Kieslich’s Market Content Block 2.a

But we all had a sense of ownership because, well, you never came home from school with your report card without going to show it to Grandpa. And there were those kinds of family things that brought us into the store. And you just got to know people. —Sister Marie Kieslich, granddaughter of founder

As other markets shifted to self-serve, the Kieslich family offereda mix of self-serve and personal service. Clerks retrieved dairy products from wooden cooler compartments behind the counter and used a grabber pole to pluck cans and boxes from shelves that lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Into the 1940s, the store sold flour, sugar, oats, chicken feed, and even cookies in bulk from bins.

(Below) Albert Kieslich, c. 1970, slicing a sample of cheese. Large blocks of store cheese, usually a sharp cheddar, were ubiquitous on many market counters. Courtesy of Alfred Holden.