Ginter Grocery Company
The beginning of ginter
Ginter Grocery Company is a nationwide grocery company which was central to Boston in the early 1900s. In 1914, Ginter opened their main warehouse on 40 India Street allowing them prime location to the port resources for incoming goods and accessible transportation into the city. These goods would be transported from their India Street Warehouse to a variety of Ginter Co. owned businesses launched as branches of the company in 1904 within Boston such as bakeries, restaurants and grocery stores. Ginter Co. then expanded to nation-wide production through merger agreements yet continued to own the property on 40 India Street.
40 India street location
Ginter Co. Warehouse
This image shows the north front of the building on India Street and Wharf Street corner. The building stands 4 floors tall. On the front of the building on India Street the building title says "Wholesale Warehouse. The Ginter Grocery Co."
Cartography
This map shows the 1914 depiction of 40 India Street from an aerial view. Additional markers show where the goods and products are imported into the warehouse on Wells Street and after processing, exported on India Street to be delivered to numerous locations around Boston.
Ginter Company Locations:
163 Summer Street
495 Washington Street
16 Canal Street
122 Tremont Street
Additional Ginter Company Businesses
In 1904, Ginter Co. expanded into a multi-business corporation including restaurants, bakeries, and more. They then, in 1925 became a nation-wide company. However, it is important to recognize its start in monopolizing Boston Groceries from 40 India Street and continued ownership of the property. Ginter became one of the most monopolized companies for grocery merchants in Boston area during the early 1900's and continued to expand until the 1925 when the company signed a merger agreement.
Ginter Co. Restaurant in Boston
1920 Interior of The Seville Restaurant operated by Ginter Company.
Ginter co. expansion of "The Seville"
1920
The Seville Restaurant operated by Ginter was an expansion of ownership and company diversity by operating more than the produce, but the industry in which it was providing for.
Ginter co. bakery expansion
1923
Ginter Co. had to expand to accommodate the increased demand for bake goods by developing a larger infrastructure to manage. This new expansion offered 33% more real estate space for the factory also allowing room and cost for a 50% increase in employment.
Each floor was dedicated to a task of factory from first floor ovens to 4th floor packaging.
Ginter co. Merger
1925
After years of success, Ginter Co. merged with O'Keefe's Inc., another Boston local grocer, to create the First National Stores Inc.
bibliography
“Atlascope Boston.” Atlascope Boston · Historic Urban Atlases from the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, Norman B Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library, 2020, https://atlascope.leventhalmap.org/#view:address
"Display Ad 14 -- no Title." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), May 24, 1913. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/display-ad-14-no-title/docview/502228044/se-2.
"FAMOUS GROCERY FIRM.: MARVELOUS PROGRESS OF THE GINTER GROCERY COMPANY--TEN FLOORS IN CANAL-ST STORE." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Dec 10, 1904. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/famous-grocery-firm/docview/500268896/se-2.
"GINTER COMPANY'S NEW WAREHOUSE: FACILITIES PROVIDED FOR SUPPLYING THE SIX RETAIL STORES MAINTAINED BY THE COMPANY." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jul 19, 1914. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/ginter-companys-new-warehouse/docview/502608465/se-2.
"GINTER & CO INCREASES BAKERY CAPACITY MORE THAN 50 PERCENT: BIG MODERN ADDITION OF REINFORCED CONCRETE OPENED THIS WEEK--65,000 SQUARE FEET MORE FLOOR SPACE." Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), Jan 25, 1923. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/ginter-co-increases-bakery-capacity-more-than-50/docview/497106288/se-2.
"MERGER AGREEMENT BY CHAIN STORE FIRMS: O'KEEFFE'S, INC, JOHN T. CONNOR CO AND GINTER CO TO BE FIRST NATIONAL STORES, INC." Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), Nov 20, 1925. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/merger-agreement-chain-store-firms/docview/498645042/se-2.
"RESTAURANT FOR 500 COST HALF A MILLION: THE SERVILLE ON BOYLSTON ST, OPERATED BY GINTER CO." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Dec 12, 1920. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/restaurant-500-cost-half-million/docview/504048204/se-2.
Stebbins, N. L. (Nathaniel Livermore). "Ginter Co. Restaurant, Boston, MA." Photograph. 1920. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/282760 (accessed December 07, 2022).