IF you grew up in Layton in the late 20th Century, you likely recall Stimpson's Market. This convenience store was located at about 1475 North Main Street, where the Villas on Main apartments are today.
Stimpson's thrived in Layton from about 1965 to 2008. After it was sold to a buyer, store prices increased and the building closed shortly thereafter.
A church wanted to buy the building and convert it into space for worship services. It never came up with the money and after sitting empty for years, the building was razed and replaced by apartments.
Stimpson's Market in Layton also had a storm history of fire and robberies. On November 14, 1967, the barely two-year-old building was destroyed by a fire. Damage was estimated at $200,000 and 76 fireman were called to put out the huge blaze. Stimpson's was rebuilt.
In 1970, the store was robbed and the robbers fled to the nearby subdivision and even took hostages there before being apprehended. The store also had many other robberies over the decades.
Stimpson's was a mini grocery market, sold gasoline and had a hand drive-up window option to purchase anything in the store. It also gave out "wooden nickels," that could be used to but items in the store.
The Stimpson's Market was NOT unique to Layton. There was a Stimpson's operating in Clearfield in the 1940s and 1950s.
Ogden also had a long-time Stimpson's Market operating at 2605 Monroe. That store, probably the chain's original, opened in May of 1936.
Washington Terrace in Weber County also had its own Stimpson's Market for many years. In fact, until Smith's Grocery came to the Terrace, Stimpson's was that community's only market for many years. That Stimpson's was also heavily damaged by a fire in September of 1958.
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