In the late 1920s/1930s, John T. and Bertha W. Mattingly -- Kentucky natives who married in 1924 -- ran Mattingly's Grocery in the Hessville section of Hammond at 6416 Kennedy Avenue, where they also resided. In 1935, Bertha (who by then was living alone at 2712 Cleveland Avenue) filed for divorce, claiming life with John had become "a constant fight." Not long after, John left Hammond for "an extended visit on the western coast," and Bertha opened the Royal Blue Grocery at 6946 Kennedy Avenue, which continued to serve Hammond for some years.
