Living in Le Roy and working at Taylor’s Superette was an experience for a Rochester girl, gone “rural.” We had to deal with ration coupons, shortages in food and gas, price freeze, and black market.
Once a week a few very scarce items such as cigarettes, chocolate bars, coconut, and Jello would come in. Yes, even in the “Hometown of Jello” those Jack Benny six delicious flavors (strawberry, raspberry, cherry lemon, orange, lime) were scarce and much sought after.
Our regular customers were the ones who got those items, but the problem was to keep everyone happy. The limit on cigarettes was two packs to a family per week. That must have been a real hardship on most families.
Meat required the greatest number of ration points. I do not know the details of how that worked between supplier and merchant. I just remember how scared I was when my mother-in-law and I made a late night run in a “36 Ford wood- paneled station wagon to the Tobin Packing House in Rochester to get meat. No ration points were required!!!
3 comments:
Thanks! Great story for those of us too young to remember any of this, but only 'see' through the eyes of the history book.
I have been watching Ken Burn's World War Two PBS series--so compelling. And, how DID they find some of these real people with their terrific stories and incredible voices?
To go back to Sue's point about grocery stores--I guess I would have to save the twenty cents in gas!
But, perhaps because we are only in the suburbs, we only have chain grocery stores anyway. People do, however, shop ALSO at our local farmer's market which is open year round with produce, local and exotic.
And, we do have a bookstore which has withstood the national book chains attempting to muscle into Acton--our local store knows what the community wants, and gives it to us, so we all buy, buy, buy to keep them in town!! Very proud when the nationals decided finally to try elsewhere.
How come it was so scary to go into Rochester to get the meat? Thanks for the "I Was There" history!
Wow, neat story
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