Life Before Grocery Stores

Here is something to ponder.  The first major grocery stores in America didn't show up until 1946!  That was definitely BC (before Cheryl!),  but not by much!  I was born in the 50's.
We had a couple small family owned 'grocery' stores in our area and both were in walking distance.  Those continued to last for several years (into my teen years).

I remember going to Standard grocery and once in a while the A&P.  Green stamps were given at the store and those were saved and used to make special purchases with.  I loved the job of licking them!  I felt so grown up.  LOL

Prior to the major grocery chains opening up, there were the small family stores and general stores in more remote areas.  It is crazy to think you couldn't just run in somewhere every block or so, and buy anything and everything you could imagine.

Most families were like mine.  We grew so much food and preserved it.  Daddy had a quarter acre in garden, and poor Momma had to preserve it all.  We had apple trees, a cherry tree, rhubarb, raspberries, 2 huge grape arbors, strawberries,  and the neighbors had a peach tree.  Apples were bartered and traded for peaches.

Before I arrived on the scene, there were chickens, both for meat and eggs (and selling).  There were goats for milk.  Daddy raised rabbits for years for eating and selling.
He fished and fished when he had free time (mostly in winter and ice fished), as did my brothers.  They hunted squirrel.  I don't remember ever hunting anything larger, as we weren't real close to the woods.
We had a milkman after I arrived, who delivered milk and milk products.
Mom and Daddy would save and save and every few years, they would purchase half a cow or hog from someone they knew.  That was a huge big deal.  Meat was a side like everything else in the meal.  You got a piece of meat with your dinner - no one got to make pigs of themselves! 
Leftovers were used for another meal of some sort.
Absolutely nothing was wasted.  If there were scraps of something, that is what fed the pets.

Mom made all sorts of snacks - cookies, candy, cakes, pies, donuts, you name it.  I don't remember how old I was when I first ate sliced bread from the store!  I do remember it was disappointing!
Never in my Moms house was a store bought noodle ever served - up until her death at almost 91 years old.  I was an adult and married, before I had a store bought noodle - and I was the one who bought them.
Still to this day, store bought cookies just don't satisfy me.  Of course there is nothing like Mom's cooking!

I do remember going to my grandmas, and she lived about 65 miles away - which took forever to get to.  There were NO interstates! 
On the way home, it was an adventure to forage for nuts, pears, mushrooms, persimmons, or whatever was 'in season'.  Sometimes the farmers who were about done with their season would let folks glean corn, field tomatoes, pumpkins, etc.  That was a huge find.

Daddy not only grew every kind of veggie you could imagine, and some I still am not sure about, but he also grew popcorn and melons of all sort.
He made wine as a hobby (much to my Mom's horror) from green tomatoes, dandelions, grapes, elderberries, mulberries (we collected those too), etc.
Mom made jellies and jams from all different types of berries.

Soups were homemade -  NEVER  from a can.  All meals were from scratch.  We did drink tea, water, milk, and the folks had coffee.  Once I came along - soda pop was a once a year treat.  Daddy would take me to the hardware store up the street, and let me pick out a case of Nehi flavors.  It took me forever to decide!!  It lasted all summer/fall and was considered a real treat!  That day would be the highlight of my summer!!!!  LOL
At Christmas we would sometimes get a six pack of those little Cokes because Daddy thought "Santa" might want a change from milk!!!

Never did any of us go hungry (there were 5 older than me) - never did we feel a want for something.  We were happy and didn't really know any different.  Life was simple (albeit hard work).

DID ANY OF YOU have this type of life?
Do you REMEBER  life before big grocery stores?

How many folks could survive today - if trucking stopped, gasoline was short, railways stopped, disaster happened?
We all now grocery stores would be empty within a week or less, so we would be on our own.


COULD YOU SURVIVE? 
I think we definitely could - if for no other reason, than the lessons I learned from my parents growing up.
If we ran out of meat, it would be ok.  That is not something we HAVE to have on a daily basis.  I know how to grow, can, and preserve and we have a nice, nice stockpile built up.  I know people I could barter and trade with, and I could glean and forage.  We would be ok for a long haul., although life would be different.

This sure is something to think about.  I know not everyone would know what to do.  Young folks today would probably die simply for lack of knowledge!
This is why so many of prepare for whatever.

I would love to hear your stories, as I am sure others would.