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Research Methods

Location Information

Most of my specific research on individual cities is carried out at thle local public library. I primarily use city directories (usually published by Polk or Donnelly) rather than telephone directories, because the former tend to more accurate and also have address cross-reference.

I start by using the classified index for grocers and identifying chains, based on names I know and on names that have multiple locations. I do this at five-year intervals, and I often back track. For example, if I notice that Bubba's Groceteria has five locations in 1935, I go back to see if it had any I might have missed in 1930. I also use the address cross-rerference to fill in "holes" where there is a logical gap in a building's history.

I enter all the addresses and names into an Excel spreadsheet, and look for other gaps that I may have missed to begin with, and return to the library if I can to fill in these gaps.

General Information

ASa agraduate student at UNC Greensboro, I have access to many online databases, including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal archives dating back more than 100 years. I also do a lot of research online, and get a lot of tips and pointers from people who post on my message board.

I also collect company histories, many of them found through eBay or Amazon. Most of these tend to be self-published by the companies involved, so they must be viewed with a critical eye, but they still provide a wealth of information.

There are also a growing number of retail history websites (see this page) and other resources to whose authors I am deeply indebted. I've also received some assistance from employees of the chains involved, some at the store level and some in the corporate offices. It's sad to see, though, how sparse most corporate archives are.

Last but certainly not least, I receive some of my best information from readers of the site. Visitors have sent me photos, store memorabilia, trading stamps, personal recollections, and more,a nd I always appreciate it.