For much of Corpus Christi’s history, citizens shopped at a grocery store in their neighborhood. These were often family-owned—with names like Mircovich and Ferris and Galan—and entrenched in their communities. Many faded away as generations retired or when times got rough, and gradually chain stores moved in.
This IGA pictured was in the middle of a canned food sale, highlighting the ability for customers to stock up and ease their pocketbooks by purchasing canned goods. In Corpus Christi, the economy fared OK through the Great Depression—the deepwater port was booming—but nationally, 1937-38 brought a recession, a drop in industrial production and a rise in unemployment.
Canned goods, even without sales like this, were overwhelmingly more affordable than their fresh counterparts. Newspapers reported on availability and costs, from canned grapefruit that dropped in price due to a record crop production to increases in canned California fruits due to a shipping strike, so residents could plan their shopping trips. Canned goods not only provided affordable, accessible foods during the Great Depression, but made it possible to enjoy fruits and vegetables year-round, no matter where or when they were grown.
Grocery stores also didn’t just sell canned fruits and veggies; it was this era that gave rise to creative—and sometimes curious—dishes made with canned meats, evaporated milk and things that just don’t quite go together, reflecting both ingenuity and necessity. In these clever displays, shoppers found something they could depend on in uncertain times.
