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John and his wife, Catherine, had five children: Charlie, Mary, Frances, Frank and Louis. Together and individually they operated several businesses between 1925 and 1979 in the 1065 - 1073 block of Main Street. In 1925 John and his wife ran Guinipero’s Grocery Store. In 1933 they opened the Forest Tavern and were later joined by their son, Charlie. Sons Frank and Louis opened the Forest Package Store in 1935. Daughters Mary and Frances opened Mary’s Soda Shop in the 1930s. All were housed in the building that their father built in 1925. Although the Guinipero family is no longer actively engaged in retail, their Main Street property continues to house a variety of retail establishments.

Not all immigrants to Manchester worked in the Cheney Mills. Some saw business opportunities created by the growth of the industry and the town. John Guinipero was one such immigrant. He came to the United States in 1905 from the Torino area of Italy at the age of 21. John initially settled in Rariton, New Jersey, later moving to Manchester. A baker by trade, John married and raised a family, building a series of businesses that became a part of the social and economic fabric of Downtown Manchester.

Note: Historical information drawn from: A New England Pattern The History of Manchester, Connecticut by Dr. William E. Buckley, pages 103-104 and page 147.

Photo captions provided by Susan Barlow of the Manchester Historical Society.
John Spaulding photo for the Manchester Historical Society.