened the first Service Store on Center Street in Olean. He continued working at Market Basket until 1936, when he decided to devote full time to his own business. By that time, in addition to the Center Street location, there was a Service Store at 1504 West State Street, another at 1020 North Union Street, and a fourth in Arcade. By 1942 the Center Street store had outgrown its building, and a new Boardmanville store was opened at the corner of Main and Front Streets. By 1947, when Service Stores were formally incorporated, the "home office" at 210 Coleman Street became too small, both because of increased business and because of the growing number of Mahar children. The company offices were then moved to 1602 West Henley Street. This was also the site of the company’s new warehouse, which not only supplied the Service Stores, but also served as a wholesale distributor to smaller independent stores in the area. Even though Francis Mahar, Sr. was the founder and driving force behind the Service Stores, their growth and success would not have been possible without the help of many other people. His wife, Margaret, who began working for the Service Stores prior to their marriage, assisted him in many capacities, serving as treasurer of the corporation until her death in November 1997. She also raised a family of nine children, all of whom worked in the stores while they were growing up. In addition to his immediate family, Francis also received assistance from his cousin, Frank J. Ryan of Allegany, who served as vice president of the corporation, and his close friend, Harry M. Pike, who was secretary and office manager. Long-time friend and manager of the Front Street store, Marty Ruth, later became vice president. Marty and his wife Ann both served the company for almost sixty years, and their friendly, familiar faces were well-known to generations of Boardmanville shoppers. Today, five of the second generation of Mahars run the company. Francis, James, Paul, Daniel and Thomas now carry on the tradition of service inherited from their father. As the stores expanded from small neighborhood groceries to modern, computerized supermarkets, the original name of Service Stores also grew to include the words Park and Shop. These words were originally used to advertise the availability of free parking, but gradually have come to be used interchangeably with the name Service Stores. Over the years, the warehouse business was phased out and today the corporation is a member of the Olean Wholesale Grocery Co-op. There are now four stores in Olean, Portville and Allegany. The corporate offices are now in the remodeled former site of the store at West State and Fifteenth Street. The original stores have been moved and modernized over the seventy-five years since Francis Mahar first started his store on Center Street, but his spirit lives on. His family, friends and employees owe much to the eighteen year old Market Basket worker who wanted to start his own store and who went on to leave a supermarket chain as his legacy. written by Marge Mahar |
|
Please
send mail to helpdesk@parkandshoponline.com
|
