Denver's Bygone Markets

I don't believe that the fire at the Denargo Market occurred in July of 1991 as I worked for a produce operator based in the market then as a semi driver, at least not in the main market warehouse building. I worked for D.C. Metzger there that summer, who was around the middle south end of the building. When was the building finally torn down? Probably not until a decade ago if that long ago, though by then a lot of the former produce businesses had long moved away. Back then Federal Fruit and Produce was on the north end of the building as I had to drive by their trucks there every time too.

My father worked for Amato Fruit and Produce Co. They bought out Bourke Donaldson-Taylor in 1938. At that time they were located in the 1600 or 1700 block of Market St. In 1939 Amato.. moved to the Denargo Market as one of the first tenants. The facility had a modern banana ripening system in which there were several rooms where the temperature and amount of ethylene gas could be adjusted to control the ripening process. Dad was manager of the Banana Dept. He had to check on the controls seven days a week. We lived at South Downing and Alameda and dad would take the trolley to work on Market St. When they moved to the Denargo Market he bought a used 1933 Chevrolet because there was no convenient public transportation. Occasionally, my mom would take us three kids on the Downing St. bus to somewhere in the five Points area and we would walk across the Broadway Viaduct to meet dad for dinner at the Denargo Grill. There was also a garage and mechanic in the market where my dad had his car serviced while he was at work. While I was in Korea in 1951 my dad went to work for Federal Fruit and Produce in the market. I just thought I would add some background to your article on the Denargo Market. Thank you. It brought back some memories of my youth.

My uncle Tony Sabell and his family had a produce business (Sabell's produce) I remember the big blocks of ice downstairs in the ice room. My cousin was shot and killed there in 1976. Miss going down there

Lloyd Barker was a manager at Denargo Market in 1949 when he was shot dead at his back door by his mentally ill wife. He was the only one of four sons of George Elias and Arizona Donnie (Clark) Barker to try to turn his life around, and he had served honorably in the Army during World War Two, after being released from prison in 1938. His brothers Herman (died 1927), Arthur "Doc" (died 1939), and Fred (died 1935) all met violent ends at the hands of law enforcement.

My association with Denargo Market was strictly because my uncle owned several 18-wheelers and hauled produce into Denargo from as far away as California, Arizonia, Rio Grande Valley, Florida, etc. Along the Platte River and close by was a large truck terminal, Truck Denver, offering parking, service, food, fuel, etc. Between the river and the truck terminal was a pallet manufacturer with a rail spur and sitting next to it was Lester's Produce Brokerage. During the summer, it was common to see 18-wheelers parked along the riverbank selling watermelons, canteloupes, etc Safeway, Associated Grocers, the smaller businesses in the Denargo Market would use this brokerage to arrange for loads into their business. As a young boy it was absolutely fascinating being around all this activity and observing it first hand.

Can someone please provide a history of the Grower's Café? When did it open and close? Thank you.....

Does anyone recall or have any history of "Tom, the produce man" who drove the streets and alleys of the Highlands selling fresh produce from the back of his early '50's green Chevrolet truck.
The last I saw of him was the late '70's or early '80's.

I remember in the wazee market in the sixties, there was a bar and grill, The Old Number 7. Great food and drinks. It also burned down in the seventies

We have an old water well drilling truck sitting on a corner in our county. "John Stamison, Denargo Market Wholesale Produce, Ph: Keystone 6523
I took photos and have been trying to find its history

The Denargo Market supposedly was named such because it was halfway between downtown Denver and the Argo Smelter. My Uncle, Louie Lotito, had a tavern at the Denargo Market called “Luigi’s”.

Just fyi, William L. Rossi, who operated the Rossi restaurant at Denargo Market, passed away this week due to COVID.

My dad worked for bill rossi as a cook at his rossi denargo grill and I sometime worked as a busboy. We would also go to their home and get a couple of fishnets full of trout from their trout farm great memories

Does anyone remember the Dutch Cafe in the Denargo market? My Dad, Stanley Ranch had many lunches in this historic cafe. Please respond if you know anything about it?

Kerouac writes about the Denargo Market in On The Road - the original scroll, which led me to this article-

Love learning this history and reading the comments.

Has anyone heard of Walter (Walt) Wager, Rhea Saxton Wager, or George Wager? I have heard that my family was involved in the Denver produce trucking business in the 1930's.

Thank you!

Does anyone remember the Duchess Cafe in Denargo Market during the fifties and sixties? My father ate there an awful lot

My grandfather, Rocco Archer (Arcieri) peddled NW Denver from the 1910s-1950s. He typically left for the Denargo Market around 4:30am and came back home from his route about 4:00PM. First by horse-and-buggy, later in a green 1930 Dodge truck with bright orange flaps.

I remember going to the Denargo Market growing up. We’d do a lot of browsing and some shopping (if I remember correctly, as I know it was mostly wholesale) and then having lunch at Rossi’s. I miss that.

My father Tony Simeone and and his brother Bill Simeone owned Simeone Brothers Potato Company on the Denargo Market from 1948-until 1975. I worked every holiday and weekends from the time I was 10 until going to work for Rio Grande Motorway. In 1970. Eventually end up the Principal officer of Teamsters Local 17. Everything I learned on the Denargo Market made me successful. Great times.

My grandmother (Margaret Theisen) my mom and I would go to Denargo’s market every summer and fall to buy Fruits and Vegetables for canning. My Grand Mother was in a wheel chair and there was always someone there to help push here. The venders would offer me fruits. I loved being there, good Memories.

In 1969 and 1970 I had a summer job at Ace Box Co near the market area. Ace made a lot of the crates that the growers and shippers used. So I always felt a connection to the area. However, it seemed to me that the bigger part of Ace's business was making ammo boxes for the Vietnam war.