Historic Sandwich, IL › Places › Indian Springs Shopping Center
When Indian Springs Shopping Center opened on November 6, 1968, Sandwich gained a new shopping destination along Route 34. A supermarket, drugstore, and hardware store shared a large building and a parking lot designed for more than 200 cars.
The newspaper advertisements promised convenient, one stop shopping. Behind those promises was a development that brought established Sandwich businesses and a new grocery operation together on the east side of town.
An architect’s rendering of Indian Springs Shopping Center, published in the Free Press on May 1, 1968. The drawing presented the proposed storefronts, parking area, and roadside sign.
Planning a New Shopping Center
By December 1967, the proposed development already had its name. The December 14 Free Press reported that city engineers would conduct soil tests at the site of the new Indian Springs Shopping Center east of Sandwich.
A more detailed announcement followed on May 1, 1968. Plans called for approximately 46,000 square feet of retail space occupied by three tenants: Ace Hardware, Holland’s Drug Store, and a Pik-n-Save supermarket.
Parking would accommodate more than 200 cars, with access from Church Street, or Route 34, and Griswold Springs Road. The developers also anticipated room for additional stores.
September was then the projected completion date. Through the summer, readers could follow the development as it took shape.
Indian Springs Shopping Center under construction in the summer of 1968. The Free Press reported on July 24 that much of the steel was in place and the walls were rising.
Where the Name Came From
The October 30 opening announcement explained that Indian Springs had been named for Native American artifacts found in the surrounding Little Rock Township and the Fox River Valley, and the naturally occuring springs which can be found nearby
That is the explanation recorded in the contemporary newspaper. The report did not identify a particular Native nation or document a settlement at the shopping center site.
Opening Day: November 6, 1968
On October 30, the Free Press announced that Indian Springs would open the following Wednesday, November 6.
The opening tenants were Pick-n-Save Foods, Holland’s Drug Store, and Ace Hardware. Plans included introductions of visiting officials, a flag raising, and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Holland’s and Swishers, the hardware business, had moved from downtown Sandwich; Pick-n-Save brought a new supermarket operation to the community.
The center’s advertising emphasized free parking and the convenience of completing several shopping errands in one location. Its December year end review subsequently recorded that Indian Springs held its opening on November 6.
Indian Springs advertised its November 6 opening in the October 30, 1968 Free Press, page 5. The announcement named the center’s three original stores.
Shopping in 1968
Each store offered more than its basic name might suggest.
Pick-n-Save advertised a delicatessen, fresh produce, a liquor department, and a large meat selection. Ace Hardware promoted appliances, tools, giftware, sporting goods, and a hardware service center.
Holland’s expanded into a larger store with a prescription department, cosmetics, greeting cards, and merchandise for the home. Its advertisements combined medicines and toiletries with cameras, radios, household goods, and seasonal items.
Pick-n-Save’s November 13 advertisement announced the second week of its grand opening sale. Prizes included a portable color television, four black-and-white television sets, coffee makers, and other household goods. Advertised specials included a five-pound bag of sugar for 39 cents with a qualifying purchase, margarine for 12 cents, and white bread for 19 cents.
Another November advertisement introduced the store’s savings program, including coupons and King Korn trading stamps.
Pick-n-Save’s second week of grand opening specials, advertised in the November 13, 1968 Free Press, page 6.
Christmas at Indian Springs
The center’s early advertising also invited families to gather for holiday activities.
A Christmas announcement scheduled a tree lighting for Friday, December 13, with Santa available for free photographs with children. The following afternoon, Bruce and Claire Newton were scheduled to present a free puppet show outside beneath the canopy.
Additional Santa visits were advertised for evenings and Saturday afternoons leading up to Christmas. Alongside groceries, prescriptions, and hardware, Indian Springs was offering occasions for families to visit together.
A Change in the Grocery Store
The original supermarket’s time at Indian Springs was brief.
The March 19, 1969 Free Press reported that Pick-n-Save had declared bankruptcy and that the local store had closed the previous Friday, March 14. According to the newspaper, the chain had experienced financial difficulties and was closed by court order.
The same article reported interest from an unnamed local independent grocer in taking over the lease, but described that possibility as a rumor. Store representatives would not comment on plans.
A later advertisement places Parks Brothers at Indian Springs and lists winners from its grand opening promotion. The exact date and terms of Parks Brothers’ arrival remain to be established.
A Place in Sandwich’s Everyday History
Indian Springs also changed the downtown business district. The March 1969 newspaper described vacant spaces left by businesses moving to the shopping center and reported plans for new occupants.
Its opening marked a change in where Sandwich residents shopped and how local businesses served them. The surviving articles and advertisements preserve the beginnings of a place that became part of everyday life: grocery errands, prescription pickups, hardware purchases, and holiday visits with children.
The shopping center remains part of Sandwich’s everyday life. Although its tenants have changed since the 1968 opening, people still shop at the same location, a familiar place with a history stretching back nearly six decades.
Facts at a Glance
- Location: East side of Sandwich, along Route 34 and Griswold Springs Road.
- Planning documented: December 1967.
- Opening: November 6, 1968.
- Original tenants: Pick-n-Save Foods, Holland’s Drug Store, and Ace Hardware.
- Building: Approximately 46,000 square feet, as announced in 1968.
- Parking: Planned for more than 200 cars.
- Pick-n-Save closure: March 14, 1969, according to the March 19 Free Press.
- Later grocery tenant: Parks Brothers; exact arrival date remains under research
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Research & Sources
This article draws on contemporary newspaper reports and advertisements supplied from the Free Press, Sandwich, Illinois:
- December 14, 1967: “Hold Zoning Change For Plan Report,” including proposed soil tests at Indian Springs.
- May 1, 1968: “September Set For Shopping Center Completion,” with an architect’s rendering.
- July 24, 1968: Construction photograph and caption.
- October 30, 1968: “Shopping Center Sets Opening For Next Week,” page 1; opening advertisement, page 5.
- November 6, 1968: Holland’s advertisement celebrating its move, page 7.
- November 13, 1968: Pick-n-Save grand opening advertisement, page 6.
- November 20, 1968: Pick-n-Save savings and trading-stamp advertisement, page 6.
- December 31, 1968: Year-end review recording the November 6 opening, page 5.
- March 19, 1969: “Changes To Fill Downtown Stores,” reporting Pick-n-Save’s closure.
- Additional advertisements: Indian Springs Christmas activities and Parks Brothers’ grand opening winners. Publication dates remain to be confirmed.
Restored advertising illustrations accompany the article. Historical wording and details were checked against the original newspaper clippings.