Photo courtesy of Sandy (Cole) Manktelow.  The taller gentleman  is her grandfather, Mr. Henry Cole. Next to him is Charlie Snyder.

The following information and photos were collected by Sandi Hamilton:

Catlin’s Market, West Main Street, Sodus, New York.

Thanks to Deb and David Smith for sharing the pictures of his grandfather’s store. Virginia Smith, who worked in the Sodus Central School High School office when many of us attended the school was Alfred Catlin’s daughter. His son, Doug Catlin, owed the store after his dad. In the picture above that shows the meat counter, Cora Newell is the “customer” who worked as a cashier at the store. John VerHow is in the middle of the picture, and Mr. Catlin is on the right-hand side. Below is a brief history of the business that I wrote for the Main Street Centennial Tour booklet in 2018.

The location of the flower shop today was Catlin’s Meat Market, first owned by Charles J. Catlin who moved his family to Sodus in 1910 to open the market. The business was first known as the Sanitary Market and changed to Catlin’s Market later that year. In 1920, Charles sold the market to his brother, A.B., to buy Hopkins’ Mill. In 1952, Doug Catlin bought the market from his father. Before the market, Oril Smith had a stove and tin shop here.

Ruth’s Restaurant moved to the former site of Catlin’s Market in the 1960’s. Ruth O’Bine had a good business. You could get breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. People who worked in local businesses went there for coffee in the morning. There was usually a large group sitting at the tables in the back of the restaurant conversing before they headed off to work. After school, high school kids would gather there for cherry cokes and other refreshments.

In May 1960, Catlin’s celebrated its 50th anniversary in Sodus. The May 19, 1960 edition of the Sodus Record ran the following story telling it’s history:

Catlin’s Market ends

An article in the June 1, 1961 Sodus Records tells how an auction has been recently held and after 51 years, Catlin’s Market has ended it’s run in Sodus. It later became Ruth’s.

Memories:

Jane Toor Dunfey I remember going to Catkin’s Market when I was a little girl… and later when I was in Jr and Sr high school would go to Ruth’s for soda and French fries and talk with my friends. Loved growing up in Sodus!