TEN THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT OCEANSIDE'S MARKETS

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Things You Didn’t Know About Oceanside’s Markets

WORDS: KRISTI HAWTHORNE PHOTOS COURTESY OF OCEANSIDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

When Oceanside was first established in the 1880s, the need for a local grocer or food market was immediate.

As Oceanside grew, larger chain stores eventually located here, such as the A&P grocery store, one of the largest in the country. In the 1950s, several local markets joined together for purchasing power and to offer shoppers competitive pricing.

They included: Toeller's Food Store along with the Beehive, Swanson's, Hightower, Tuten's, Wisconsin, and Farrell's Markets. An ad was placed in the newspaper saying that this enabled “them to buy the same as” larger chains and pass the savings on. The message even then was to “shop local.” While there have been hundreds of markets and groceries operating in Oceanside over the years, here is a look at some of the earliest and a few of the favorites.

1.One of the earliest markets was owned by Oscar M. Reece, who offered fresh fruit from local orchards along with butter and other dairy products from farmers in the San Luis Rey Valley. By 1886, Theodore Bunker opened the Oceanside Meat Market on North Cleveland Street near his boarding house.

2.In 1900, brothers John F. and Henry B. Martin arrived in Oceanside and opened Martin Brothers' Meat Market on Second Street (Mission Avenue). The Martins leased land on the Kelley ranch where they raised their cattle. Frank Martin offered a delivery service, providing customers convenient home delivery, even traveling out to the San Luis Rey Valley. The Martin family opened a new market in 1923 at the northwest corner of Second (Mission Avenue) and Tremont Streets.

3.Tom Ramos came with his family from New Mexico in 1921. For several years he was the manager of the Humpty Dumpty Store on Second Street (Mission Avenue). In 1931, Tom opened his own store at 129 South Hill Street (Coast Highway).

4.William Contreras and Carlos Gelpi together formed Contreras & Gelpi, a local grocery store that still has its mark in downtown Oceanside. In 1927, they moved to 408 Third Street (Pier View Way) and painted their names on the east side of the historic Schuyler building, now known as the Brick Hotel. They later relocated to 215 North Cleveland Street and were so successful, they opened a second store on Second Street (Mission Avenue).

5.The Eastside neighborhood had its own markets which catered largely to its residents. One of the earliest was the Mission Market located at

Martin Brothers Meat Market,1900.

Dale Buell's Grocery Store, 1930s.

South O Red & White Market's last day of business, 2019.

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Things You Didn’t Know About Oceanside’s Markets

MacCallum Market, 202 Wisconsin Ave, circa 1944.

Anthony, Lina, Mary and Mel Spano, Red & White Market, 1984.

1502 Mission Avenue. It opened in 1937 and was once owned by Manuel Castorena. It was later sold to Sylvester “Syl” Diaz who operated it for years. Ygnacio and Socorro Adame established the La Chiquita Market in 1945 at 410 San Diego Street where Socorro cooked and sold fresh tortillas and tamales, and provided fresh produce and other grocery items. In 1948, Lucy and Marie Chavez opened the East Star Market at 420 San Diego Street.

6.Andrew Alanzo “Lon” Buell arrived in Oceanside in 1926 and established a grocery store and market at 206 North Hill Street (Coast Highway) that became popular with residents. His brother Dale Buell also operated a grocery store which was located at 316 Third Street (Pier View Way). 7.Vaughn's Market, at 308 South Hill Street (Coast Highway), was a family-owned business for over fifty years. John and Patricia Vaughan purchased the grocery business from B. N. Ruebush in 1948 and gave the market their name. For many years the market was operated by their children, Jack and Jill Vaughn.

8.T. Murray and Jessie MacCallum opened a neighborhood market on Wisconsin Avenue in about 1940. After the MacCallum’s sold the business, it was renamed the Wisconsin Market and was known as “the little store across the tracks.” offering fresh meats and produce along with grilled and prepared foods.

10. Anthony Spano came to Oceanside in 1952 from New York. In 1959, he and his brother, Mel, purchased the Tuten Market building at 510 Vista Way and opened the Red & White Market. The store was a fixture in South Oceanside and closed after sixty years in 2019. Today, the Spano family continues ownership of the Red & White Market at 700 North Coast Highway.

9.The Hightower Market at 606 Morse Street operated for over fifty years, opening in 1950. In 2003, it became the popular Primo’s Market