Actually, it started out in 1946 as a real military surplus store. I remember going there (and a few other surplus stores) and buying stuff (or asking my father to buy me something). Some of my early toys were rubber ID models that were made to train our soldiers what airplanes, tanks, and ships looked like. I have a really early picture of me playing with a toy sized replica of a US landing craft. How I ended up with that, I don't remember. However, I do remember that it did not float.
In later years, when I joined the Boy Scouts, pretty much all my camping supplies were US surplus. Mess kit, shovel, sleeping bag or heavy blanket. I still have the shovels (I got more than one because they were really useful) and a jack from an original Jeep (still also useful). The actual surplus stuff started petering out in the late-1950's to mid-1960's. All the other surplus stores closed down back then. Canfield's moved into hunting/fishing/outdoor stuff. Naturally, it was higher priced. Since then, Scheel's, Cabelas, and Bass Pro Shop have moved into the area. It was too much for them to stay in business. Too bad.