News & announcements
Saving your history
Early accounts
Maps
Nearby towns
People
Churches
Schools
Municipal
Organizations
Businesses
The mines
Transportation
Streets
Buildings
Entertainment
Celebrations
Sports
Ethnic groups
Meat markets and butcher shops
What's on this page:
- 20th- and 21st-century meat markets and butchers
- Meat markets and butchers listed in directories and maps, 1900-1940
- 19th-century meat markets and butcher shops
- 20th-century grocery and other food stores
- 20th-century stores on wheels
- 20th-century dairies and milk product stores
- 20th-century bakeries
- 20th-century confectioneries and ice cream shops
- 20th-century flour, grain,
feed mills /
stores
- Ice sellers and companies
Photo at top left of George Domchick in front of his butcher shop comes from Judy Domchick Hall.
Also please visit the grocery stores page, because some grocery stores also employed butchers or in some cases were run by butchers, but sometimes they're not listed in the business directories that way.
George Adamshack Meat Market - 350 Centre St. (formerly the David P. Jones Store) - fresh and smoked meats, canned goods, produce (1922 ad) - fresh fish, frogs, oysters (1925 ad)
Andy's Foods -
615 South St., ('53 Minamek), Andy Hazara proprietor, and later Andy's
Meat Market, same address, same owner ('64 Minamek; age 33 in 1940
census, from Ed Merrick). Run for a long time by Andy Hasara, famous
for his
kielbasa.
(From Mike Bobby in 2000: My parents lived next to the butcher shop at
615 South Street between Washington and Adams. The gentleman's name was
Andrew Hassara and his store was Andy's Meat Market. Andy passed away
in 1992 at the age of 86). For some time after that, his daughter still
carried on the tradition. See also the Gabuzda
Brothers page, last section, for more about Andy and this store.
(Photos from John Gabuzda.)
Baran's Poultry Market - 1138 Schwabe St. - "Open Thurs. & Fri. to 9:00 P.M." (from Ed Merrick, 1948 ads)
Bott's
- Walnut St. (butcher, sold chicken fingers, other
meat products)Brueningsen Brothers - Birkbeck and Walnut streets (Harold Sr. and Walter Brueningsen) - I assume that this was a new or improved department in the Brueningsen's store that was built in 1900. (1922 ad from Ed Merrick)
Joe's Chaykowski's Meat Market - Centre St., between
Carbon & Luzerne Streets (Joe Chaykowski, proprietor; later run by
Jack and Fay Cichy) The photo on the left comes from Ed Merrick, and
the photo on the right comes from Lisa Chaykowski Merlo. (From Ed
Merrick: This is from February 1964 and shows my Dad standing in front
of Joe Chaykowski's former store, then being run by Jack and Fay Cichy.
The old sign, Joe's Meat Mkt., is still up. In the background is the
sign in front of Ostroff's Groceries, Pennsupreme Ice Cream. 18 inches
of snow had fallen.) (From Lisa Chaykowski Merlo: My grandfather is
Joseph W. Chaykowski, the original proprietor and namesake of Joe's
Meat Market on Centre Street. Therefore, if you would like to include
the attached image of my grandfather and father, a WWII vet (Joseph A.
Chaykowski) standing directly in front of Joe's Meat Market, you have
my permission. A little bit of history -- after my grandfather died, my
father owned and ran the store for a small time but then gave it to my
Uncle Jack Cichy and his wife, Fay to operate until it was sold to the
VFW to allow the organization to build a parking lot for their adjacent
building. My father was the chief draftsman for KBI in Hazleton, a
graduate of MMI and was involved in many Freeland community activities
including President of the Freeland Neighborhood Organization (during
the 70's), Toastmasters, etc. In addition, he taught a well attended
ceramics class, two nights a week (often with my mother, Helen) at the
Freeland YMCA until his death in 1976.) Citterio's - Woodside (Finest Quality Italian Style Meat Products) (from 1986 St. Casimir's booklet via Ed Merrick)
Joe Demilio's - 321
Centre St. - Fresh fish (from Ed Merrick, 1946 ad)De Milio's Food Market - 402 Washington St. - Fresh sea food (from Ed Merrick, 1948 ad)
DiSpirito Bros. - 202
Washington St. (from Ed Merrick, 1939; another 1938 ad for home raised
and milk fed turkeys) - There was a fire in the DiSpirito Brothers'
warehouse in February 1931 (from Charlie Stumpf, 1931 article) -
Chicken feed, flour, feed, grain, hay, etc. (1924 ad); plastic garden
hoses (1957 ad)
Domchick's Meats - 350 Centre St.
(George Domchick, proprietor). A 1931 ad advertised various kinds
of fish and seafood and the bottom of the ad said "At George's Lunch"
[so was there a lunch counter at the shop? - CT] (from Ed Merrick, 1931
ad) These photos and the one at top left
come from Judy Domchick,
who wrote: "My Grandfather was George Domchick from Freeland who
married Elizabeth Wilson (of Alvin Street). He was a butcher by trade.
... My Grandfather is the one in white on the step with hands behind
him. ... PapPap had his store when my Dad was a kid (he was born in
1916 so maybe mid 1920's. Don't know if he had it when Dad was born but
he told me he used to run deliveries for him to people's houses."
Drasher's Turkey Farm -
215 Maple St (from Ed Merrick, 1946 ad)Druian's Market - 346 Centre St., 301 Centre St., 421 Centre St. (has changed location several times) (Chas. Druian, prop.) - "Mike Kolochi, the well known butcher, has assumed a new position at the Meat Market ..." (1922 ad) - "We buy cow hides, calf hides, calves and chickens (from Ed Merrick, 1935 ad) - Hot sausage blended and mixed by Tony Guzzi (from Ed Merrick, 1947 ad)
Dvorshak's Quality Market - 628 Centre St. (Steven B. Dvorshak, proprietor) (from Ed Merrick, 1922 ad) Thanksgiving ad featured poultry, fruits and vegetables, fancy cakes, canned goods (1924 ad) - And, in 1931 and 1933 ads it was called Dvorshak's Terminal Market (from Ed Merrick, 1931 and 1933 ads)
Evancho's - Vine & Walnut Streets (Joseph Evancho, butcher) retail shop. (age 51 in 1940 Census)
Evancho & Sons Meat Market
- 533 Fern St. (from Ed Merrick, 1919 ad)Evans - 705 Front Street, Jonah Evans, butcher, employer (age 70 in 1940 Census)
J. Evans - 611 Centre Street. Fresh and smoked meats. Milton sausage a specialty. (Source: Catholic Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924)
Faye's - Centre St., between Luzerne & Carbon Streets - see Joe Chaykowski's Meat Market, above - later run by Jack and Faye Cichy
Freeland Deli & Pastry Shop
- Front and Centre streets - "Home of the 1/2 pound halupki" (photo
from Ed Merrick) 
Freeland Poultry Market - 310 Centre St. (Charles Wroblewski, proprietor) - "Top quality, fresh-killed poultry" (from Ed Merrick, 1953 and 1954 ads)
Gabuzda's - 899
Centre St. (Stephen A.
Gabuzda, proprietor). See also the Gabuzda
Brothers page. Gabuzda Bros., corner of Centre and Chestnut
streets, Freeland. Meats, groceries and provisions. (Source: Catholic
Reference Book and Parish Register, circa 1924) - Meat tape and
letterhead images from Marion (Gabuzda Boyle) Denion.
Gabuzda's
Meats and Groceries - 633 Centre St. (George
Gabuzda, proprietor) ('53 Minamek) See also the Gabuzda
Brothers page. Article at right
notes receipt of 60 steers at the Ayrshire Farm near Pond Creek, and
reminisces about herds of cattle being driven up Centre or Ridge
streets to the Matthias Schwabe stockyard in the early years around
1900 (article from Tom Gabuzda and Marion Denion). Ed Merrick
comments: I looked more closely at the two photos of George
Gabuzda in the store and would like to point out an interesting detail:
In the photo on the left, notice the claw hook dangling just about
George's hat. It is attached to the beam scale above. When the meat
provision companies from Hazleton delivered a side of beef to the
store, the beef was hung on the claw and weighed. Notice the weights on
the scale above George. I would guess that the room-like structure with
the window behind him is a walk-in cooler, where the side of beef was
stored until George cut it up. We had both items in our store at 355
Center Street and bought our beef from C&R Provision Company in
Hazleton. I spent many an hour with frozen hands trimming meat from
bones, which I then ground up into hamburger. Every week, what we
called the tallow company would arrive to pick up the fat and the bones
we had trimmed and hadn't sold for making soup, weigh the lot, and pay
us for the trimmings. During World War II, the fat and grease that
housewives brought in was collected and used for making explosives.Johnny's Meat Market - 350 Centre St.
Lenny's Cash Stores, Meats and Groceries Store - Fern St. (also his motor stores) (from Billy Kuklis, 1932 FPD Ball program)
Clem Lekitski's Meats and Groceries - 1133 Birkbeck St. (Clem Lakitsky/Lekitski, proprietor) (undated advertising picture poster, from Joe Moore)
Andrew Lokitsky - 559
Washington St. - Big Grand Opening at the Cottage Hotel, March 17, 1922
(from Ed Merrick, 1922 ad and article)(From Ed Lakitsky: I notice your article on Hass Hall in Freeland. Andrew and Katie Lakitsky purchased the Cottage Hotel around 1917 (I have the deeds) and operated a rooming house, butcher shop and maybe a saloon. Before that a John Fisher owned what is now the garages which were horse and stables behind the present day cottage hotel, that I understand from my aunt is where they kept horse sleds for travel in the snow. The big dining room on the south side of the cottage hotel, from the Hass and Fisher days of ownership, was removed in a boundary dispute when Fisher sold the hotel to my grandfather around 1917.)
Michael Masley, Groceries and cold meats - 457 Hemlock St., at South & Hemlock Streets (from Billy Kuklis, 1932 FPD Ball program)
Merrick's
Food Market - 355 Centre St. (Anthony Merrick,
proprietor), photo at left (From Ed Merrick: Before he opened the store
in 1950, my dad had a store-on-wheels and before that a store in the
double home that Butch Sosnowski owned at Washington and Luzerne
streets.) See the Tony Merrick page for
more.Billy Nitka's - South St., between Fern and Vine Streets was the most recent location before he closed the store. (From Ed Merrick: Billy Nitka's Quality Meats & Groceries, 511 Fern St. ('53 Minamek). My Uncle Billy had stores at various times all over the place, including one on the Airport Road in Hazleton.) See also the Tony Merrick page, final section, for more info and a photo of Billy Nitka.
National Meat Retailers - 540 Centre St. (Anthony Valaika, branch manager) - (previously Peoples Cash Market at this address, 1921 directory) - another National Meat Retailers store at 24 S. Wyoming St., Hazleton (from Ed Merrick, 1926 ad)
Nemish Meat Market – Central Hotel building (John Nemish, proprietor) (from Ed Merrick, 1923 announcement, soon to open)
Oslav's - 331 Ridge Street (Andrew Oslav, proprietor, butcher), meat market (age 55 in 1940 Census)
Palsky's Meat Market - 723 Front St. (Anthony Palsky, proprietor)
Palya's Meats and
Poultry - 452 Centre St. (George Palya,
proprietor) This building was later given to his daughter, Helen Palya
Bzdil. (From Jack Polachak: Tommy Bzdil who married Helen Palya
had Tommy's BBQ Restaurant in the same location prior to the
Bzdils' flower store.) See also the Palya's
webpage for more information.Nicholas Polachak, Groceries and cold meats - corner South and Hemlock Sts. (from Billy Kuklis, 1932 FPD Ball program)
Silvasi's Meat Market
- 409 Centre St. (Emri Silvasi,
proprietor) - Handles the best quality of meats and green truck (1924
ad) (from Ed Merrick, 1925 ad) - Fresh, home-made scrapply &
pudding, Hurki or Kishka (blood pudding with rice) (from Ed Merrick,
1948 ad) - see also the end of the Gabuzda
Brothers page for information and a photo.Stanley C. "Butch" Sosnowski's - 355 Washington St. (From Ed Merrick: He also delivered with a horse-drawn wagon. My dad rented this double house at the corner of Washington and Luzerne from Butch after World War II and operated a store there for a few years.) - listed at 334 Washington Street in 1940 census, butcher, grocery. See the Tony Merrick page for more about the Sosnowski butchers and a photo.
Turri Meat Market - S. Centre St.
(from Ed Merrick, who added: A story from 1939 told of an apprentice
meat cutter there slicing off the tip of a finger.)
Weiss Meat Market - 611
Centre St. - John Weiss - "Notice! My Meat Market will be open for
business on Thursday, Sept. 30, with a full line of choice meats" (from
Ed Merrick, 1948 ad)Harry J. Yoch Meat Market - 628 Centre St., next door to the Central Hotel. This image at right came to me from Ed Sharp. A friend of his had sent him a photocopy of an old photo of the Central Hotel, and in this detail shown next to the hotel is Harry Yoch's meat market, which was listed in the 1917 phone directory. How I wish we had a clear copy of this photo! On the building at right there are signs for "Mutt & Jeff - Mexico" and "Harry J. Yoch Meat Market".
Yoch Delicatessen - 723 E. Front St. (Mrs. Harry J. Yoch, proprietor) - Grocery and delicatessen.
Meat markets and butchers listed in directories and maps, 1900-1940
1900 Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. map
Armour's Beef Storage
1900-1901 city directory
Meat stores in business listings:
Evans, Jonah, meat market, Centre
Evans, J., meats, Freeland
Fisher, George, meat market, Walnut
Freeland Beef Co., G. S. Christian, Mgr., cor. Washington and R. R.
Hartman, Geo. H., meats, Centre
Hudock, Stephen, meats, Centre
Sosnowski, Jacob J., meats, cor. Luzerne and Washington
1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. map
Armour's Beef Storage
1912 Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. map
Armour Chicago Beef Warehouse
1912 telephone directory
Armour & Co, Geo Christian, Mgr – Washington
Evans Jonas, Meat Market – Centre
Millhopper Packing Co, Meats – Sandy Run
Palya George, Butcher – Centre
Silvasi Emri, Butcher – Centre
1917 telephone directory
Meat stores in general listings:
Dietrich, Wm. A. & Co., meats, 346 S. Centre
Evans, Jonah, meats, 611 Centre
Fox, Fred, meats, 732 N. Centre
Gabuzda, Stephen, butcher, 902 N. Centre
Palya, George, butcher, 452 Centre
Silvasi, Emri, meats, 409 Centre
Sosnowski, Jacob, meats, 355 Washington
Yoch, Harry J., meats, 628 Centre
1921-22 city directory
Meat stores in business listings:
Druian, Charles, meats, 346 Centre
Dvorshak, Steven B., grocery and meats, 628 Centre
Evancho Bros., grocery and meats, 533 Fern
Evans, Jonah, meats, 611 Centre
Gabuzdza Bros., meats, Centre cor Chestnut
Mellet The Meat Man, meats, 616 Centre
Oleyar, Michael, grocery and meats, 427 Centre
Palya, George E., grocery and meats, 452 Centre
Pecuch, Michael, grocery and meats, 337 Centre
Peoples Cash Market, meats, 540 Centre
Yoch, Harry J., Mrs., grocery and delicatessen, 723 E. Front
1928-29 city directory
Meat stores in business listings:
Domshik, George, meats, 350 Centre
Druian, Charles, meats, 301 Centre
Dwodshak, Stephen B, meats, 628 Centre
Evans, Jonah, meats, 611 Centre
Lakitski, Andrew, grocery and meats, 559 Washington
Oleyar, Michael, grocery and meats, 427 Center
Palya, George E., meats, 452 Centre
Silvasi, Emri, meats, 409 Centre
Sosnowski, Stanley, meats, 355 Washington
1940 city directory
Meat stores in business listings:
Chaykowski, Jos W, meats, 353 Centre
Evans, Jonah, meats, 611 Centre
Gabuzda, Geo J, meats, 633 Centre
Oleyar, Michael Estate, grocer, meats, 427 Centre
Palsky, Anthony, meats, 723 Front