Interview with Clarence Frederick Prinster: The history of City Maket

Description

Clarence Prinster talks about his father’s meat market and grocery store in La Junta, and about the Prinster brothers moving to Grand Junction in the 1920’s to start a grocery store at their father’s urging. He talks about the founding of the first City Market grocery store at 400 Main Street in 1922, the Prinster’s purchase of the store in 1924, and renovations made. He speaks about the lard rendering business housed first in a shed behind the store and then in the Riverside neighborhood. He remembers Leo Prinster’s friendship with Lloyd King of King’s market (now King Soopers), and using ideas gleaned from King’s in the design for the City Market at 4th Street and Rood Avenue in 1939. He discusses City Market’s decision to sell wholesale groceries, the construction of the company’s third location at 9th and North, and becoming a chain store with the purchase of a location in Montrose. He talks about the Prinster’s children and grandchildren, how many of them became involved in the grocery business, and vacationing with his brother Leo in Hawaii. He remembers Leo Prinster as the main force behind the growth and success of the City Market business. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from the 1923 La Junta High School yearbook