HACIENDA HEIGHTS CA--Former SMITH'S FOOD KING?

Uh...California.

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Dean
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HACIENDA HEIGHTS CA--Former SMITH'S FOOD KING?

Post by Dean »

The site is @ 15735 Gale Avenue, Hacienda Heights CA. Corner of Gale & Hacienda.

The site is currently Joann Fabrics...yet, Joann is now closing shop @ this location.

I had been told that the site was originally Smith's Food King---probably late 60s. Does this sound correct?

If this is correct, I believe the history at this location is the following:

Smith's Food King
Mayfair Market
Ole's Hardware
Fabric King
Joann Fabrics

The fenced in area facing Gale was the garden area for Ole's. The area has been empty since Fabric King moved in. For the longest time...the Ole's sign in the back was simply covered with a tarp. It blew off @ one time. Been awhile since I drove by there...did the sign EVER get painted?!

I believe the main sign, on Hacienda, has a "crown"-type thing under the large sign. Therefore...leads me to believe it indeed was SMITH'S Food King. Comically, the "crown" has stayed all these years...and when it was Fabric King...it "fit" again!
Jeff
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Post by Jeff »

This Joann Fabrics is going out of business and slated to close soon. Visit it before they close....for all we know, it could be torn down.
Dean
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Post by Dean »

Jeff wrote:This Joann Fabrics is going out of business and slated to close soon. Visit it before they close....for all we know, it could be torn down.
Exactly. In thinking about this location...I wonder if the THRIFTIMART(across this street, which we have discussed under another thread) essentially closed this site...as it was larger and/or more modern at the time. The THRIFTIMART center had more to offer than the free-standing SMITH'S Food King. The THRIFTIMART center (known as Gale Square) had a BEST BUY Rexall Drug Store, Gilbert's dime store, "mini" Sears (catalog desk, furniture) banks, and restaurants. The SMITH'S had SMITH'S and a gas station.
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runchadrun
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Post by runchadrun »

The first reference to 15735 Gale Avenue in the LA Times archive is in 1968. Several display ads from 1968 to March 1970 list Merritt Hardware at that address. Merritt previously had a location at 1231 S Hacienda Blvd, about a half block to the south. The Ole's opened at the Gale address in September 1970 as the seventh store in the chain. The last reference I found was a Glidden paint ad from 1982. (I can only see display ads through 1985.)

I did find a reference to a Builders Emporium in Hacienda Heights (no address listed) in a story about a rather gruesome murder that took place in 1987. The murder didn't take place there though.
Jeff
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Post by Jeff »

runchadrun wrote: I did find a reference to a Builders Emporium in Hacienda Heights (no address listed) in a story about a rather gruesome murder that took place in 1987. The murder didn't take place there though.
I beleive the Builders Emporium was in central Hacienda Hts on Hacienda and Halliburton with the Rite Aid and Vons.

REALLY LONG LINK

Up until a year or so ago, the Garden Area was still there. In Live Local, they gutted out the garden area. Today its an asian marketplace.
Dean
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Post by Dean »

runchadrun wrote:The first reference to 15735 Gale Avenue in the LA Times archive is in 1968. Several display ads from 1968 to March 1970 list Merritt Hardware at that address. Merritt previously had a location at 1231 S Hacienda Blvd, about a half block to the south. The Ole's opened at the Gale address in September 1970 as the seventh store in the chain. The last reference I found was a Glidden paint ad from 1982. (I can only see display ads through 1985.)

I did find a reference to a Builders Emporium in Hacienda Heights (no address listed) in a story about a rather gruesome murder that took place in 1987. The murder didn't take place there though.
thanks for researching this!

So, it was never Smith's Food King. Originally Merritt's...and then the rest of the others listed above. thanks again!

Merritt's moved down (north) on Hacienda Boulevard. Believe it is still there.

Yes, BUILDER'S EMPORIUM was in the VONS/THRIFTY (now RiteAid) center. BUILDER'S was divided up into a number of units.

What is really funny is the restaurant next to this former BUILDER'S. For years it was MR. SWISS...which primarily sold hamburgers. It was purchased...and became MR. SWISS CHINESE RESTAURANT.
socalgrocer

Post by socalgrocer »

The old Gale Square Thriftimart later became Lucky, then a short-lived Albertsons. 99 CENTS ONLY operates the current site.

As for Joann/Fabric King, that building looks so run down and falling apart, no wonder why Joann wanted out. The old Ole's Garden center is like a packrat, stuffed with surplus materials and supplies.

socalgrocer
teresaslo

So excited to find this thread!

Post by teresaslo »

I lived in the La Puente Junction area as they now call it, from 1955 to 1962 approx in the housing tract "Happy Homes" across the street from the Thriftymart Shopping center on Gale Ave. The huge "T" was very impressive to me as a child and they had wonderful carnivals in the parking lot. I have a picture of my sister and me in one of the rides held in the parking lot with a very vacant area across the street. We used to walk to the Thriftymart which seemed like a very long way but mapped out on Google, it is only about 1/4 mile.

It was a very special area for me and others that remember the "T" I have spoken to on Classmates. One girl (woman) could see it from her bedroom window. The area was so sparcely populated at the time one needed those 'landmarks'.

I saw some pictures of some of the homes there which look very different from what we lived in. They built two story homes out of some of them and gave them a 'facelift'. They put up those houses so fast to accomadate the population 'boom'. I have a pic of my Mom , sister and I in front of one of them.

I checked out the area on Google Earth but cannot really tell what is there now. I found my old school Glenelder about a mile down Gale Ave.

I hope someone can come up with a picture of that 'T'. We still have some contact with one of our neighbors from that area. I think she is well in her 80's.

thanks for this site!
teresa
(this apple dropped not far away in San Luis Obispo CA)
javelin
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Post by javelin »

Jeff wrote:This Joann Fabrics is going out of business and slated to close soon. Visit it before they close....for all we know, it could be torn down.
Going back to this subject, I noticed the Joann Fabric stores are usually located in older-looking buildings. I was in the location in Victorville a few months ago (yeah, a fabric store) looking for headliner material for my car. I couldn't believe how run down it was inside, not just for the clientele they serve, but it looked downright unsafe. The paint is peeling off, the ceiling tiles are discolored, very run-down. I've wondered for a while what that store was before. It has the odd-looking fake stone trim on the walls.
Jeff
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Post by Jeff »

Joann Fabrics (or the former Joann, now closed) was located in part of an old movie theatre!

The $2 Fabric store in Rosemead used to be in an old drug store.
Dean
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Post by Dean »

Passed this site yesterday. It is a mess!

Completely fenced in. Has a FOR LEASE sign hanging on the building.

Possibly TESCO could demolish the site for a FRESH & EASY!
luckysaver
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Post by luckysaver »

Jeff,

The $2 Fabric store is on Valley and Muscatel in Rosemead. This was a former Alpha Beta shopping center which had Alpha Beta (currently Rosemead Supermarket, previously Ralphs), Alpha Beta Hy-Lo Drug (currently $2 Fabrics), and Alphy's Coffee Shop, which I don't know what is in its place now. The fabric store still maintains the original brown front facade of Hy-Lo Drugs.

luckysaver
Dean
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Re: HACIENDA HEIGHTS CA--Former SMITH'S FOOD KING?

Post by Dean »

Site has evolved...again!

It is now Fine Living Furniture.

They did a nice job of sprucing up the building and the center.
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