Opened in 1934 by Leo Snyderwine and Rudolph Stuppy. Rudy was married to Leo's sister Gertrude. They built on the southwest corner of State and Spencer on land leased from Tom Scraggs. How bold, this was in the dark days of the great depression. All the mills closed. High unemployment. Somehow they gathered capital to build the stand and buy an Icehouse. Most people had iceboxes. They sold ice and stored fruits and vegetables.
The structure of the store was basic, featuring drop down panels for display. On closing, all merchandise had to be brought in and panels closed.

The emphasis was on fresh fruit and produce. They bought materials directly from farmers, wholesalers and from a wholesale market in Youngstown Ohio. I'm positive that the combination of freshness and low prices made for success.
I was there when the icehouse was delivered. It came on a flat bed truck on a crib of timbers. I said to myself it looks top heavy. Bobbys riggers were on hand and using street car jacks they jacked it up and pulled out the crib timbers. When they got to the level of the foundation they used wooden rollers to roll it onto the foundation. Wow, I was impressed as any 9 year old boy would be.
The store prospered.

In the summer of 1936 my mother Van said to Leo, why don't you take Bobie to the Youngtown Market on Pyatt St. Up until that time I spent my summers playing sandlot baseball and just hanging out with my friends.

So he took me, I was thrilled! The market opened at 1:pm and buyers were lined up and when the siren sounded there was a mad dash to get the best parking spots. I would walk with Leo as he walked through the market. When he bought things my job was to load them on the truck. What a thrill! I was working with Dad. I loved it. On return to the market I helped unload the truck. I have a memory of Dad giving me a basket of fresh lima beans and several pint baskets. He said shell the beans and ut them in the basket. I said "that will take all day", he smiled and said just sit there and get started, and I did. It was a lesson on patience that I carried all my life.
So, my business life began. I started hanging around the Market and Dad would give me jobs. A distasteful job was using a vinegar rag to clean each egg. And they were dirty! as I cleaned them I put them in boxes of a dozen. Then carried them upstairs to put on the shelf (not refrigerated).