Elizabeth 1925

In 1925, the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey had over 400 grocery stores. Back then, grocery stores were small, rarely more than the size of a room in today's houses. They were tacked onto houses, tucked away in basements, sequestered in corners of apartment buildings, and sometimes, constructed all alone in a freestanding building. By 1925, chain grocery stores were beginning to infiltrate the city, including local chains Eagle Grocery Company, National Grocery Company, and Mutual Grocery Company. The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company had entered the city about a decade prior, coming over from New York City. A&P, as it would later become known, became the largest grocery chain in the country the following decade. Thanks to city directories stored in the Elizabeth Public Library's collection, we can figure out exactly where all those grocery stores were. Many of the buildings are still standing 100 years later, and some are even still grocery stores.

You can view the project and read more here.