The History of City Market: The Brothers Four and the Colorado Back Slope Empire

by Anthony F. Prinster, Kate Ruland-Thorne

City Market's story begins with a penniless eighteen-year-old immigrant and closes with the business becoming part of the largest supermarket chain in the United States. In 1924, brothers Paul, Frank, Leo and Clarence Prinster bought a meat market in Grand Junction, Colorado, a business venture that would allow them to ride out the stock market crash and the Great Depression. It also allowed them to open the state's first supermarket in 1939, the beginning of an empire that remained in the family for over a century and helped shape the heritage of western Colorado. Tony Prinster shares how the City Market founders and its dedicated employees transformed a family business into the retail brand that touched the lives of so many people.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2013

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It is more a family history of the Prinsters than it is a history of City Market. That's ok--who can blame the author for wanting to write a family history; and the family is very interesting and important! But the family history content is disproportionate given the title of the book, with the City Market content taking up relatively little space. I could have used more detail about City Market, particularly the expansion phase after 1939. Regional chains are interesting, and this one is important to Western Slopers.

Still, a very worthwhile read.

[Courtney Holm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story in a disjointed presentation

The story is interesting and loved the characterization of different family member perceptions of other relations. The structure lead to a bit of repetition going from family to family. Still worth a read to learn of the innovations and tenacity.