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SPRAGUE RIVER GROCERY

BLOCK 11, LOTS  1, 2 & 3

GIENGER'S GROCERY

BLOCK 11, LOTS 1, 2, & 3

 

 

September 19, 1932:   "Frank Reynolds has returned from Lakeview where he has been employed for several months by a lumber company.  He has again resumed his position as clerk in the Sprague River grocery store."   (The Evening Herald)

 

December 27, 1934:   "Beer licenses for nine applicants were approved by the county court, Thursday, and others were under consideration.  The court functions only in a recommending capacity, final action being taken by the state liquor control commission.  Licenses approved include --- C. C. Heidrick, Sprague River --- package."   (The Evening Herald)

February 20, 1936:   "Mr. and Mrs. Pete Grobe of Chiloquin are spending some time in Sprague River.  Mrs. Grobe is doing the housekeeping for the boys during the absence of Mrs. Heidrich while Mr. Grobe is assisting in the meat and grocery departments of the Sprague River grocery."   (The Evening Herald)

May 20, 1936:   "Both the Ideal grocery and the Sprague River grocery are sporting new neon signs over their doors.  It gives quite a metropolitan air to our small town."   (The Klamath News)

July 20, 1938:   The Sprague River grocery was given a new coat of paint.   (The Evening Herald)

September 8, 1938:   "The fire was not discovered until it had spread from the outhouse to the two-story Sprague River hotel at about 4:30 p.m.  From there the flames leaped from building to building along both sides of the main street and at the end of an hour only C. C. Heidrich's Sprague River grocery, the Sprague River garage and two service stations remained standing."   (The Klamath News)

March 6, 1939:   "The Sprague River store and living quarters occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Heidrich are receiving extensive improvements."   (The Evening Herald)

June 14, 1939:   "C. C. Heidrich is installing a soda fountain in his store."   (The News and Herald)

July 11, 1939:   "Miss Edith Pankey is employed at the fountain in the Sprague River grocery store."   (The Evening Herald)

October 24, 1939:   "Mrs. Aileen Croley is employed in the Sprague River grocery."   (The Klamath News)

February 23, 1940:   "Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Heidrich and family have moved to the apartment in the store."   (The Evening Herald)

May 23, 1940:   "Roy Gienger plans to open a new store in Sprague River soon.  The exact date of opening is not known but will be within the next two weeks.  The new store in Sprague River will be a duplicate of the store here."   (The Chiloquin Review)

June 13, 1940:   "Leroy Gienger has begun some remodeling on his store in Sprague River."   "Herb McDaniels, Vertis Swearingen, Jack Coleman and Chet Flury have been transferred to the Gienger store in Sprague River.  McDaniels will be employed in the meat market, Swearingen and Flury in the grocery department, and Coleman in the hardware department."   (The Chiloquin Review)

June 20, 1940:   "The Gienger Grocery Company of this city, opened a branch grocery, hardware and clothing store in Sprague River this past week.  The new Gienger store replaces the old Sprague River Grocery.

      The new store according to reports will handle complete lines of groceries, hardware, men's clothing and will have furniture on call from their Chiloquin store which carries quite a complete stock.

      The personnel of the new store consists of Vertis Swearingen and Chet Flury, who will have charge of the grocery department, Herb McDaniels in the meat department and Jack Coleman will have charge of the hardware department.

      The Gienger's did some rebuilding and remodeling on the store and intend to make a number of changes to bring the stores up to a modern appearance."   (The Chiloquin Review)

June 21, 1940:   "Roy Gienger of Chiloquin has purchased the Sprague River grocery and his men's furnishings and hardware store formerly owned by C. C. Heidrich.  A Mr. Swearingen from Chiloquin will manage the store here.

      Gienger is having an addition built to his store building, which will house the hardware and furnishings department when completed.  The store opened for business under the new manager Friday."   (The Klamath News)

September 26, 1940:   "Chet Flury  who has been employed at the Gienger Grocery store in Sprague River was transferred back to the local (Chiloquin) store here the first of the week."   (The Chiloquin Review)

October 10, 1940:   "Ralph Brickey is being temporarily employed in the meat department of the Gienger Grocery store in Sprague River."   (The Chiloquin Review)

October 31, 1940:   "Mr. and Mrs. Gene Fletcher left Sunday for Sprague River where they will make their home.  Mr. Fletcher was employed in the meat department of the Gienger Grocery store here (Chiloquin) and will be employed in the same department in the Sprague River store."   (The Chiloquin Review)

December 30, 1940:   "Vertis Swearingen, manager of the Gienger store and co-proprietors, A.L. Book and Eugene Merritt of the Ideal department store, announce that, beginning January 2 the two department stores will close at 6 p.m. on week days instead of the present 7 o'clock closing hour.  The stores will stay open until 9 p.m. on Saturday nights.  Both stores will open at 7 a.m., to allow mill workers to get supplies before work starts.

      This new schedule is in line with rules of many independent stores in the county and will allow employes longer evenings for recreation.  Both stores were closed all day on December 25 and 26 and also all day New Year's day."   (The Evening Herald)

January 16, 1941:   "Robert Carnini, student of Sprague River high, is assisting in the Gienger store during the vacation of Keith Powers.  Bob has charge of the evening delivery."   (The Evening Herald)

February 21, 1941:   "Vertis Swearingen, manager of the local Gienger grocery, left Sunday morning by train for a two weeks' vacation to Beaumont, Texas."   (The Evening Herald)

March 19, 1941:   "Ira Chambers has been employed as butcher in the Giengers store replacing Gene Flesher, who with his wife and children recently moved to the Willamette valley."   (The Klamath News)

May 1, 1941:   "Announcement has been recently made by Roy Gienger of the Sprague River Grocery of the transfer of Veris Swearingen, present manager of the store, to the Chiloquin store.  His place will be taken by Dwight Kircher, who has been assistant manager here for some time.

      The Swearingen's have been prominent in community work here, and their moving will be much felt.  Swearingen was a member of the fire department and helped in the sponsorship of numerous community ventures."   (The Evening Herald)

July 4, 1941:   "Gene Coffman, son of Tom Coffman, is employed in the Gienger grocery store."   (The Klamath News)

August 29, 1941:   " 'Aldo 'Jock' Giacamelli of Chiloquin is employed at the Sprague River Gienger store.  Jock was a star athlete in the Chiloquin high school last year and expects to play with the Sprague River Townies basketball team this winter."   (The Evening Herald)

February 18, 1942:   "Dwight Kircher, manager of the Gienger Grocery here, is on a business trip to the northern part of the state."   (The Evening Herald)

July 24, 1942:   "Miss Vera Schmitz, 1942 graduate of Sprague River high school, is working at the soda fountain at Gienger's store in Sprague River."   (Herald and News)

June 10, 1943:   "Pete Grob, who for a number of years butchered for several of the local stores, was in from Sprague River today where is now working for the Gienger Grocery Company store there."   (The Chiloquin Review)

January 11, 1944:   "Faye Kelly is employed by the Gienger grocery this week."   (Herald and News)

April 18, 1945:   "Mrs. K. O. Thompson is assisting in Gienger's grocery.  Mrs. Welch has resigned because of ill health."   (Herald and News)

November 7, 1945:   "Mr. and Mrs. Brick Stowe have moved into the Gienger store apartment recently.  Stowe is employed as butcher and his wife as a clerk in the store.  They came here from Chiloquin."   (Herald and News)

November 30, 1945:   "Mrs. Byron Welch is clerking in the Gienger grocery replacing Mrs. K. O. Thompson who has resigned."   (Herald and News)

September 24, 1953:   "Mr. and Mrs. Brick Stowe, who have managed the Gienger store in Sprague River for years until the first of the month, have been staying in Chiloquin visiting at the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Clare Taylor."   (Herald and News)

January 1, 1983:   A fire in the wee hours of the morning destroyed the Sprague River grocery, also the post office that was located in the store.  The owner's living quarters located next to the building was lost.  A community effort reopened the post office inside the fire station.  A temporary store was immediately erected to continue providing groceries and needed supplies.

2017:   The structure at this location currently houses the County Library Branch and the U. S. Post Office.

October 2017 - Ron Kemnow photo

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