from mom & pop stores to big business
hundred years that the way we shop has evolved into the big business it is
today. There was a time when everyone shopped at Mom and Pop stores.
Here in Ukiah only one of these survive, The Forks Market. It was not that
long ago when store such as Yokayo Market, Wildbergers, Bi-Lo, and
Handy Market were in business. Sadly, these stores have vanished within the
past decade. When Wildbergers closed it had been open for over a hundred
years.
Today shoppers in Ukiah go to Safeway, Albertson's, Raley's, or Food Max.
There are even some people that do their shopping at Walmart. People also
shop at the convenience stores that are found all over town. Some of these
were at one point Mom and Pop stores.
The oldest grocery store in Ukiah is Safeway. It originally opened in the
Rudee building in 1926. In 1940 Safeway built a new store on the southwest
corner of Church and School Streets. Ten years later this building was
moved just north of Talmage Road so that J.C. Penny's could build a new
store. This site is now the location of the Ukiah Valley Conference Center.
The Safeway building sat vacant for more than a decade. Deep cracks
started forming in the foundation and the walls and the building was
condemed. The City of Ukiah ended up having the building demolished
against the wishes of the owner because it posed a risk to the public. Before
it was demolished it had become a makeshift shelter for the homeless, who
would break into the building and left it filled with garbage. All that remains of
this building are a few exterior light fixtures.
Bi-Lo was built in the 1960s as part of the Montgomery Wards Shopping
Center. It was not until the 1980s that it was renamed Bi-Lo. Montgomery
Wards let the shopping center in the mid 80s and the shopping center only
had a few shops left by the last part of the decade. The Thrifty's store closed
in the late 80s and all that was left by the year 2000 was Bi-Lo. A few years
later the store was closed and the complex demolished for the building of the
Grace Hudson School.
Some might be surprised to find out that the 3-R Market Shopping Center is
now the location of the Grocery Outlet. For many years this was the location
of Food Land, another grocery store.
After the Yokayo Market closed it was turned into office for Mendocino
County.
The Handy market closed in the early 2000s and has been turned into a
Latino focused music store.
The Wildberger's building has been turned into an upscale restaurant.
