A Carey Tradition Since 1894

It's doubtful that, when Frank Frederick Sr. decided to leave his job as a railroad telegraph operator and open a grocery store, he could have imagined that it was the beginning of a family owned and operated business that would last over 115 years. But that's exactly what happened.

Frank opened F.H. Frederick Grocery, "The Money Saving Place," as it was known, in June of 1894. The store was a small, one-room display shop, outfitted simply to sell groceries. Supplies were shipped in by rail and then delivered to the store on horse-drawn carts. In 1921, Frank moved the store across the street to a larger shop, owned by his older brother, Adam, with much more storage space. Later on, in the 1930s, a walk-in cooler was added?cooled simply by placing ice in the ceiling rafters. Commercial electricity followed soon after that and Frank purchased electric freezers. Always wanting to stay with the times, Frank was one of the first in Carey to sell frozen pies.

The Boys

Three of Frank Sr.'s four sons worked in the grocery business: Richard (Rich); Frank, Jr.; and Robert (Bob). The store dropped the F.H. Frederick name in 1936, becoming part of the Clover Farm Franchise. Rich, the eldest son, worked alongside his father during the Depression in the 1930s and began running the business in 1939, following his father's passing. He continued to manage the store for his mother until about 1946, when his two brothers, Frank, Jr., and Bob, returned from WWII. The pair bought the business from their mother, Leora, in 1953. Rich went out on his own, buying a grocery store in Bucyrus, Ohio.

In 1960, the two brothers dropped the Clover Farm name and joined theFoodland Franchise. This move coincided with the construction of the first version of the current store. As the business grew over the next decade, so did the need for additional selling space. Consequently, Frank and Bob made the decision to nearly double their square footage with a major expansion in 1974.

Frank Jr. retired soon after in 1976 with Bob following two years later. Bob sold the business to two of his sons, Steve and the late Doug Frederick. Steve and Doug first changed the firm's name to Frederick Brothers Grocery in 1980, as the local Foodland Franchise went out of business. Three years later, the brothers joined the IGA network and have been a member of the association ever since. The current store underwent its final and most recent expansion in 1990 with the addition of the new bakery/deli.

Celebrating 114 years!

*Facts and excerpts taken from the 8/18/04 Progressor-Times article by Dan Reinhart.