801 S Meridian: Meat Markets and Groceries
From the late 1800s to the 1970s, 801 S Meridian street was home to a series of meat markets and grocery stores. It was a meat market the majority of that time with seven different proprietors including David Merz, Frederick D Jaus, Joseph Schott, Edward Schultz, Fred Scheurer, and Joseph Metzner. When Fred Leushner took over, he converted it into a grocery store. Following his departure, two more people operated the grocery including Isadore Shapiro and Morris Simon. In 1946, under Morris Simon it became Peter Pan Market. When it closed in 1970, the building’s long run as a meat market/grocery store ended.
801 S Meridian in 2010.
Starting in the late 1800s, David Merz operated a meat market at 801 S Meridian. When David died, his wife, Frederica took over the business for a time before Frederick D Jaus became proprietor around 1907. The 1905 City Directory lists Jaus as a meatcutter boarding at 801 S Meridian, indicating that he had previously worked for the Merz’s. The Merz’s also lived above their shop along with their daughter, Emma, and son-in-law, a bookkeeper called Henry Moesch.
In 1910, ownership transferred again to the Schott brothers, Joseph and George. Prior to owning the meat market at 801 S Meridian, the Schott meat market had been located at 256 E Market House, also known as the City Market. Once at 801 S Meridian, Joseph Schott ran the meat market until 1921 when Edward Schultz took over for a short time.
In 1924, the market changed hands again when Frederick Scheurer took over the store. He operated the meat market for around eight years until Joseph Mentzer became proprietor for about a year in 1933. Then, in 1934 Fred Leuschner ran the market from 1934 to around 1943. During his tenure, the meat market became a grocery store.
1915 map showing 801 S Meridian as a meat market.
Sometime between 1944 and 1945, Isadore Shapiro, Louis Shapiro’s son, began running the grocery store at 801 S Meridian. He was born around 1904 in Odessa, Russia and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was a child. Prior to having his own grocery, Isadore worked at the Shapiro’s grocery store and then restaurant under his father and then his brother, Max. However, his time at 801 S Meridian was short lived as around 1946 when Morris and Sarah Simon took over operations. 801 S Meridian became known as Peter Pan Market and was run by the Simon’s for 24 years until their retirement in 1970.
801 S Meridian is one of the few commercial buildings left on South Meridian. After the Peter Pan Market closed, the shop sat vacant for a few years before it became a plastic slip cover shop. Prior to becoming the flower shop it is today, 801 S Meridian was home to Goldman Jewelry, run by Dennis and Rhonda Burton. They eventually moved to their current location just down the street at 944 S Meridan and the 801 became JP Parker Flowers. Today this storefront is one of the last vestiges of the South Meridian Jewish Business District.
1948 ad for Peter Pan Market from the Indianapolis Star.
802 S Meridian: Passo's Drugs
According to every source, one of the cornerstones of the Meridian business block was Passo’s Drugs. Previously located next to Shapiro’s at 802 S. Meridian St., this pharmacy had been owned by the Passo’s since 1940. According to every source, this was one of the cornerstones of the Meridian business block. The pharmacy was actually in place before the Passo’s, previously called Meridian Pharmacy. After 1940, the storefront became a significant part of the culture of the community. Kids would gather there candy or soda, adults would stop in for medicine or the latest newspaper. Passo’s Drugs was operated by two brothers: Al Passo and Issie Passo.
The Passo’s grew up in the southside and graduated from Emerich Manuel High School. After going to school, both for pharmacy, they continued to live in the southside and work on their business. Both brothers got married in the latter half of 1940: Albert in 1947 and Issie in 1946. Rabbi David S. Shapiro even officiated Issie’s wedding! Issie Passo and his family remained on the southside, while Al’s family moved to the north side near Rocky Ripple. Passo’s remained the same, a timeless space that held a piece of the heart of the community. The pair co-owned Passo’s for 34 years before Issie passed away.
In 1976, tragedy struck. There was a gas leak in the main service line causing Passo’s Drugs to explode. Al Passo, his employee Elizabeth Nanny, and a customer exiting the store all received minor injuries. The store was devastated, it needed $75,000+ in damage repair. This was a huge hit to the community, and the explosion made the news all over the state. Unfortunately, Passo’s was never the same after that, in the eyes of the community and the Passo family.
805 S Meridian
Sidney S Freedman ran a liquor store just south of the grocery store on the corner of McCarty and South Meridian at 805 s Meridian street. This dealer of liquors resided across the street from the Shapiro’s restaurant. There are a few mentions of this liquor distributor that came up in the years of 1955 and 1960. Although this business might not have been the most influential in the community it offers an insight into how the businesses of this neighborhood were owned and operated by members of the local community.
805 S Meridian on the 1941 Sanborn map.
808 S Meridian: Shapiro's
Russian Jewish immigrants from Odessa, Louis and Rebecca Shapiro started their business at 808 South Meridian street around 1912 after arriving in Indianapolis in June of 1906. The family lived at the South Meridian Street location and the couple and the older of their eight children sold kosher goods and fresh produce in their store. Because of the neighborhood’s proximity to the railroad, it quickly became a diverse melting pot of Sephardic Jews but also German and Irish immigrants and African Americans. In the 1940s Shapiro’s opened a cafeteria in which patrons could sit and enjoy their food. After the passing of his parents, Max became the head of the deli in the late 1950s. In the 1980s the store was then taken over by Max’s nephew and the current owner, Brian Shapiro. Shapiro’s is still standing at the same location today and is still known for having the finest corned beef sandwich. For more information check out their website: https://shapiros.com/