Weekly Acorn #56
I cannot discuss neighborhood businesses and not mention Parks’ Grocery Store, better known simply as “Parks’.” Although it was not located directly in Oak Crest, it was still a fixture for many years in the area. Located at 4014 N Cherry St at the corner of Polo Rd, Parks’ was a family owned and operated grocery store.
Troy Parks, Jr got his start in the grocery business by working part time in a grocery store while he was still attending Reynolds High School. After high school he went on to serve 3 years in WWII where he became a First Sergeant. When he returned home after the war he went back into the grocery business and purchased an existing grocery store that was located on old Cherry St near Northwest Blvd. He called the store T A Parks Grocery.
Troy’s father, Troy Sr, had worked for many years at R J Reynolds Tobacco Co, but he had some back problems and needed to work in a less strenuous environment. So, Troy had his father to come work with him at the grocery store.
Then in 1950, Troy purchased the property at the corner of Cherry St and Polo Rd and built a new store. At the same time he also partnered with his father and his brother, Gorrell Parks, and brother in law, Randall Jones. The building was also large enough that they rented out space for a barber shop next door and several apartments upstairs.
This building at 4014 N Cherry St was built in 1950 and was the location of Parks’ Grocery Store for nearly 40 years. The building also contained a small barber shop next to the store and several apartments upstairs. Click on the photo above to view an expanded version or visit the entire Historic Oak Crest Photo Gallery.
When Troy purchased the first store, many of the customers had credit accounts, which he continued to allow them to maintain. However, when he moved into the new store, he discontinued the credit accounts.
Although they shared the responsibilities of the store, one would usually find Troy in the meat department. His brother Gorrell was in charge of the checkers, and Randall was a “floater” and the head stockboy. Mary Hawks was one of their checkers for many years.
Even though I was a small child, I remember them all very well. My mother would take me with her to the store all the time. Everyone there was very personable and friendly. If Mom needed a special cut of meat, Troy would prepare it and bring it out to her in the store.
Randall was frequently putting out stock and I would always go over and visit with him. I also remember that they had an incinerator on the back of the building where they would burn the empty boxes. This was long before the days of recycling. Sometimes I would see Randall outside throwing boxes into the incinerator, so I would stay outside and visit with him while he disposed of the boxes. Sometimes he would even let me throw some boxes into the fire.
Mary was my favorite checker, so if she was available, I would always have Mom to go through her line. In those days, there were only two or three check out lines and one rarely had to wait to be checked out.
Troy was also the originator of Shop Rite Food Stores, which was a co-op that was formed for the sole purpose of advertising. This co-op grew to include 12 stores. Today, there are two Shop Rite locations remaining with one in East Bend and the other in Midway.
In 1989 Troy Sr passed away, so Troy and his partners decided to close the store. Since Parks’ closed Gorrell Parks has passed away as well as Mary Hawks. Troy and his wife, Margaret, are still in the area and doing well and so is Randall Jones and his wife, Iris.
UPDATE: Sadly, Troy Parks passed away on August 28, 2011 at the age of 88.
For nearly 40 years Parks’ was a community grocery store with a personal touch. I will always have fond memories of those simpler times when people took time to know one another and trade with one another in their small businesses.