The neighborhood grocery stores predated the expansive supermarkets of today. Many markets offered personal service, high-quality goods, and convenient delivery, a benefit to the elderly, infirm, and residents of upper floors in tenement buildings.
Elmwood had at least two of these grocery stores, which were family-owned and operated for over 50 years. One was the Baldwin Brothers grocery store, located at 369 South Street, near the intersection of Elm and Wolcott Streets. This was operated by William and Herbert Baldwin, and later by Herbert only, into the mid-1950s.
Another of these long-standing grocery stores was the Elmwood Market, the subject of today's story.
The roots of the Elmwood Market date back to 1913, when Henry Trudeau sold his market at Mosher and Center Streets and opened a new market. The location of his Elmwood Market was at 78 Chapin Street. Within two years, the store changed hands to Arthur Rheaume.
In 1920, the store owner was shown as Abraham N. Rosnick. Mr. Rosnick relocated his store to 2016 Northampton Street, opposite the Joseph Metcalf School. He continued to sell meats, vegetables, canned and boxed goods, bakery, and confectionery goods at that location until 1932.
The business was then sold to Nathan Kaplinsky. Mr. Kaplinsky and his wife, Bess, kept the grocery store on Northampton Street for about 36 years. On April 2, 1958, the Kaplinskys announced the grand opening of their new, greatly expanded market at 508 South Street, near the South Street Fire Station. The interior had been described as tennis court-sized.
In 1959, joint advertisements were run by Elmwood Market and Falls Super Market in South Hadley, which was operated by Nathan Kaplinsky's brother, Charles. Charles Kaplinsky had previously operated Eddie's Market at 165 Hillside Avenue, Holyoke.
The Kaplinskys continued to run their market until retiring in 1983, after 52 years serving customers in-store, offering delivery, and credit to those in need. The market was sold in 1983 and continued into October 1986, when it abruptly closed.
In 2003, Diana Vapnek, the daughter of Bess and Nathan Kaplinsky, endowed Holyoke Community College (HCC) with two $25,000 scholarships. Preference for the Bess Kaplinsky Scholarship would be single mothers, and the Nathan Kaplinsky Scholarship would be awarded to a Holyoke resident. The Kaplinskys had long been advocates of the value of higher education, and both of their children were college graduates.
At the ceremony, several accolades were bestowed upon the Kaplinskys for their kindness and social consciousness during their years operating the store. This included David Bartley, then-President of HCC, who grew up on West Glen and had family members who shopped at the market. Also, Art Bertrand, whose parents had nine children, spoke of his gratitude and the friendship that evolved between the Bertrand and Kaplinsky families.
What a remarkable story of the personal and social presence of this "mom and pop" market in Elmwood.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; Thousand Oaks (California) Star; publication dates and pages are shown.
Price & Lee, City of Holyoke (Massachusetts) City Directories
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