Vintage Tipp

Last week's mystery picture was of Margaret and "Bill" Dorsey. He started a grocery in the front room of what is now Harrison's. In 1948, he built the first self-service supermarket in Ohio on the corner of Second and Dow. Customers could do their own shopping using a cart. It was the biggest store in town and featured a food-O-Matic shelving device that let canned goods roll into place when the bottom can was removed. They also used an NCR cash register instead of cashiers adding up bills by hand. There were 1,700 customers that attended their grand opening weekend. While raising Bill, Bob, and Judy, Margaret also worked many hours at the store. Bill retired in 1979 at age 80.

Pictured: Sitting on the floor is Linda Dorsey; 1st row - Judy Dorsey, Carol Dorsey, Judy Shover; 2nd row - John Hines, Teddy Hines, Gary Hines; 3rd row - Bob Dorsey Lonnie Fryrman, Nancy Jordan Loudon, Barb Hepfer, Dave Cook, Larry Shover, Bernie Dorsey; back row - young Bill Dorsey, Larry Koogler, Betty Fryman, Margaret Dorsey, Howard Earles, Rachel Brooks, Charles Brooks, Bill Dorsey, Charles Sayer; Bob Strobel, Violet Shover and Rosetta Dorsey