Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Guide to the Heller's Grocery Stores Records
MS 61
MS 61
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Heller's Grocery Stores Records
Identifier/Call Number: MS 61
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1892-1932
Abstract: This collection contains business records of the Heller family grocery business, operated by Mathias F. Heller in San Diego,
CA from 1892 to 1929.
creator:
Heller's Grocery Stores.
Biographical / Historical Notes
Mathias (Mat) F. Heller was born in Fulton, Missouri in 1859. He and his wife, Lulu, relocated to San Diego in January of
1889. He worked as a clerk in his father-in-law’s small grocery business, and in January of 1892, he bought out his father-in-law
and became the sole owner of the store on 10th and F streets. He soon moved the store up one block to 11th and F, where the
rent was less expensive. He played a vital role in San Diego business, expanding Heller’s “cash-and-carry” grocery stores
(an innovative idea for the time) to 42 locations. He sold his stores in June 1929 to the MacMarr chain, which was absorbed
two years later by the mega-chain Safeway. Mat Heller, along with his sons Milton and Elwyn, founded Heller Investment Company,
where Mat was acting president until his death in 1942. He was 83 years old; survived by wife, Lulu, four children, six grandchildren,
and three great grandchildren.
Aside from being very active in San Diego’s business arena, Mathias Heller was very involved in the civic life of the community,
as well as a generous philanthropist. He served on the board of directors for the Red Cross, YMCA, Boy Scouts, San Diego Trust
& Savings Bank, Merchants Association, Chamber of Commerce, and the Union Title Insurance & Trust Company. Along with these
duties, Mat Heller helped establish a “City Park,” which is now known as Balboa Park. He also contributed a great deal of
time and money to Wildwood Ranch. He was particularly active in Golden Hill and Point Loma, which is where he and his family
resided for the majority of their lives. He was a dedicated family man, going as far as to purchase a large plot of land in
Point Loma which he parceled out to his sons, daughters, and grandchildren. He died at his home on Zola Avenue.
This collection contains business records of the Heller family grocery business, operated by Mathias F. Heller in San Diego,
CA from 1892 to 1929. Business records include advertising and price lists, business registers, leases and sub-leases, legal
agreements, financial records, correspondence, tax statements, minutes, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The majority
of this collection is strictly business agreements and legal documents from 1929. There is considerable documentation regarding
the acquisition of Heller’s by MacMarr Ltd.
This collection is arranged by material type.
Heller’s Grocery Stores Records, MS 61, San Diego History Center Document Archives, San Diego, CA.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession # 810319B, 990306.
Collection processed by Lindsay Banuelos in December 2007 and Samantha Mills in April 2017.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Diamond H Club.
Heller Investment Company.
Heller's Grocery Stores.
Heller, Elwyn M.
Heller, Mathias F (Mathias Fred), 1859-1942
Heller, Milton
MacMarr Ltd..
Safeway Stores, Inc..
Grocers
Grocery stores -- California -- San Diego
Grocery trade
San Diego (Calif.)