The story of Ottawa's Piggly Wiggly - Ottawas Own News Magazine

Share on Social Media

The history of the Piggly Wiggly store in Ottawa, Illinois, is tied to the broader legacy of the Piggly Wiggly chain, a pioneering self-service grocery model, and its regional presence in Illinois. While specific details about the Ottawa store’s history are limited, I can piece together a narrative based on available information about the chain and the specific fire event that destroyed the store.

Piggly Wiggly, founded in 1916 by Clarence Saunders in Memphis, Tennessee, was the first true self-service grocery store, revolutionizing the industry by allowing customers to select their goods directly from shelves, a departure from the prevalent clerk-assisted model. The chain expanded rapidly, franchising to independent grocers across the United States, including in Illinois, where it established a foothold in smaller cities and towns like Ottawa. By the 1920s and 1930s, Piggly Wiggly stores were common in Illinois, with the Midwest region, including Ottawa, becoming part of the franchise network supported by distributors like Piggly Wiggly Midwest, based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

The Ottawa Piggly Wiggly, located at 1301 La Salle St, was one such franchise, serving the local community with a focus on affordability and convenience, hallmarks of the Piggly Wiggly brand. Ottawa, a small city in LaSalle County, likely saw the store as a community hub, offering fresh produce, meats, and other grocery staples. The store was part of the Piggly Wiggly Midwest network, which, by the late 20th century, included portions of Illinois. It was known for its community-based retailing model, which combined centralized buying with local management.

The Ottawa Piggly Wiggly operated successfully for decades, but its story took a tragic turn with a devastating fire. The fire, reported at around 3:30 p.m., started at the back of the store and rapidly spread, fueled by high winds and the building’s contents, including cardboard and grocery items. Despite the efforts of multiple fire departments from Ottawa, Marseilles, Naplate, and surrounding areas, the fire consumed the entire 20,000-square-foot building, leaving only a skeleton of the structure. The blaze was so intense that it melted shopping carts and caused significant structural damage, with smoke visible for miles. No injuries were reported, as the store was evacuated promptly, but the fire displaced 47 employees and left the community without a key grocery resource.

Investigations into the fire’s cause were inconclusive due to the extensive damage, though officials noted that high winds and the store’s inventory likely exacerbated the situation. The Ottawa Piggly Wiggly was described as a total loss, with no immediate plans for rebuilding announced at the time. The loss was particularly felt in Ottawa, a city of about 18,000, where the store was one of the primary grocery options.

Before the fire, the Ottawa Piggly Wiggly was a typical example of the chain’s commitment to serving smaller communities, offering promotions like the Pig Points fuel discount program and maintaining a reputation for friendly service and quality goods. Its destruction marked a significant loss for Ottawa, with local leaders and residents expressing hope for its eventual return, though no concrete plans were confirmed in the immediate aftermath.

Grok generated.