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August 2007:
Behind The Scenes, Murphy’s Mart No. 802, Bethel Park, Pa.

Front entrance, Murphy’s Mart No. 802, state Route 88, Bethel Park (Pittsburgh), Pa., circa 1974.

Barbara Caserta was the 33rd employee hired at Murphy’s Mart No. 802—the first discount store that G.C. Murphy Co. opened—in 1970 and stayed there until the company was taken over by Ames in 1985. The store opened with 300 employees.

“I had just graduated from computer school and on the way home stopped in the not-yet-open store and filled out an application,” Barb says. “By the time I got home my father said that Murphy’s called, and I was to start Monday.”

At Bethel Park, Barb began as a checkout clerk (she still remembers she was on register No. 5) and later ran the store’s sign shop, designing displays and placards for special sales and holidays like Christmas. On the first day, she says, the store had lines “all the way back” and the parking lot was completely filled with cars; cars parked on state Route 88 stretched for a mile.

“We were in a small town and had so many nice customers,” Barb says. “Our manager, Mr. (Chuck) Henderson, was a gem. If you needed help with anything he was there to help. We had picnics every year and these were great; I used to oversee the games. We had hamster races with Hartz (Mountain) almost every year.”

She also helped open several G.C. Murphy Co. stores in West Virginia as part of the company’s new store set-up crews. “We were like a family,” Barb says, “but we were known as the ‘party store’ when we went to open other stores. They said we could ‘party hearty!’”

Barb has very graciously shared a number of photos with us; while the publisher didn’t take them for the book, we think you will enjoy seeing them here.

Sales manager Tim Hinton.

Fred Spiedel, assistant manager in charge of toys, cosmetics, candy and other items, hands out prizes during an employee picnic in 1972.

More employee picnic photos: Ken Brown of Murphy’s loss prevention department at the 1973 gathering (left) and Edgar Paxton and an unidentified employee at the 1974 picnic (right).

One of Barb Caserta’s displays—this one made in the summer of 1976 for Contac shelf paper, a popular Murphy’s staple and subject of many internal Company sales contests.

Another Caserta display in No. 802.

Hard to see here, but assistant manager Edgar L. Paxton is dressed here in a suit made from flowered material from Murphy’s fabric department in celebration of Memorial Day 1971.

Mr. Bird, the pet department manager, supervises a “hamster race” put on by the Hartz Mountain pet supplies company in No. 802. Year unknown.