If the building we’ve known as Rudy’s Market could talk, what tales it would tell!
It’s had varied uses and unique owners over the years. Built in 1915 using native stone, it first housed a Ford dealership and service center, owned by Lewis Voorheis. He sold the building and the dealership to Frank Leonard and Ben Miller in 1919.
In 1934, new owners turned it into a Pontiac and Buick dealership. In the 1940s, a Chrysler Plymouth dealership occupied the present Quest Diagnostics location. The “Big Three” were all represented on Main Street. Can you imagine that today?
In 1933, Rudy Schwartz, grocer, occupied an attractive two-story clapboard building on the southwest corner of Washington and Main, where the small parking lot sits today adjacent to the recent Clarkston News building. A barber shop sat between Rudy’s and the brick building.

Behind Rudy’s store, he sublet to a Venetian blind company. He likely needed help paying the rent, but this tenant proved to be not a great idea. The blind company had a few fires in the past, so Rudy could not insure the building.
Inevitability, in 1939 there was a fire, starting in the back. Rudy’s Market, the blind company and barber shop were totally destroyed. Rudy was offered the white township hall building south of the present-day Fed restaurant to use as his temporary store. He then moved in 1941 to the corner of Livery Hill (Depot Road) and used that building until 1954.  A real estate company occupies the building now.
Then in 1939, on the north side of the present Woodshop restaurant, was a Kroger store. Next to it, in the south end of the building, was Waterbury and Terry Quality Meats. The first Kroger stores appeared in Ohio in 1883. By 1902, Kroger had 40 stores. The Clarkston Kroger must have done well, needing more space, so it moved across the street to 9 South Main, what we have known as Rudy’s Market. The village Kroger was very successful there. It grew quickly and vacated for bigger locations.
Then Rudy finally moved his market to 9 South Main.
Rudy, a short man with an iconic apron, was known by residents near and far. What a man! They don’t make them like that anymore. A kid would buy candy and say, “Put it on our account,” which meant a small notebook with family names written in it. Rudy would rifle through a drawer, find the notebook, and record the purchase. Parents came in later and when checking out would inquire if there was an amount to pay off from their kids’ visits.
There were no electronics involved, credit cards or phone calls to families. It was a casual system, and no one felt pressure. I often wonder if Rudy always got his money or if he let things slide. I’m not sure, but it was fun to live in a town with this kind of trusting man.
Rudy passed away in 1992, the year Clarkston officially became a city. His family sold to Mr. Robert Esshaki and Mr. Chris Thomas.  They’ve continued the store for over 30 years with wonderful meat and deli, fine wines, and prepared food, in addition to groceries the locals needed in a hurry, avoiding lines at larger stores. But now that building is moving into another phase. Much thought and creativity by Robert and Chris is going into the next use of 9 South Main. It’s fun to look back but even more fun to anticipate the future!
There are so many wonderful memories that flood my mind when I pass by, but I’m looking forward to making new memories at Rudy’s with my grandchildren and in the not too near future, great grands.
— Eric Haven, Clarkston Mayor