Greenough's Grocery Records, 1906-1951
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Greenough's Super Market (Spokane, Wash.)
- Title
- Greenough's Grocery Records
- Dates
- 1906-1951 (inclusive)19061951
- Quantity
- 1.5 ft.
- Collection Number
- Ms 61
- Summary
- Established in 1898 in Mullan, Idaho, by four Greenough brothers (Wilbur D., Thomas L., Joseph W., and John B.) as Greenough's Grocery; expanded to Wallace, Idaho, in 1906; shortly thereafter sold and new store opened in Spokane, Wash., where known progressively as Greenough Bros. Co., Greenough's, and Greenough's Super Market; closed in 1985. Ledgers, journals, and stock certificates, documenting company history.
- Repository
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Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture)
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
archives@northwestmuseum.org - Access Restrictions
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Collection is not restricted.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
Nolan, Edward W. A Guide to the Manuscript Collections in the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington State Historical Society, 1987).
- Languages
- English
Historical Note
Having made a fortune in the Couer d' Alene mines, four Greenough brothers - Wilber D., Thomas L., Joseph W., and John B. - opened a grocery store in Mullan, Idaho in 1898. The Store was expanded to include Wallce in 1906, but soon after, the brothers sold their Idaho interest and moved to Spokane where they opened a store on the site of the rpesent Ridpath Hotel.
This Spokane store was the successor to the store of Sloane, Paine and Richmond, which was located in the Symons block on Sprague Avenue. The store was purchased in 1905 by Wilbur Greenough.
In 1918 the Greenough brothers introduced mass volume, self-service grocery shopping to the city of Spokane. In 1924 the brothers challenged Spokane Sunday closing law - the effort failed.
In 1929 the store was moved to a site at Sixth and Washington where parking was readily available. Greenough's became a supermarket, offering not only groceries and green items, but a beauty parlor, a drug store, a bakery, a soda fountain with luncheon facilities, a meat market and even a service station.
In the 1970's the Spokane freeway cut through the district and the business suffered. After a brief comeback, the store closed in 1985 due to loss of its lease.
The collection includes stock certificates and some of the journals and general ledgers of the company.
Content Description
The collection consists of ledgers containing the financial records of the company. The collection is fragmentary.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
Publication RightsCopyright has not been assigned to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Museum Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher
Preferred Citation
Greenough's Grocery Records (Ms 61), Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.
Administrative Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
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Series 1: General
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Description: History and InventoryContainer: Box 1, Folder 1
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Description: Stock Certificates - Greenough Bros. Co., Inc.Dates: November 2, 1906-September 11, 1928Container: Box 1, Folder 2
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Description: Stock Certificates - Greenough'sDates: October 1, 1929-July 6, 1951Container: Box 1, Folder 3
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Description: JournalDates: 1923-1936Container: Box 1, Folder 4
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Description: General LedgerDates: 1937Container: Box 1, Folder 5
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Description: JournalDates: January 15, 1904-?Container: Box 2, Folder 1
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Description: JournalDates: 1912-1923Container: Box 2, Folder 2
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Description: JournalDates: March 18, 1906-June 30, 1912Container: Box 3, Folder 1
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Description: General LedgerDates: January 31, 1893-January 1, 1895Container: Box 4, Folder 1
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Description: General LedgerDates: October 1, 1903-December 1, 1905Container: Box 4, Folder 2
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Description: General LedgerDates: March 31, 1906-April 30, 1908Container: Box 5, Folder 1
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Description: General LedgerDates: July 11, 1910-December 31, 1916Container: Box 5, Folder 2
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Description: General Ledger[?]Dates: 1923-1937Container: Box 6, Folder 1
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Description: General LedgerDates: 1919-1937Container: Box 6, Folder 2
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Food industry and trade--Idaho
- Food industry and trade--Washington (State)
- Grocery trade--Idaho
- Grocery trade--Washington (State)
- Marketing--Washington (State)
- Self-service stores--Washington (State)
- Supermarkets--Washington (State)
Personal Names
- Greenough, John B.
- Greenough, Joseph W.
- Greenough, Thomas L., 1851-1911
- Greenough, Wilbur D.
Corporate Names
- Greenough's Super Market (Spokane, Wash.)--Archives
Geographical Names
- Spokane (Wash.)--Business, industries, and trades--Bakeries
- Spokane (Wash.)--Business, industries, and trades--Groceries
- Spokane (Wash.)--Business, industries, and trades--Supermarkets
- Washington (State)--Business, industries, and trades--Groceries
Other Creators
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Corporate Names
- Greenough Bros. Co. (Spokane, Wash.) (creator)
- Greenough's (Firm : Spokane, Wash.) (creator)
- Greenough's Grocery (creator)
