The Kroger Grocery & Baking Company,  Cincinnati Ohio

The Kroger Company came to West Virginia in a big way 1926 when Kroger opened 5 stores at one time in Charleston.  However, there was an in-store Kroger in a department store on Quarrier Street before that. These first stand-alone locations were: 113 Charleston St. (now Washington St W), 1201 Bigley Ave, 1006 Central Ave, 1006 State St (now Lee St) and 1592 Washington St. East. These, like all stores of the day were relatively small.  They didnt have to be big because as Kroger stated in their ads: "There's a Kroger in every neighborhood".  How right they were, because Charleston alone had TWENTY THREE STORES!  Why so many? Back in the day, not everyone had a car.  Those that did used it to get to work.  That left mom to walk to the grocery store almost every day to get food for the meals.  No one wanted to walk 20 blocks with heavy groceries, so every little neighborhood had a grocery store. Some had several besides Kroger.  Today, it's odd that we have 3 Krogers, down from 23.

Kroger's first announcement in the state.  They opened 5 stores at the same time in Charleston.

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By 1932, Kroger had it's own warehouse on West Washington St. at Delaware Ave.

Here it is being torn down:




Skip Wilson photos

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A few old Kroger stores in Charleston



Lee Street at Summers Street

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5 Corners.  This building is still here. See below.

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Kroger store in Kanawha City,  1937

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Summers Street

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Old Kroger store at 1592 Washington St E.

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Old Kroger store at  1006 Central Ave.

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Old Kroger store at 1205 Washington St W.

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The second Kroger store at 5 corners.  This store featured live poultry. Later became the Nissan Dealership

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Kroger at 1022 Lee St.  This later became the Top Value Stamps store.

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This Kroger was on Washington St W. at Patrick St.  in 1940.  Self service had just begun!

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1958. A new Kroger on Smith & Morris Streets is like no other in the area.

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There was even a Kroger on Hunt Ave on the West Side. in 1937

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One of the interesting things "back in the day" was that Kroger purchased most of it's livestock locally.  Here is an ad for beef from Mason County.  Most Kroger stores in southern WV also got their fresh chickens from Britton's Poultry on Smith Street in Charleston.  I lived next door to the plant.  Much Produce was bought from local farmers also.

Interesting fact:  By 1928,  Kroger was the 3rd largest Chain Store in America!

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Another interesting fact:  Long before Kroger had their own fleet,  they used local trucking companies.

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1954.  Kroger opens their new massive warehouse in Kanawha City.

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KROGER HISTORY









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