Tom Peterson's

September 1978: Tom Peterson’s 15th Anniversary Sale introduced a new Video Cassette Showroom, featuring the latest Magnavox, JVC and RCA video equipment, along with Beta and VHS tapes. A great snapshot of the moment home video was beginning to find its way into everyday American homes. “Elvis Presly”

A tiny Tom Peterson advertisement, November 15, 1969. A glimpse into the advertising and retail world of late-1960s Oregon, preserved from the pages of The Register-Guard. Thanks to Frank Culbertson for sharing this piece of Tom Peterson history.

In the November 1985 issue of Oregon Magazine, Tom Peterson shared his recipe for Eastern Shore Stew, a hearty dish inspired by his family’s roots in Maryland and adapted with Oregon ingredients. The feature, “Chef’s Secrets: Kitchen All-Stars,” also included recipes from Darcelle, Dr. Lendon Smith, and KGW news anchor Kathy Smith, offering a rare look at what some of Oregon’s most recognizable personalities enjoyed cooking at home.

Special thanks our good friend Brad () for obtaining and sharing this great piece of Tom Peterson history.

Tom Peterson’s Eastern Shore Stew

Ingredients

* 4 strips bacon
* 1 lb. lean hamburger
* 1 large onion
* 12 large whole tomatoes
* 2 green peppers
* 2 ears of corn
* 1/2 cup Oregon Gewürztraminer w**e
* 1/2 tsp. basil
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped (may substitute dehydrated)
* 3 sage leaves

Directions

1. Cut bacon into quarter-inch pieces and cook in a hot pan. Dice half the onion and add it to the bacon. When partially cooked, add the hamburger and brown thoroughly.
2. Slice the tomatoes into quarters. Dice the peppers and the remaining onion into quarter-inch pieces. Add the vegetables and spices to the browned hamburger and bacon.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for one hour. Cut the corn off the cob and add it to the pan. Add the w**e and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serves four.

Tom Peterson was just as proud of the corn growing in the garden behind his home on Idleman Road as he was of anything in his showroom. A master gardener, he loved spending time tending his backyard harvest.

September 1976. Tom Peterson’s “Fall Parade of Color TV’s” featured RCA, Toshiba, Sanyo, Philco, Hitachi, Quasar, Admiral, and JVC televisions, all available for $20 a month or 105 days same as cash. With a cash price of $399, this ad captures the era when color television was becoming a centerpiece of the American home.