A big store starting with a “K” opened near Losey Boulevard, 60 years ago

The new store near Losey and State Road in June of 1957 was a Kroger’s supermarket, in the Village Shopping Center, offering “acres of free parking.”  Kroger’s celebrated its opening with a circus theme.  Besides food, Kroger’s featured a toy department, a record section, and a “complete hosiery department.”  Over time, the Village Kroger’s would be replaced by a Quillin’s Store, and Festival Foods.  On the opposite side of State Road was a trailer park, which would make way for a K-Mart in 1965.
 
Consumers Market and Bakery at 4th and Pearl advertised its wedding cakes, and other baked goodies like applesauce Danish rolls, prune and apricot fluff rolls, and whole wheat raisin bread.  In time for Father’s Day, Smale’s Market on Cass Street declared “DAD LIKES CHEESE,” and had gift boxes of cheese for sale, starting at $1.50.
 
Conservatives won control of the parliament in Canada, for the first time in 22 years.  The new ruling party promised to have a woman in the prime minister’s cabinet, Mrs. Ellen Fairclough.  She was described in a newspaper story as “slim, fair-haired, and active”…and the newspaper headline about the appointment wondered if the Canadian Cabinet could be called the “Kitchen Cabinet?”  That was 60 years ago, 1957, Yesterday in La Crosse.