The Corner Grocer

Small corner-grocery stores played a big role in the daily life of Shorewood residents in the first half of the 20th century. Refrigerators and freezers were slowly replacing ice boxes during this time, but storage was still difficult. People shopped frequently and purchased small quantities. Proximity to a store also made it easy for mothers to send their children to the store for a pound of butter or other last-minute dinner need.

The 1932 Shorewood telephone directory lists includes Becker’s, Imse’s, Mayer’s, the Lake Bluff Market, Knuth’s and Van Alstine’s Shorewood Grocery. Piggly Wiggly and National Tea each had two locations in the Village. There were also several bakeries, butcher shops and produce stores.

The stores were small and orders were often filled by the grocer from supplies kept behind a counter. Most also offered home-delivery service. By mid-century, A &P and Piggly Wiggly were growing and Kohls entered the new “big store” market. The corner groceries closed, and the bakeries and butcher shops faded away.

Sendik’s Fruit and Vegetable Market was originally next door to Imse’s. In 1938, it moved to a new building at 4023 N. Oakland, current home of the Ascension medical offices. Pictured are Salvatore Balistreri (left) and his sons Joseph and Ignatius.

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