Disbrow’s Market, 1938 – Enhanced View
Posted by beachwoodhistoricalalliance on September 13, 2009
Due to a high number of inquiries and requests, we’ve taken the previously posted image of Disbrow’s Market interior from 1938, enhanced its visual quality and blown up details of it for better view.
In addition, you’ll find a story on the market as told by longtime resident Geoff Brown.
Disbrow's Market, 1938. George Disbrow (l) and Fred Combi.
George Disbrow (l) and Fred Combi stand behind the counter at Disbrow's Market, sometime after 1:30pm in August 1938.
The market scale sits behind loaves of white and rye bread while packs of Disbrow's labeled coffee sit on the meat counter nearby.
The deli case contains your everyday deli meats and cheeses, along with prepared orders as lamb stew.
A Heinz display offers products "For the Majesty - Your Baby".
An ad for Miracle Whip leans against the wall above the store.
An assortment of canned goods sits on the deli counter beneath the wall clock.
The billing at the Toms River Community Theatre includes "Professor Beware", "Sky Giant" and "Gangs of New York", all released in the late spring and summer of 1938. The Community Theater building can be found across Toms River Town Hall on Washington Street; today it houses an assortment of businesses. (Special thanks to Ocean County Library's Elizabeth Cronin for pointing out the month - August - in tiny detail on this billing)
Disbrow's Market, as seen nine years later in February 1947. Today it sits vacant waiting for a new life.
From Geoff Brown:
“I was born in 1944, so it was well before my time. However, I do remember the meat case at the back of the store and the other walls with shelves almost to the high ceiling. It was a marvel to see the Gibsons pluck cans and boxes with a long pole “grabber” and catch whatever it was as they filled customer’s orders. My mother wrote out her “weekly order” for me to bring up to Disbrow’s every Thursday. The youngest Gibson brother would deliver it some time before noon in a black Chevy panel sedan (station wagon without side rear windows). “Disbrow’s Market Beachwood N.J.” was painted on each side. It was before noon because they knew we went to the beach every day at 1 o’clock.
“I was also sent to Disbrow’s for items such as bread between orders. Milk, eggs, juice, etc. was delivered by Bert Davis from Home Town Dairy. We didn’t have a washing maching at the Beachwood house, so once a week the laundry was picked up by Beachwood Laundry & Cleaners (corner Brigantine & Atlantic City Blvd.) and brought back clean and folded. They left it on the back porch with the bill.
“One more thing. Before there was mail delivery, we’d wait for the train whistle in the morning (time ?) and know it was time to walk to the Post Office / Train Depot to pick up our mail.”
