File:Veterans Day Parade Harmon Bldg.jpg

Summary

This photo taken under the awning on the top floor of the Harmon Building during a late 1940s Veterans Day parade shows a familiar part of town in a different time.

Across the street, we see the American Store (later Acme and an expanded Roelke's Market), one of the first supermarket chains in town, JJ Newberry's 5&10, and Watson's Cut Rate.

Marching in front appears to have been the Lincoln High marching band, based on other photos we've seen.

Doris Kelley Barker The main street was paved in 1940 because I was in the 5th grade at West Brunswick and also it was paved when I went to the Catholic one room school in 1934 for 1 st grade. I think you are right about the great band. Everything was paved in 1936 when we had the big flood.

Mark Stewart The Acme became Roelkes market

Doris Kelley Barker We had the American store beside of the dime store, and across the street from the American store was the A&P when I was a child. We never used our 1935 Ford V 8 to go downtown, so I know my stores. We walked, The A&P was a sort of darkish store inside and they left town because of all the Mom & Pop stores and the American was brighter and got the business. There may have been a connection between the American and then movied to almost New Addition as the Acme, a supermarket to all of us. My parents and Wayne and I used Wenner’s and then Hickman’s to have our groceries delivered every day to our homes. We would call up in the morning and order what we wanted. Roelke’s was also a deliverer of groceries to the house.

Smoketown History (Brunswick, Md.) Bill Roelke moved the family business into the former American Store at 24 W. Potomac Street after they became Acme Market and moved to New Addition, circa 1957. Bill maintained a good business until he retired in 1977 and went to work for People's Home & Auto for a while. Bill Roelke sold the biz to Rick Campell, then a Korean family before it ceased operations as a grocery store...Peter

(Photo courtesy of Sue & Bill Kubat)