Snyder's IGA Super Market at corner of Walnut and Main St., N. Manchester, 1949 Photo

Snyder's IGA Super Market on west edge of town, State Road 114W.

Source: News-Journal, August 16, 1973 Centennial Section

Snyder's Market Grows From Small Grocery on Walnut Street

Snyder's Supermarket traces its origin to a little grocery store opened on Walnut Street in 1934 by F.E. Snyder, father of Paul and Eugene.

The building was owned by George Bender and is the present location of the U.A.W. offices.

Paul and Eugene bought the store from their father in 1943 and formed a family partnership which continues today.

In 1944 the Snyders purchased the Ulrey Building on the corner of Walnut and Main Streets.

They remodeled the room and moved their store into the larger and more modern location.

In February of 1955 the need for more room and parking space caused the business to be moved into a new building on the west edge of town on State Road 114W. The building and lot were owned by Alvin Bolinger.

Paul and Eugene incorporated their business with sons John and Patrick in March, 1962. In May of the same year they purchased their building and nearly five acres of land from Alvin Bolinger.

On August 9, 1962, the building and all of its contents were destroyed by fire. Within three weeks the Snyders were back in business in their former downtown location.

The store remained on Main Street while plans were underway for the new store which started construction in Sept. 1962.

The new building is the same one now in use. It was moved farther back on the lot to provide the large parking now available for customers.

The new Snyder's Supermarket was completed and opened on Monday, Feb. 4, 1963.

Since then some remodeling has taken place to provide even better facilities for North Manchester shoppers.

Source: Ravelings (1947) Ad:

SNYDER'S I.G.A. MARKET
Everyday Low Prices on
Quality Groceries and Meats
Phone 602
North Manchester, Ind.

Source: News-Journal, January 10, 1955:

Snyder's I.G.A. Market -- North Manchester's First Drive-in Super Market Nearing Completion

We are anxious to move into our new building and to better serve the people of North Manchester and the surrounding area with the type of food market they have needed for a long time. There will be plenty of free parking space adjacent to the building for the convenience of our customers. Only a short distance to carry your groceries!

Source: News-Journal, February 17, 1955:

Snyder's Market In New Location

The Snyder I.G.A. Market will open for business next Wednesday in the new location in the Bolinger building on Road 114 west. In reality there will be little moved except the personnel, for entirely new fixtures have been installed, and a new stock of merchandise is being stocked. It will be one of the most modern grocery and meat markets in this section of the state, embodying all the latest type fixtures and conveniences that go with the grocery and meat business. The project started last summer when Alvin Bolinger constructed the building especially for the tenants. The overall size of the building is 62 x 109, with a sales room of 69 x 87, and a rear room for unloading and storage. The building will be air conditioned, with seeing eye doors that open automatically, latest type cash registers, refrigerator cases, etc. Surrounding the building to the front and both sides will be parking space for about 75 cars all of it entirely off the highway.

The Snyder market was started in North Manchester by Firmer Snyder of South Whitley, father of Paul and Gene Snyder, the present owners. The sons purchased the business in 1945, and moved from Walnut street to the Ulrey building, corner of Walnut and Main streets, formerly occupied by the Gresso store. A growing business prompted the owners to embark in a new venture for the North Manchester area, a drive-in food market. In addition to the owners, other full-time employees include Ralph Ohmart, Mrs. Alice Freitag, Sammy Peden, Larry Metzger, Mrs. Hattie Jane Rhoades, Miss Ruth Renicker, John Snyder, and William Doster.

Source: News-Journal, August 9, 1962

FIRE DESTROYS SNYDER'S STORE

[photo of store/caption] The Snyder IGA Market that was destroyed by fire early Thursday morning. Located on Road 114 west, the building was built by Alvin Bolinger in 1954, and the grocery was moved from the uptown location February 23, 1955. The building was built especially for a grocery, and was 62x110. The front part was used for a serve-your-self grocery and meat market, and the rear room was used for storage. The building was sold to Paul and Gene Snyder in January of this year, and when the firm incorporated, the new owners leased it to the corporation. Two sons, John and Pat became members of the incorporated firm.

The Snyder IGA Market on Road 114 west, burned after midnight Wednesday night with a loss that is estimated at $100,000 or more. Only the outside walls were intact this morning when firemen finally brought the fire under control. Charred and heat damaged stock remained on some metal shelves, but for the most part everything that was flammable burned. Sections of the roof collapsed as well as sections of the ceiling and ceiling joists. Rock wood insulation in the attic made it difficult for firemen to get at the fire in the attic, while smoke and flames made it impossible to enter the building and the fire had to be fought from the outside.

The building is in Chester Township, but fire hydrants were available at the west end of Main street and also on Road 114, east of the  building. Chester, North Manchester, Laketon and Wabash fire trucks were used. Pumpers were stationed at the hydrants, and pumped water under high pressure to the fire trucks near the fire. Those pumpers then boosted the water to high pressure through the hose the firemen were using. Chester had two units, North Manchester and Laketon two units, and Wabash was requested to send a pumper to help relay the water to trucks near the fire. At no time was there any lack of water, as a six inch water main makes a circuit along West Main street and Road 114.

The cause of the fire is not known. Heskel Martin, who was on relief police duty, checked the doors and about the building shortly after 11:00 Wednesday night, and then returned about 12:15. He drove around the building. Electric lights were on in the grocery room, and he could see the interior clearly. There was no fire or smoke at that time. It was about 1:00 o'clock when Lemoine Montel who lives across the street, was aroused from sleep by the sound of glass breaking. He thought it probably was a vehicle wreck, and when he got up to investigate, he saw the entire front of the Snyder building was in flames. He called the fire department, and about the same time, someone came to the fire department and reported the fire. By the time the firemen could get there and get set up to pour water, the fire had spread throughout the front room, and probably had eaten upward into the attic. It was not until early this morning that the fire was brought under control.

Some records, not in the safe, burned, but money, insurance and other papers were in the safe, and although the safe had not been opened this morning, it is believed the contents are not damaged. Insurance appraisers are making an appraisal today, and efforts will be made to determine the cause of the fire. It is estimated the loss will be or may exceed $100,000, and although substantial insurance was carried, it will not be enough to cover the loss.

The building was built by Alvin Bolinger a few years ago as a grocery for the Snyder firm, and Paul and Gene purchased the building earlier this year. After the firm was incorporated and their sons, John and Pat Snyder, were taken into the firm, the building was leased to the corporation.

As it happens the uptown store building, owned by the firm at the corner of Main and Walnut streets, is vacant, and the plan is to open the Market in this building, until the burned building can be restored. The walls apparently are intact, but most of the windows were broken. Much of the equipment, refrigerators, cash registers, scales, etc., are damaged beyond use.

The Snyder brothers have been in business in North Manchester about thirty years. They first opened a store on the west side of Walnut street, and after a few years moved to a larger building, known as the Ulrey Block on the east side of Walnut, and fronting on Main. They occupied this building until the building that burned, was built a few years ago.

Source: News-Journal, August 16, 1962

Snyder Market Reopens Monday
Old Location at Main and Walnut

The Snyder IGA Market will open next Monday in the room owned by the firm at Main and Walnut streets. The store on Road 114 West was destroyed by fire Wednesday night of last week with almost total loss of building contents. Fortunately the building uptown, where the store was formerly located, had been vacated a few weeks ago by the Hirsch store, and was available for a speedy resumption of business operations.

Refrigeration, shelving and other fixtures were purchased almost immediately after the fire, and movement of new grocery stocks into the uptown room started yesterday. Shelving and checkout counters had been put in place Monday and Tuesday, and refrigeration equipment, meat cases, and other equipment will be here and installed in the next day or two. Although varied lines of the same type cannot be carried to the extent that were stocked in the store that burned, it is planned to have a complete stock of groceries, meats and vegetables.

Plans for a new store building have been designed by Richard Frantz of the Frantz Lumber Company, and will be taken to Indianapolis soon for approval by the state fire marshal, state board of health and other agencies whose approval is necessary for public buildings. Contract has been let to the Frantz Lumber Company and construction will start as soon as possible. The new store will be north of the building that burned, and will be larger. The site of the building that burned will be added to the present parking area. The firm had purchased several acres of land from Alvin Bolinger early this year, and thus there will be no delay in selecting the site for a new building. It is hoped to have the new building completed by late this year, and probably the greatest Christmas present for the Snyder firm would be to have the building completed and being occupied by Christmas. Weather conditions will be a factor in fulfilling this hope.

The building that burned was constructed by Alvin Bolinger and Paul and Gene Snyder purchased it last January. The firm incorporated, and their sons, John and Pat became members of the firm.

No merchandise from the burned store was brought to the uptown store. All that was usable was sold to an out-of-town salvage firm, and the remained was hauled to the dump.