Museum features butcher's handsaw

Did you know that March 1 is National Pig Day and March 7 is National Crown Roast of Pork Day?

It only seems fitting for March’s Artifact of the Month to be a handsaw used in a butcher’s shop. The saw is linked to Salt Lake City, but this saw has a richer history in Green River. It was used at the butcher’s shop in the Yellow Front Grocery. The grocery store was owned and operated by Kurt Hoffmann. He and Margaret, his wife, were German immigrants. Kurt came to Wyoming, first arriving in Rock Springs and worked for the Rock Springs Butchering Company.

However, he ended up moving to Milwaukee, Wisc., to practice his trade. Margaret finally joined him and they opened their first grocery store, the Garfield Meat Market. They owned the store for a short time before moving back to Rock Springs and eventually Green River.

On April 1, 1935, the Hoffmann’s open Yellow Front Grocery. It was located on 45 East Railroad Ave. The store was fruitful and they eventually bought another building off of US Highway 30, now Flaming Gorge Way.

They opened a new grocery store with living quarters upstairs, called Hi-Way Market and Hi-Way Lodge Cabins. Additionally, Kurt received his U.S. citizenship in 1939, with Margaret earning hers in 1946.

Yellow Front Grocery was only open for seven years. It was not because of an unsuccessful business or because of the rise of large supermarkets during the 1930s. In March of 1940, Kurt and Margaret had their first child. A year later, the United States entered World War II. With the possibility of Kurt being drafted, they decided to close the grocery in 1942 because Margaret could not run the store by herself.

Come by the Sweetwater County Historical Museum to see this prime cut of local history.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.