#25: Hastings Grocery, Illinois, 1950
Amidst post-war reconstruction and newfound consumer optimism, establishments like Hastings Grocery thrived, symbolizing resilience and community resilience. Dorothy’s reminiscences paint a vivid picture of a bygone era characterized by opportunity, camaraderie, and the spirit of entrepreneurial endeavor.
Former Hastings’ Grocery employee Dorothy Wagner fondly recalls the store’s heyday in 1950 as a bustling one-stop shop catering to various needs from clothing to nails and meat. This era, following WWII, witnessed the economic boom famously known as the ‘Golden Age of Capitalism,’ which notably buoyed small businesses like Hastings Grocery in Arrowsmith, Illinois, fostering a sense of local prosperity.