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Description
Frank Canepa was born January 1, 1896, in Varazze, Italy, between Genoa and the French Riviera. He came to America in 1913 at 16 years old, speaking no English, and worked for two uncles in San Francisco and Oakland. He soon took odd jobs at various farms, specializing in produce, and eventually owned a produce store in San Francisco with a partner. A difference of opinion resulted in his partner buying him out for $1,000, and Frank decided he didn't like the weather in San Francisco and looked all around the Bay Area for a suitable place to start his own grocery store. When he finally came to Mill Valley, driving an old Whippet auto, he fell in love with the trees, the greenery and general ambience that reminded him of the weather in Genoa. He opened his first store in 1929 on the exact day of the great Mill Valley fire and spent the time fighting the fire on Mt. Tam. Frank steadfastly insisted on selling only the finest quality produce and built a reliable and loyal customer base. He finally opened what is now the Mill Valley Market in 1951, eventually handing management to his sons Jim and Bob Canepa. Editor's note, August 5th, 2016: The transcript for this oral history interview differs in several ways from the audio recording. We believe it was modified at the time of transcription in 1977 to provide clarifications and improve readability.
Identifier
C203CD7D-8DFB-43B7-A6EF-103133434250 1977.001.001
Subject
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