Linde Television

Linde Television

(c1953-1982) The 1950s TV craze peaked in 1954 and 1955, with sales topping seven million sets each of those years. One of the companies feeding the frenzy locally was Linde Television, first located at 246 Oliver. Owner Bob Linde had moved to North Tonawanda from Pennsylvania around 1953 to help his parents run their Oliver Street deli. Bob had studied electronics at Temple University in Scranton, PA. Seeing the storefront next to his parents' deli was vacant, he decided to start his own business, drawing on his expertise in electronics. And so Linde Television was born.

In November of 1956, the business moves down the street to 276 Oliver (present-day Granny's). The grand opening features free coffee and donuts, clowns, three days' of prize drawings, and a 15lb turkey with each television sold!

In February 1964, Mr. Linde sells his part of the business and the good name he has cultivated to Robert Phillips and Walter Beyer of D&B Electronics, and the business moves next door to 272 Oliver (present-day King's Court). Sometime after 1972 they move to 38 Webster Street. Mr. Linde continues dabbling in electronics for the rest of his long life. He passes in 2013.