Arthur's Market, Schenectady, NY
Audio Excerpts | Current Photo | Historic Picture

Interview with: Pete Polachek
Interviewed by: Josh Flacke and Nancy Gifford on 5/22/01

Polachek: Hi, my name is Pete Polachek and I own Arthur's Food Market in downtown Schenectady, in the Stockade section.

Flacke: What kinds of products were sold in the beginnings of the store, do you know?

Polachek: I think in the beginning, because it could possibly be the oldest store in the country that has always sold food, it was more of a general store. I'm not a historian, but I think they sold dry goods, game that was trapped in the area and whatever foods people used in 1795 - they probably sold them right here...corn, fruits and vegetables, meat. They probably sold cloth and probably any item that one would use in their house at that time.

Flacke: How has business been through the years?

Polachek: My father bought this store in 1945, after he got out of the Merchant Marines and business was OK because the General Electric was very prosperous in Schenectady. There were over 50,000 employees at the GE. Now there's only 6 or 7 thousand employees.

I started working here in 1968 and we delivered groceries all over the area, including Albany, Colonie, Scotia - we were all over every day and there were more families living down here. So the grocery orders were bigger, also because there weren't as many supermarkets when I started working here.

When my father started working here there was a corner store on almost every corner. There were 10-15 stores just in this neighborhood. My father and Krugers, up the street, were in competition with each other. Krugers was the first store in Schenectady to have shopping carts in their store and we followed shortly thereafter.

Flacke: Were there any famous people that came here?

Polachek: Any famous people? Ernie Stauntner, all pro-football player was here. Famous dancers were here. Bill Cosby was here one day. It was my day off. My father was here.

Famous politicians have been by. Sam Stratton used to come in here. Carl McCall was in here one day. Bill Cosby was very gracious, he shook hands with all the customers. He was very nice, he sat down and had a cup of coffee.

With Carl McCall, my father, myself and my daughter had our picture taken with him. And of course, the mayors of the city all come in here at one time or another. But world famous people, no, not a whole lot!

 

The I Spy games and Website was supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Mohawk Valley Library System and participating member libraries.

Mohawk Valley Library System - About I Spy - Visit Our Kids' Website