The Oldest Market in Alvarado and a Brief History of Thieves

Katsusaburo Matsumoto purchased a plot of land on Smith Street for $5.93 in June 1909. He built the store and applied for a liquor license in January, 1910, but did not receive the license. In August, 1910, Katsusaburo married Fusa Kubo.

The first news of the market in newspapers was on March 8, 1921, when the Oakland Tribune reported that four "yeggs" or thieves were caught in the act of trying to blow the safe in the Matsumoto store. Night Marshall Andrew Anderson discovered the men working on the safe but his approach of the men was comprimized and one of them got the drop on him. They kept the Marshall covered while they continued to work on the safe.

When an opportunity arose, Marshall Anderson was able to escape and hid in a bush. It was from there that he opened fire on the thieves. Soon, both parties were firing shots at each other. Tony Mello, who lived next door to the Matsumoto store, was awoke and when he came out to check the goings-on, he was covered by a pistol and told to stay where he was.

The thieves were able to allude the shots of Marshal Anderson and make an escape, believed to be helped by an automobile. They were not caught.

Early in the morning on a day of July 1921, Katsusaburo was awoken by a burglar coming in through his window. The burglar, armed with a pistol, forced Katsusaburo to remain in bed while he took $21 in silver.

Once again, Marshal Andrew had a short gun battle with thieves trying to rob the Matsumoto store on December 3, 1922. Marshal Anderson said that he spotted a lookout who then spotted him. The lookout let out a signal and two men came running out of the store, where there was a sort exchange of gunfire. No one was hit and the thieves escaped.

By 1949, Katsusaburo's son, Ben, had taken over the store. In September 1949, a safe was found on a private road on the Patterson Ranch, just north of Jarvis Road. The papers inside showed that the safe belonged to Ben Matsumoto. When reached by the Sheriff, Ben said that the store was broken into the night before. The safe was dragged out and placed into a waiting car. The cash register was also broken into and all cash was removed. About $700 to $800 in cash was in the safe, plus $1,000 in checks and a few old coins. About $200 was removed from the cash register.

In September, 1958, a scuffle between a husband and wife ended with the large glass window in the front of the store needing to be replaced. The husband and wife started arguing in the store, and the husband carried the groceries out of the store. The fight continued outside, with the husband tossing the groceries at his wife, missing her and hitting the large window, smashing it.

Eventually the Matsumoto family sold the business, .