Located at 119 Mercer Avenus
(Oak Hill) New Brighton
LemmonsMarketClick Here to Return to Index
Click Here to Return To Milestones Vol 7 No 3
It was the height of the depression when Mr.& Mrs. J. Wade Lemmon moved to New Brighton. With the knowledge and experience both received while employed in the Dormont A. & P., it was only natural when they opened "Lemmon's Market" in 1936.
When the market first opened Mrs. Lemmon, with pad and pen in hand, would take the customers order from behind the single counter running down the center of the room. She would then gather the items ordered from the shelves, stocked with unmarked can goods, behind her. Since the adding machine was still unheard of, the back of a paper bag was used to total the order.
Every Saturday Mr. Augustus Salhi, "Uncle Salhi" as he was known to the Lemmon children, would lend his time and experience in the meat department. He then passed on his knowledge of meat cutting to Mr. Lemmon.
Lemmon's had the first frozen food case in New Brighton. At first frozen foods didn't go over because they were new and people didn't trust them. After they caught on the frozen food section was enlarged to serve the demand.
Before 1956, when most families had only one car, Lemmon's received several orders by telephone. At this time, produce was the big seller, so a produce list was kept by the telephone and updated every morning to inform the customers what was available. Orders had to be taken correctly to avoid unnecessary trips and upset customers. Delivery days were Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. It was not unusual to deliver three truck loads of groceries every Friday!
After 1957, more and more women started working outside the home. This meant more households would now have a second car. The need to telephone your order for groceries was no longer necessary when you could stop by the market on the way from work. Over the years, telephone orders have dwindled down to where the service has been discontinued.
Mr. Wade Lemmon passed away in April, 1956, twenty years after the market began. He is fondly remembered by all who had the pleasure of shopping in the market. Since that time, Mrs. Lemmon and son, Tom, have taken over the business and together have successfully run the market for twenty-six years.
Tom Lemmon supervises the meat department located in the back of the market. Luger's lunchmeat is offered along with excellent cuts of meat, which Lemmon's Market has always been known for.
Tom always finds time to swap stories with the men who gather around the counter. He has always been a New Brighton football fan and shows his support with the signs in the window during the season.
Over the years Lemmon's Market has grown three times in size. The most recent addition to the shelves is the line of generic products.
Lemmon's not only serves original customers but now second and third generations of the original customers also patronize the market. Mrs. Lemmon enjoys talking to those who come in and is anxious to hear about their families. She admits her customers are more like family since knowing them so many years.
All the Lemmon children, Lois, Don, Joan and Nancy have worked in the market. In the beginning they worked after school and on Saturday. Now when Mrs. Lemmon needs help she can depend on them to fill-in. Even Mrs. Lemmon's grandchildren were always willing to help out when the need arose.
The first employee, outside the family, was Dolores Householder Boyle. Other's who have been employed part-time include Helen Paulson Haddex, Doris West, Doris Spickerman Book and Harriet Kirschner. Over the years, high school students from Oak Hill have been employed in the market during the summer vacation and after school. Dee Baker is fondly remembered by Mrs. Lemmon as one she could always depend on.
If you find yourself on Oak Hill, be sure to stop in Lemmon's Market, where you will be greeted with the friendly smile and thewarm feeling people on "the Hill" have grown to know and love for the past forty-six years.
