Militantly non-political, I was born & raised in West Point (in Cuming County, not "Cumings"). Found your article googling for "New Philadelphia" and "West Point" Nebraska, so kudos. When I was a kid (60s-early 70s) Greybeal's was the third grocery store in town. Safeway (the Big Kahuna) was up the street, north of Grove on Main; IGA was another block north on the west side of Main. In March of 1982, Safeway closed their entire central U.S. division, closing 71 stores in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. The closest one left to West Point (at least in Nebraska) is in Ogallala in western Nebraska. So there IS something to be said for stubborn local ownership.
Darren: Thanks for finding me! And for the Cuming/Cumings correction. I grew up, also in the 60's early 70's in a town in Massachusetts with an IGA. As I remember, it was the only one in town for a while. I hadn't thought of that for years. I assume the Safeway was the Big Kahuna because of size? Our IGA disappeared in the 70's, so thinking maybe this was the case in West Point? Could your town support three stores?
Militantly non-political, I was born & raised in West Point (in Cuming County, not "Cumings"). Found your article googling for "New Philadelphia" and "West Point" Nebraska, so kudos. When I was a kid (60s-early 70s) Greybeal's was the third grocery store in town. Safeway (the Big Kahuna) was up the street, north of Grove on Main; IGA was another block north on the west side of Main. In March of 1982, Safeway closed their entire central U.S. division, closing 71 stores in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. The closest one left to West Point (at least in Nebraska) is in Ogallala in western Nebraska. So there IS something to be said for stubborn local ownership.
Darren: Thanks for finding me! And for the Cuming/Cumings correction. I grew up, also in the 60's early 70's in a town in Massachusetts with an IGA. As I remember, it was the only one in town for a while. I hadn't thought of that for years. I assume the Safeway was the Big Kahuna because of size? Our IGA disappeared in the 70's, so thinking maybe this was the case in West Point? Could your town support three stores?