Stockton, California: South Stockton Markets

[Floyd]

While going through some old Stockton Record Newspaper Archives, I found some interesting material. I was amazed at how segregated Stockton was. For instance, South Stockton was home for many minorities particularily Blacks. Since the late 1800's, South Stockton was home to not only minorities but to Stockton's poor. This was where the low income area was yet until the 1980's, many supermarket chains like the national Piggly Wiggly and Safeway had stores in south stockton as well as promenient local market chains like Black's or Gaines or even Segarini's. But I read articles in the newspaper microfilm that in the 1960's during the civil rights era, that even supermarkets in these depressed areas did not hire any minorities or any residents around those neighborhoods. Most of the markets were owned by whites (mostly with Italian Heritage) and a few by Asians (Japanese or Chinese), but no Black owned Supermarkets. There may have been a few very small Black owned mom and pop markets, but not the 1950's type of supermarkets. There were many pickets in front of such markets as "Safeway" on Charter Way or "either "Gaines Market" and "Segarini's Market" on South Airport Way. In 1970, when the Gaines Brothers were getting out of the Supermarket business and selling individual stores to different market chains, they sold their South Stockton store at 2204 S. Airport Way to "Ulycess Williams" who replaced the "Gaines Market" sign with his own "Uly's Market" sign. He became the VERY FIRST BLACK PERSON to operate a full service supermarket. Only problem is, he wasn't able to get good deals from distributors, so his prices were higher. Across the street was a "Segarini's Market" at 2318 S. Airport Way, another local chain similar to Gaines and had been Gaines Competitor since the late 1940's. Segarini's had much lower prices and Uly's just couldn't compete as well though Uly's did operate until 1987. Segarini's however continued on for four years until Segarini's family decided to retire and they sold it to a Chinese owner who renamed the store: "New Grand Save Market". Today, that market is now Hindu owned while the former Gaines/Uly's is vacant, boarded up and fenced off.

[Jason B.]

I believe that the main highway between Oakland and Stockton (then U.S. 50) ran along El Dorado Street and Charter Way before I-5 was constructed through the area in the late 1960s. I wonder if heavy inter-regional traffic in the 1950s and '60s discouraged supermarket construction on those major arteries. Do any supermarkets serve that area today?

I've read somewhere that this area was or is called "the Homestead," but I don't know the general boundaries. It was flood-prone at one time, which may explain why it historically has not been a high income area.

[Groceteria]

I wonder if heavy inter-regional traffic in the 1950s and '60s discouraged supermarket construction on those major arteries. Do any supermarkets serve that area today?

I suspect it's more about the fact that Stockton's growth has historically skewed to the north rather than south of downtown. The chains just aren't attracted by the demographics of the area.

That said, there's a significant amount of commerce on Charter. It's just more locally-owned and ethnic-oriented rather than the more generic upscale chains on the north side of town. The Centromart at 310 West Charter (see link below) is an intact former pylon-style Safeway from the 1950s that lasted until the late 1980s. There are several other grocers on the street, but this is the only "chain store", and it's just part of a small local chain now.

Centromart on Charter