The History of Freed's Market

Warren Freed, first generation, was a share cropper.  He lived on a rented farm across from what is presently the New Hanover Firehouse.  He paid half of his crop for rent.  A quarter of a mile down the road the Nipes family owned a 100 acre farm on Swamp Pike.  In 1917 Dr. Nipes decided to sell his farm to Warren.

Warren was a cow jockey, meaning he bought and sold cows.  After acquiring the farm he started milking cows and selling steers.  The market for livestock was not so good one year, so he decided to kill his livestock and sell the meat of a truck.  Warren and his brother, Tom Freed, went into business in 1925 selling meat.  Their first store was located alongside the railroad tracks on East Philadelphia Avenue in Boyertown.  Today there is a pizza shop at this location.

In 1929 Warren and Tom split the business.  Tom continued at their store in Boyertown and Warren started selling from his farm in New Hanover, the present site of Freed’s Supermarket.  The Great Depression hit in 1930. Warren relied on his farm to keep him going.  Tom unfortunately went out of business like so many others during that time.

Warren continued his farming, and buying and selling steers.  His sons, Ralph and Woodrow, along with hired men "Sam" and "Hammy," sold meat from a truck.  They added groceries to the truck in 1939.  A barn fire completely destroyed the killing room in 1946.  In order to keep the business going, they started using the old corn crib to do their butchering.  In 1947 a small mom and pop store was built.  During the following years they added to the original building seven times.  Presently it is the home to Creative Home Furnishings.

In 1969 Ralph, Woodrow, and their sister Sadie Deysher built a new store behind the old one.  The new store is their present location. In the years following Woodrow's children James Freed and Carol Frye, along with Ralph's son, Richard, and Sadie's daughter, Virginia Specht joined the business.  The fourth generation is now working at the store.

Freed's Truck

1969 Opening Day

Electric Award