ToquiNotes: Recalling a Forgotten Anchor Store at Meadowbrook Mall and its Demise after 80-Plus Years
By Jeff Toquinto on March 18, 2023
I talk a lot in this blog about former businesses for a walk down memory lane. One of the main areas I focus on is the Meadowbrook Mall, which for obvious reasons, has had hundreds of businesses since it opened its doors in 1982.
The mainstays of the local mall, and all malls for that matter, are the anchor stores. I have done blogs and stories on the ones that have left including Montgomery Ward, Sears, and Elder-Beerman, which I believe got its start as Stone & Thomas.
That, of course, leads me to this. A high school friend of mine, Libby Bennett Jarom, recently inquired to me as to what was in the former Elder-Beerman Home Store, which was opposite of Elder-Beerman near the cinemas, prior to it going in place.
While my memory is usually pretty sharp on these matters. I drew a blank. In fact, my thoughts for some reason took me back to Middletown Mall in Marion County and made me think that a store called Gee Bees or even a Watson’s was there – even though I knew that was incorrect.
So, what’s a guy to do when he has long-term history questions about the Meadowbrook Mall? He calls former long-time Property Manager Marcello Lalama, who served in that capacity from 1990 to 2019. As usual, Lalama was a big help, but he also opened up another area that will be the topic of this blog and will potentially lead to a future blog.
I found out two things from our discussion. One I had forgotten. One I just do not remember.
Lalama let me know that when he arrived in 1990, the spot was occupied by Ames Department Store. You remember that? It eventually was located in the former Hill’s Department Store before the entire company went under.
I had zero recollection of it. However, even if I did not believe him, history – and Google – proved he was correct. Lalama reminded me 
that prior to Ames being in that spot, the original anchor store in the location when the mall opened in 1982 was Murphy’s Mart.
that prior to Ames being in that spot, the original anchor store in the location when the mall opened in 1982 was Murphy’s Mart.
I may have this wrong, I am certain that me and my friends would go into that store for trinkets and, more importantly, it was where we would get Pirates tickets (and pocket schedules) for what seemed like practically nothing – or the same price you can get them for today on the secondary market because the team is so bad.
I digress.
Murphy’s Mart was a full-scale discount store that had a familiar name. The reason for that is many likely remember G.C. Murphy Company, which was a chain of five and dime stores that was lasted around 80 years.
As one may expect, Murphy’s Mart was under the umbrellas of G.C. Murphy Company. Through researching for this blog, which again consisted of maneuvering through Google, I learned Murphy’s Mart was not the only subsidiary. There was Terry & Ferris, Bruners that was considered a junior department store, the closeout merchandise location Bargain World, and special apparel store (whatever that means) Cobbs.
I should note one other things. Outside of Murphy’s Mart, I never heard of any of the others.
As for G.C. Murphy, I also have fond memories of its location in Downtown Clarksburg. This was back in the 1970s and early 1980s when myself and other friends would bum rides to town, catch the bus, or more often than not, just walk to the downtown area from our North View neighborhood. You could do that back in that era and not only was it safe, no one’s parents had an issue with it.
Upon arrival, our crew usually would head into the section with baseball cards, and then go back to the area to buy wiffle ball bats. Then, we would hopefully have enough coins with us – often collected by turning in pop bottles – to head to the Murphy’s lunch counter looking for a sweet treat or a hot dog if we were wanting food.
Lalama could not remember, and neither could I, whether the Meadowbrook Mall Murphy’s Mart had a lunch counter. I do not believe it did, but I certainly could be wrong.
Another thing I cannot remember is whether the arrival of Murphy’s Mart at the Meadowbrook Mall was met with the demise of G.C. Murphy’s in Clarksburg. As most know, there was a mass exodus of major businesses – JC Penney, Montgomery Ward, Stone & Thomas – from downtown Clarksburg to the Meadowbrook Mall and its promises of bigger success and profits with its immediate Interstate 79 access.
As for the demise of G.C. Murphy and eventually Murphy’s Mart, here is the history quoted from the Web site murphymemories.com. As he stated, Murphy’s Mart switched over to Ames, and did so prior to his arrival in 1990. Here is the history of the end.
“Ames Department Stores Inc. of Rocky Hill, Conn., purchased the G.C. Murphy Co.® in 1985 for $198 million. The Murphy's Marts were 
converted to Ames stores, while the variety stores were spun off into a separate Ames division, still based in McKeesport.
converted to Ames stores, while the variety stores were spun off into a separate Ames division, still based in McKeesport.
“Freed to focus their efforts on the variety stores again, Murphy executives rose to the challenge and the old "dime stores" had a brief renaissance, though many smaller locations were closed.
“The good times were not to last, unfortunately. In 1988, Ames purchased the failing Zayre Department Stores for $800 million, and a year later, in need of cash, spun off its Murphy division to the parent company of McCrory stores. The McKeesport office was closed, and about 100 remaining G.C. Murphy Co.® variety stores were absorbed by McCrory, which also operated other dime stores under the names of several traditional Murphy competitors, including McClellan, H.L. Green's and TG&Y.”
The end came, and it seems to have come quickly. The memories, although sketchy, still remain.
As always, if you have any memories of Murphy’s Mart at Meadowbrook Mall, G.C. Murphy’s in downtown Clarksburg, or recall something different that I have posted here, please comment in the section below.
Good Stuff Jeff. Most of this was before my time in Harrison County. However, I grew up in McKeesport and the G.C. Murphy Company was a big part of the Business landscape in the area. Many of my friends parents worked for the Company. Many of these smaller Discount stores could not have envisioned what Wal Mart is today.
Posted by Jay Krohe
Mar. 18, 2023 at 12:05 PM EST
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