SOUTHSIDE MARKET HISTORY

In 1930 Ricard Dale Maxwell opened up a grocery store called Maxwell Market. He converted two old houses that were next to each other facing Harrison Avenue in Glenns Ferry, Idaho to run his business out of. Maxwell Market was only open a few short years before going bankrupt during the Great Depression.

Later in 1934 Amos B. Cash and Flay J. Lawrence bought the Maxwell Market and renamed the Grocery Store, Southside Market. At the age of 18, George Larsen went to work for Cash and Lawrence. George enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 and then was discharged in 1946. When he came home, he and his wife Maxine bought Southside Market from Cash and Lawrence. Maxine and George worked side by side in the small Grocery store and in 1960 they tore down the two old converted houses and built a new building right next to it and faced the store to Commercial Street. Then the paved over were the old buildings were and made that the parking lot. George and Maxine owned the store until 1969 when they retired and sold the store to Jerry Stoors.

Jerry never lived in Glenns Ferry he hired Larry Stevenson to manage Southside Market for him. In 1971 Thomas Owings started working for Southside Market. In 1978 Thomas “Tom”, his wife Laurel and his father Tom bought Southside Market from Jerry Stoors. Thomas worked side by side with his wife Laurel and his father until his father passed away in 1989. Tom continued running the meat department while his wife did the bookwork. In 1994 Laurel passed and later that year he remarried Janelle and they continued to own the store.

In 2009 Tom’s son-in-law Brock Lenz started working for Tom and 2010 Tom’s middle daughter Samantha and her husband Brock Lenz purchased the store from Tom and Janelle. Brock and Samantha work together every day to service their community.

January 31, 2021 Brock and Samantha purchased Corner Market at 412 E. First Ave. in Glenns Ferry and merged the two stores together in the Corner Market building. They closed the original location on Commercial Street but still own the building and use it for their warehouse. Brock and Samantha revamped their logo by adding the word fresh to let their customers know their main focus in their Grocery store are the Fresh Departments. Southside Market has a very popular and busy meat department. Customers come from miles away to get a piece of Southside’s meat.

Currently Brock and Samantha Lenz still own and operate Southside Market at 412 E. First Ave. in Glenns Ferry Idaho.