Ladies and gentlemen, in our latest adventure in 1960s Hillsboro, we stopped by Albers Super Market, which later became Great Scot and is now Community Market.

How ’bout we go Krogering this week?

Of course, Kroger wasn’t located on Harry Sauner Road in the 1960s. It wasn’t at Highland Plaza, as it was when I was in school. It was at 185 Muntz Street in Hillsboro – which is now the Highland County Senior Center, and has been for some time. Before it was on Muntz, Kroger was on South High Street in uptown Hillsboro.

Advertising at the time said, “We invite you to go Krogering, the only way to get low prices, Top Value Stamps and Early Bird Fresh Kroger Bread” because “wise birds buy Kroger Bread” because “it’s early bird fresh” with “home baked flavor.”

So how much does this bread cost? Two 20-ounce loaves are two for 29 cents. Let’s go ahead and get a couple of loaves.

Cucumbers, green onions, red radishes, white radishes and green peppers are just 7 ½ cents each. It makes one wonder, when the cashier rings up the groceries and it ends up, say, two dollars and five and a half cents, do they round the total up, down or give back a penny cut in two?

Speaking of cashiers, when Kroger celebrated “Head Cashier Week” back in 1961, Sarah Laycock, who had been with the Hillsboro Kroger store for a dozen years, was featured in a newspaper ad, which even gave her home address as 105 East Collins Ave. Mrs. Laycock said in the ad, “Dear friends: Come visit our store this week. I’m sure you and I can really get to know each other. Will you come and help me celebrate together? See you then.”

Over at Albers, they had S&H Green Stamps. At Kroger, as mentioned earlier, it was Top Value Stamps – also called TV Stamps. Kroger would have coupons in the newspaper, where, for instance, one could get 50 extra stamps for getting, say, three or more pounds of fresh ground beef. These stamps were basically the loyalty cards of today.

If you’re a big peanut butter fan, one Kroger ad said we can get a two-pound jar of Kroger Peanut Butter for 59 cents if we spend $5 or more. Jars of PB were regularly 75 cents.

Steaks – including porterhouse, sirloin, rib, cube and round steaks – could be had for 87 cents a pound.

Store hours were 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday at Kroger, which “has the money saving brands with the money-back guarantee.” Would you like a Hawaiian Punch? Three 46-ounce cans are just 99 cents. Do you chew Beechnut Gum? A six-pack is just a quarter.

Last time, we talked about how the 1961 Indians football team beat Williamsburg 40-6 at Richards Memorial Field in the last week of September. Hillsboro would then lose 38-8 to Franklin Heights, where four starters, Willard Parr, Ollie Gross, Mike Collins and Bob Stanforth, were injured, and head coach Bill Atsalis said it would be doubtful if any would see action in an upcoming game against Washington C.H.

Also on the sports page, Joey Jay, star pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds, was featured in an ad that said, “I chew and recommend Favorite Chewing Tobacco.” Jay, a two-time All-Star who is now 85 years old, added in the ad, “Favorite Chewing Tobacco seems to relax me, and gives me the tobacco pleasure I want. It’s a great chew – and it’s my favorite.”

While we chew on that, let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next time.

Steve Roush is vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society Board of Trustees, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.