Shanghai Grocery and Meat Market

Shanghai Grocery and Meat Market

The Shanghai Grocery and Meat Market opened in April 1937 at 646 W Missouri Ave in what was once Sunset Heights and is now part of the I-10 freeway. It closed in 1964 after the state of Texas used eminent domain to cut a huge swath through the core of the city. The demolition of buildings and homes drove many residents out of El Paso.

From the El Paso Times:
The Shanghai Grocery was located at 646 W. Missouri Ave. and held its grand opening April 17-18, 1937. Steak was 25 cents per pound, roast was 15 cents per pound and sliced bacon 32 cents per pound. […] A Feb. 2, 1942, business directory listing shows Joe Yat Noon and Yee Yuk Toa as proprietors. […] The Shanghai Grocery operated until 1964 and then Yee, his wife Fung Wa “Sylvia” and their children moved to Alamogordo in 1966.

From Kuey “Buck” Yee’s Obituary:
Kuey “Buck” Yee, 77, of Alamogordo, died Saturday, March 6, 1993, at an Alamogordo hospital. Mr. Yee was born in Hoy Sun, China, on April 2, 1915. He came to the United States in 1931 and worked as an apprentice gourmet chef of the New China Restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, during the Big Band era. After becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States, he served in the U.S. Army from December 1942 until November 1945 during which time he was in the campaigns in Sicily, Italy and Africa.
While stationed at Fort Bliss he was honorably discharged after receiving the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. He settled in El Paso where he owned and operated the Shanghai Grocery Store in the historic Sunset Heights District until 1964. He was one of the charter members of the Tri-State Wholesale Associated Grocers, Inc. He moved to Alamogordo in 1966 and established the Chinese star Café.

Creator: Kuey “Buck” and Fung Wa “Sylvia” Yee Family

Area: Central / Sunset Heights

Source: Kuey “Buck” and Fung Wa “Sylvia” Yee Family

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

EPCC Rio Grande

I’ve taken pictures at just two of the Community College ...

Border fence

Border Fence C-I, 6-26-09 Not the smartest thing I ever did. I ...

Home In Sunset Heights

Home located in the historical Sunset Heights area.

225 Porfirio Diaz back

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

225 Porfirio Diaz - El Paso, Texas

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

803 Upson

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

803 Upson

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

Graduation from Jesus and Mary Academy - 1947 - El Paso, Texas

Located in Sunset Heights. Home was located across the street ...

Border Fence

The image shows the border fence looking into Mexico. It was ...

Border Fence

The picture was taken from the West Yandell overpass looking out ...

Border Fence

The picture looks over to Ciudad Juarez and shows parts of the ...

Vilas Elementary School

This is a photograph of the Vilas Elementary School in the ...

Perrenot Children

Children of Jane Burges Perrenot, a life-long El Pasoan, was ...

Mary R. Haynes Circa 1982

President of the El Paso County Historical Society.

Mrs. Olga Kohlberg

Mrs. Kohlberg (Olga Berstein Kohlberg) was one of the pioneer ...

The Lorentzen and Lane families

Family photograph taken in the living room at 521 Randolph St. ...

Lorentzen Family - El Paso, Texas

Ada Lane Lorentzen and daughter Julia Lane Lorentzen at three ...

Ada Lane Lorentzen & son John Nathan Lorentzen

Ada Lane Lorentzen and son John Nathan Lorentzen, Spring 1914.

Sunset Heights Historic District

Sunset Heights is a historic area in El Paso, Texas; which has ...

El Paso Street

This is an image of what can be seen walking down El Paso Street ...

Photo Prospect House

Victorian House at 1213 Prospect Street in Sunset Heights owned ...

Home of famous architect Henry Trost

Home of famous El Paso architect Henry Trost who is responsible ...

Penny Arcade handbill

Handbill c. 1906 found in basement of 1029 Upson in 2015.

home.search_collection