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Grocery stores in the neighborhood

As information is gathered on the small local grocers that dotted our neighborhood this post will be updated over time. These are the known groceries over time in and near the neighborhood.

The ad below from 1928 helped me identify some of the neighborhood groceries, including the flat roofed store fronts that are still standing in the neighborhood on Atlanta Avenue and Delaware Place. 

Tulsa World 1928



 1137 S Atlanta Avenue:  Graham Market

Owned by Harrison "Harry" Canfield Graham was a Tulsa grocery operator for 18 years.  In 1930, Graham  and his wife, Cora, and four of their six children lived in the neighborhood at 1336 S. Gary Place. Their home was a craftsman bungalow with a stately red brick front porch.   Following his death in 1938 he was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa.  Cora lived until 1975.  She was 99 years old.  


Tulsa Tribune December 1938



Tulsa Tribune 1934 ad that mentions Graham Market


Google Maps Image of 1137 S. Atlanta Avenue




1337 S. Delaware Avenue:  Delaware Grocery & Market

In 1941 the store located at 1337 S. Delaware Place was called Delaware Grocery & Market and was operated by Herbert "Buck" P. Dendy. 

Tulsa Herald All Church Press 1841

Later the store was called L. O. Miller Grocery.  A Lawrence O. Miller, Jr lived at this address in 1950 when his father, Lawrence O. Miller Senior passed away.  

In 1958 a laundry business, Excel Cleaners,  had a branch operating from 1337 S. Delaware Place.

Tulsa County News January1958


Google Maps Image of 1337 S. Delaware Place




Other stores that are known to have operated near the neighborhood include:


Lewis Ave & 11th Street:  Gally Market- Oral history.  No information.

1324 E 11th Street:  Where the Meadow Gold Sign is now: Brinlee Grocery.  Established by Robert W. "Bob" Brinlee and later operated by his son, Ray Brinlee.   Another of Bob Brlinee's sons, Rex Brinlee, was convicted of murder and robbery spree across two states in 1965.  The convict escaped the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1973 and again in 1976.  

1956 Obituary of Bob Brinlee



2007 Tulsa World Article Recapping the Rex Brinlee crime story.


2530 E 11th Street:  (Now Bama Caring Center) Ramsey Grocery aka Sipes?

2626 E. 11th Street:  (Now the brunch restaurant "Toast") Safeway

2623 E. 11th Street:  Whitlock's Grocery and bakery.  Built in 1937, it was known as the 'fancy' grocery.  Listed here as a streamline art deco, I really wish I could locate a picture of the building, but have no luck so far.  In 1945, the grocer seems to have gotten in some hot water for not complying with ration regulations in place during World War II.  The owner was a Mr. Aston Spurgeon Whitlock and in 1930 he and his wife lived at 1307 S. Gary Avenue in the neighborhood.  His address in 1964 at the time of his death was listed as 1241 S. Harvard Avenue.  He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery.  


Tulsa Tribune 1945



3244 E. 11th Street:  (1928)  Ramsey Grocery.  
2747 E. 15th Street:  (1938) Ramsey Grocery.  Owned by George Ramsey.  Old Bead Merchant Building.  Demolished in 2015.  Read more about the building here. 

3002 E. 11th Street:  11th Street Market Grocery owned by O. W. Hutchens

Tulsa World 1948



3112 E.  11th Street:  The Stadium Market was operated by Mr. Sam Fitzgerald.  (About where the Taco Bell stands today.) Two separate newspaper articles describe holdup at the market.  

Tulsa Tribune August 1946


Tulsa World August 1947



2548 E 11th Street:  Sid Bond Grocery and Chicken Store.  In the early days the store had live chickens.   A customer could pick out the chicken they wanted and the store would kill it and pluck it.
At Halloween they handed out soap with a message that said  "Don't soap my windows."  Soaping windows was a common Halloween prank.  

Tulsa World October 1928



Tulsa Herald All Church Press- 1944



Mrs. Jane Bond, Sid's wife, helped run the market.  A 1933 article in the Tulsa World outlines a terrible medication mistake.  




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