Neighborhood grocery stores or markets evoke the nostalgia of an earlier, simpler age of commerce.
In 1941 Colorado Springs population was 48,000. The 1941 phone directory lists 115 separate grocery stores!!! These were scattered about the city, generally along main thoroughfares, especially those with streetcar lines. Stores were especially numerous along South Tejon and West Colorado.
While the concept of "supermarkets" was still new there were a few loosely allied stores which pooled their buying power: Associated Grocers ("AG") and Red & White Stores accounted for 10 of the markets.
When I began research on this topic I was surprised at the number of grocery store buildings that survive today as private residences, beauty shops, professional offices and storage. All one needs do is look at old buildings with an inquiring and searching eye and its often obvious that they were originally intended to be grocery stores: large plate glass windows, corner locations, main entrances cut at an angle across a corner and ornamental facias and false fronts.
Remarkably two neighborhood markets survive today. You should take your kids and grandkids to visit them if only for a local history lesson. They are The Little Market at the corner of Willamette& Prospect and Elmer's Store at the corner of Costilla and Prospect. The Little Market is reported to have opened early in the 20th century. In the '41 listing it is the Roy J Harter Store, Phone MAin 1958. Elmer's was built in 1933 and in '41 was the D.E. McKinney Store, Phone MAin 547-J.
The current owners, the Walker family have owned the store since 1978. Pete Walker was kind enough to share stories of the early grocery stores that were so numerous in the Hillside area.
Somehow, through the grit, creativity and hard work of the owners these two niche market businesses survive. The preceding aside I believe their success is explained by the three terms in real estate: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. In the neighborhood market that doesn't always mean high profile, high traffic spots like Powers....they would be blown away in that location. What it does mean is nestled inside a solid, residential area with lots of foot traffic, a fairly dense population base and no locations favorable for a 7-11. Frankly I'm surprised that one hasn't somehow survived on the west side.
As with Hibbard's we are probably swimming against the tide of history. When these two stores are gone I'm pretty sure it will be 7-11 or WalMart for us all. Please stop by, patronize these hard-working merchants and allow yourself to step back in time.
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