Today’s interior views come from the October 6, 1935 edition of the Clarion-Ledger, announcing the grand opening of the latest Piggly Wiggly, at 419 E. Capitol Street in downtown Jackson.
Interestingly, by the 1937 City Directory, this location was no longer a Piggly Wiggly, but instead was occupied by Jitney Jungle No. 6. There were still three Piggly Wigglys in the capital city, though.
In the late 1960s, best I can tell, the buildings at this corner of E. Capitol and President were all demolished to make way for the Brutalist McRae’s parking garage that still occupies the spot.
And although the beloved Jitney Jungle franchise has passed into history, many of us can still shop at The Pig. This is my Piggly Wiggly.
This one in Union still has its c.1960 sign.
Do you have a favorite Piggly Wiggly?
Categories: Architectural Research, Jackson
Preservation in Mississippi 
I first shopped at Piggly Wiggly when I lived near Water Valley the first few months I was in Mississippi. I went once. :)
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WOW! Check out that Union Piggly Wiggly! Are those the original wood shingles on that faux mansard roof? As often as grocery chains change appearance trying to look “current”, this is an amazing holdover from the late 1960’s. Each Piggley Wiggly store must be independently operated.
My closest Piggly Wiggly is in Escatawpa. Not nearly as handsome as that Union store…
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The Escatawpa Piggly Wiggly reminds me of the Piggly Wiggly of my youth in the Florida Panhandle. The owner bought grapes and pecans from local people who had small orchards in their yards, so we would bring those in for a few bucks. After he died, though, the new management didn’t keep the place up and it got a bad reputation and closed in the late 1990s, as I recall.
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I helped my father (an H.J.Heinz salesman for 32 years) in many a Piggly Wiggly around North Mississippi in the 1960s, and they were invariably clean, friendly stores. My favorite was the one where my mother shopped, at the corner of East Washington and Cotton Street in Greenwood, now a Big Star. The interior layout remains identical to the old “Pig.” Sadly, the location was the site of Lizzie George Henderson’s enormous Neoclassical home until the 1950s. Mrs. Henderson, the youngest daughter of Senator J.Z.George, owned most of that part of Greenwood and built the original Greenwood Leflore Public Library and Confederate Memorial Building literally in her own backyard. Those remain but her house is a sparsely documented memory.
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Perhaps a bizarre twist of fate? I was looking at the Gil Ford photography website this afternoon. The History page states Mr. Ford got his photographic start at the Hiatt Photographic Services offices which were above this Piggly Wiggly. There is a great photograph on the page showing Capitol Street where the PW can be seen. https://www.gilfordphoto.com/history
the Jitney Jungle building in the other photograph is obviously a different building.
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The Piggly Wiggly in Eupora is my favorite. I shopped there with my grandparents in the 1960’s and it was the most fascinating store this child ever shopped in (or so I thought). Not sure what it is now, but I stopped in several years ago and found it clean, well stocked and friendly staffed. I’ve been in small grocery stores since that reminded me of that PW and I always find myself walking up and down the aisles reminiscing of my days in the small town world.
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I love Piggly Wiggly stores. They have great meat sales and friendly people. I shop at different ones, depending on where I go. I mostly shop at the one on Academy St. in Canton (it used to be a Super Value). Back in the 60s, my aunt and uncle in Brookhaven used to see produce to the Piggly Wiggly store there.
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I love Piggly Wiggly stores. They have great meat sales and friendly people. I shop at different ones, depending on where I go. I mostly shop at the one on Academy St. in Canton (it used to be a Super Value). Back in the 60s, my aunt and uncle in Brookhaven used to sell produce to the Piggly Wiggly store there.
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