website  watertownhistory.org

    ebook  History of Watertown, Wisconsin

 

National Tea Grocery

Tom's United Foods

Breselow's Family Market

100 E Cady Street

Occupants of this site:

 

  Manz-Hartig Brewery         1884 - 1896

  Hartig Brewery              1896 - 1947

  National Tea Grocery        1954 - 1977

  Tom's United Foods          1977 - 2007

  Breselow's Family Market    2007 -

 

 

1922

11 24       NATIONAL TEA COMPANY WILL HAVE GRAND OPENING OF ITS STORE

What is often referred to as the "Stettler Place" [1] at 116 Main Street has been remodeled for the new store.

 

[1] 1841, Cole Brothers Store, First store in Watertown.  Later location of Bittner and Tetzlaff's Drug Store

 

1928

07 05       NATIONAL TEA CO RELOCATION ON MAIN STREET

The new Penney Company store will consist of present quarters of the Olympia Candy Store and Bittner and Tetzlaff's Drug Store [201 & 203 E. Main].  The main floor and the second floor are to be used for the business.  A balcony is also to be constructed.  The third store in the block [205 E. Main] which now houses a fruit market will be taken over by the Olympia.  The quarters of the Pythian Lodge located on the top floor of the block will continue to be the lodge quarters.  Bittner and Tetzlaff's Drug Store will be moved to the building at Main and N. 2nd Streets [116 E. Main] which is now occupied by the National Tea Co.  The National Tea has purchased the building located at 2nd and Main streets [117 E. Main] which is now occupied by the Penney store.

 

1953

09 04       RAZING THE OLD HARTIG BREWERY BUILDING

The first walls came crashing down today in the demolition of the old Hartig Brewery Co. building on Cady Street to make room for the new and modern supermarket which is to be constructed on the site.

 

Workmen for the Allen Wrecking Co. of Madison started demolishing the huge structure this morning.  The start of tearing down the building is being made at the north end of the structure, in what was once the bottling department of the brewery.  A truck, with cable, was used to bring down the first wall this forenoon.  Later on, as the work proceeds to the higher sections of the building, special equipment will be brought in to speed the demolition.

 

Ray Kern, Watertown businessman, purchased the property some weeks ago from the Merchants National Bank, and announced that he will erect a 70 by 135 feet supermarket building which he has leased to the National Tea Co.  In addition to the building, plans call for parking space for 100 automobiles on the property.

 

10 18       HARTIG BREWERY SITE CLEARED

A person standing next to a car

Description automatically generated with medium confidence  

 

1954

 

A picture containing text, sky, outdoor, sign

Description automatically generated

 

1964

01 21       ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL FOOD STORE

The addition to the National Food Store was opened this morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Robert P. White cutting the ribbon.  A feature of the grand opening is a sale which got underway this morning immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony.  The store has been enlarged from 10,000 square feet of floor space to 14,500, which increases the floor space by approximately 50 per cent.  In the expansion program the width of the building was extended 20 feet at the west, and 20 feet were added to the rear.   WDT

 

1969

10 04       TV PROGRAM ON BETHESDA

A group of people in a factory

Description automatically generated with medium confidence       A group of people in a factory

Description automatically generated with medium confidence      

A television crew from the National Broadcasting Company [NBC] finished taping and recording a color telecast in Watertown.

 

The telecast, a documentary on the Bethesda Lutheran Home in Watertown, will be shown on Milwaukee television, station WTMJ, channel four, on the evening of June 14, 1970.

 

Doris Ann, producer of the documentary film, along with the camera and sound crew, were in Watertown the past several weeks shooting scenes at the Bethesda Home and several areas of the city.  Miss Ann said she got very good cooperation from the officials of the home as well as the patients at the home and found it a joy to work in Watertown.

 

The film, being shot in 16mm color, shows the various aspects of the life of the patients at the home. Several scenes were made at the National Foods Store. The scenes showed how some of the patients are allowed to do their own shopping and use the public facilities in Watertown.

 

One of the scenes shot was made at the Classic Theatre showing the patients entering the theatre to view a film.  The management of the theatre allows the Bethesda to view the movies free of charge.

 

2000

02 11       SPACE NEEDS WATERTOWN MUNICIPAL BUILDING

A new concept for solving the city's space needs at the Watertown Municipal Building was proposed by Mayor Fred Smith at Tuesday evening's meeting of the public works committee of the Watertown Common Council.  Smith suggested the city purchase Tom's United Foods, located at 100 E. Cady St., renovate it and use it as offices for the city's administrative departments.  He said he would only pursue the plan with the support of the “full (common) council.”  Smith suggested that if the food store, located across the street from the municipal building, could be purchased for an acceptable price, it could be renovated for municipal offices.  That would leave the existing municipal building for police and fire needs.   WDT

 

2007

03 19       TOM'S UNITED FOODS SOLD / BECOMES BRESELOW’S

After serving the Watertown community for over 30 years, Tom and Lynda Frakes, the owners of Tom’s United Foods on East Cady Street, have decided to sell the business.  Tom Frakes told the Daily Times this morning that he and his wife are selling the grocery store to Watertown residents Dennis and Patricia Breselow.  He added the Breselows will assume ownership on March 31.  Once the sale is complete, the grocery store will be renamed Breselow’s Family Market. Frakes said the Breselows are planning to remodel the store, which will include an addition to the north end of the building.     Watertown Daily Times story, 03 19 2007   [WHS_005_546]

 

10 10       BRAND NEW GROCERY STORE

Breselow's begins $1 million addition and remodeling; building will look like brand new grocery store.

 

11 18       BRESELOW’S ADDITION

A building addition to Breselow’s Family Market on East Cady Street topped the list of new construction in October.  The addition to Breselow’s Family Market is valued at $600,000 and is being handled by Emrath Construction of Helenville.  The 2,560-square-foot addition is being constructed on the north end of the store and will include space for new offices, compressor and electrical rooms, freezers, a dairy cooler and a liquor storage area.  WDT

 

2008

08 15       BRESELOW’S GRAND OPENING

After almost a year of construction and renovations, Breselow’s Family Market on East Cady Street is celebrating the grand opening of the grocery store.  The construction project, which got under way in October of last year, includes a 2,560-square-foot addition and remodeling of the building, according to Patricia Breselow, who owns the store with her husband, Dennis Breselow.  Dennis Breselow has over 40 years experience in the grocery store industry.  The new addition has been constructed on the north end of the store and includes space for new offices, compressor and electrical rooms, freezers, a dairy cooler and a liquor storage area.

 

 

A picture containing text, person, indoor

Description automatically generated

 

Breselow's Family Market since April 1, 2007.  Purchased the store and added on and remodeled the store starting in the fall of 2007 and did the final touches by July 2008.  We NEVER shut the store down through all of that, we felt it was important to stay open for our customers.  Some of the back history of our location is:  1884-1947 it housed the Hartig Brewery;  1954-1977 National Tea Grocery; 1977-2007 Tom's United Foods; and 2007-current Breselow's Family Market.

 

 

Cross reference note:

I remember the store very well as my dad worked there shortly after it opened, for a few yrs.  Then when I was in 5th grade my mom worked there.  In 1968 I was starting my own home & went there shopping to buy groceries & all the things you need to keep a home clean.  I had 2 shopping carts FULL & the price for it all was $50.  Yep, 2 full shopping carts for $50!  We're lucky to get 2 bags of stuff for $50 today.        - Lynda Eicher, 02 19 2022

 

 

 

Table of Contents 

History of Watertown, Wisconsin

Index