For more than fifty years, every neighborhood in North Omaha had its own grocery story where residents would buy their staples and make company with other people coming in and out of the place. Some of these little stores stayed around long after major supermarkets moved into the community. One of these was located in the Monmouth Park neighborhood across from North High School. This is a history of Peterson’s Grocery Store at North 35th and Ames Avenue.

In 1906, Lawrence (Lorens) Peterson opened a grocery store on the northwest corner of North 34th and Ames Avenue, one block east of 3602 Ames Avenue. He moved to his new building in 1910 to continue serving the up-and-coming Monmouth Park neighborhood as well as the older Collier Place neighborhood. There was a newer hospital located north of the grocery store. Home to a few different buildings, the Immanuel Hospital was rumored to have plans to grow enormously and Peterson was well-positioned for success.

“It was practically a wilderness around here then,” said Lawrence’s son Howard in 1972, reflecting on the Monmouth Park area when his father opened the store. “There were just a few houses scattered here and there. The streetcar line and pavement ended at our corner.” And the Peterson’s corner it remained for more than sixty years.

Over the years Peterson’s Grocery evolved to serve its customers. North High School was opened across the street in 1924, and the store was immediately popular with the students and staff there. With a grocery desire for convenience and to compete with nearby large chains like Safeway, the family started delivery service in the 1930s, peaking with 200 Saturday deliveries in 1940. However, with the start of World War II there were gas rations that ended delivery, and the service never came back. North students continued frequenting the store, and the store met their changing interests over the years, too.

Lawrence (Lorens) Peterson (1873-1968) was 87 years old when he finally retired from his store. His son Howard Peterson took over and ran it until 1972, when he closed the store permanently.

When it closed, the Omaha World-Herald referred to it as one of the oldest family-owned small grocery stores in the city.

In 1974, a small business called Spoons Variety Shop moved into the building across the street from North High. Selling groceries, it included ideal items for the neighboring high school including soft drinks, ice cream, records and tapes, it also had “sundries.” There are anecdotes that the store also sold marijuana paraphernalia including bongs, lighters and more. Spoons was only open until 1977.

By 1979, the building was home to a business called Hilltop Delivery. Opened in the early 1970s further east on Ames, it wasn’t in this building for long. In 1987, the Jesus Christ Community Church held an opening ceremony at their new church in the building. Renovating the building during the prior year, the church held services, Bible study, kept offices and had Sunday School there. They moved out of this building by 1997. A different church called New Vine Nondenominational was located there in the 2010s.

Today the building still stands, although it continues empty as of November 2023.

You Might Like…

• A History of the Monmouth Park Neighborhood
• A History of Omaha North High School
• A History of North Omaha’s Immanuel Hospital

MY ARTICLES ABOUT GROCERY STORES IN NORTH OMAHA
Summary: A History of Grocery Stores in North Omaha

Separate Stores: Kellogg’s Garden Super Market | Battiato’s Super Market | Fort Street Grocery Store | Forgot Store | 24th and Lake Safeway | Meckley & Myers | Omaha Market House | Jacobberger Groceries | Heath and Co. | Burstein-Runierman Grocery | Shaver’s Food Store | Paul Adams Grocery | Peterson’s Grocery | 24th and Ames A&P/Hinky Dinky

Briefs: New Market | Florence Field Grocery | 24th and Ames A&P | Kuppig Grocery | New Boulevard Market

Related: Bakeries | Restaurants | Drive-Ins