Historically Speaking :
The Edes Building : A Sense of Place for Generations
by Robin Shepherd . Photos by Morgan Hill Historical Society
George Albert Edes moved his family to the farming community of Morgan
Hill in 1894 . His goal was to carry on his family ’ s tradition by opening a printing business . He was also appointed as Morgan Hill ’ s postmaster . Land developer C . H . Phillips offered Edes a parcel of land along Monterey Road with the request that he start a local newspaper . George agreed and that same year he published the first issue of The Morgan Hill Sun . He sold the Sun to the Morgan Hill Times in 1906 , the year of Morgan Hill ’ s incorporation as a city , and the paper lives on today .
According to Santa Clara County records from 1905 , C . W . Stone and Son Grocery & Provisions occupied a building at 2nd Street and Monterey Road in Morgan Hill . Around 1913 , George and Nettie Edes ’ son , Vertie , opened V . M . Edes Grocery Store on the site . Vertie ’ s brother Clyde soon joined the business and they renamed it “ Edes Brothers , Dealers in Choice and Staple Groceries .” An entire exterior wall of the store was the canvas for an Albers Flapjack Flour advertisement . More about that later .
MAIN IMAGE : Artist rendition of the soon-tobe-completed Edes Building and art gallery by Dan Mc Crainie . ( courtesy KGTY Architects . ABOVE : George A , Edes , Founder , Morgan Hill Sun , which eventually became the Morgan Hill Times . Edes also served as Postmaster .
In 1923 , Vertie and Clyde exited the grocery business . Clyde went to work for the Farmer ’ s Union and served for eight years as Morgan Hill ’ s mayor . Vertie started an insurance company and later sold it to his son-in-law Merle Link . [ The Link family has continued to provide insurance services in Morgan Hill ever since .] By 1924 , the Edes family matriarch , Nettie , had purchased the 2nd and Monterey property and leased it to Steele ’ s Cash & Carry Grocery . Sadly , the proprietor William Steele died just two years later . His wife Charlotte did her best to manage the store and raise their five children on her own .
John Telfer Sr and his family were acquainted with the Steele ’ s . Knowing their situation , John offered to buy the business from Mrs . Steele , establishing Telfer ’ s Grocery Store at the 2nd and Monterey location . Telfer ’ s business withstood the Depression years and major construction when the Edes building had to be cut back by 17 feet to make way for the widening of Monterey Road .
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