Once a year I create an album for San Jose State University’s Sourisseau Academy. Each album contains captioned historic photographs on various topics, and my first one was entitled, “What Ever Happened to the Corner Market?” I noticed that one of the markets in my album had been located on Margaret and South Seventh Street, so I decided look up the address on Google Maps to see what was there now. What I initially perceived was that the beautiful old building had been replaced with a plainer one, but then I began noticing details that told me that it was the same hundred-year-old building!
![A circa 1911 photograph of John Trexall's grocery store](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2023/06/ecspc_1247_wm2.jpg)
![Image: The old Trexall building still stands on the corner of South Seventh and Margaret Streets across from Lowell Elementary School.](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2023/06/trexall_now_2017_low_res.jpg)
![This circa 1931 photograph shows the A.E.F. Grocery at 52 East Taylor Street. I believe that the two men pictured are likely partners Paul Malvase and Rocco Aloi.](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2023/06/3314_lads154_crop_wm.jpg)
There are a number of old corner markets still operating in San Jose’s Japantown, with one at Second and Taylor Streets, and another at Third and Taylor Streets. According to San Jose Permits Online, the market at Second and Taylor Streets (the old A.E.F. Market) is currently being remodeled for office use.
![Image: The A.E.F. Grocery as of June of 2017.](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2023/06/aef_now_2017_low_res.jpg)
![Image: This is the original carbon copy for a M. Sylvestri to build a store on the southeast corner of Second and Taylor Streets in 1925.](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2023/06/trexall_permit_low_res.jpg)
![This matchbook cover is from 1939 - 1955, the period when Rocco Aloi's widow Katherine owned the store with Rocco's partner Paul Malvase.](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2023/06/aef_matches_low_res.jpg)
San Jose State University’s Sourisseau Academy operates out of the SJSU Special Collections and Archive’s reading room on the fifth floor of the King Library. Click here for more on the Sourisseau Academy. Click here to view the Sourisseau’s photo albums and videos.
Further Reading in the California Room
- California Room Index: Markets, Market
- California Room Index: Grocery
- Shopping Center Studies
- San Jose City Directories
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