Take a stroll down South 16th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, heading toward Harney Street. You’ll pass by a few eateries. You will also see the historic King Fong Café and a charming apartment building now known as “The Limelight.”
To uncover the heart of this story, we must turn back the clock to the early 20th century. Cigar smoke filled the air then. One of the finest cigar stores in Nebraska proudly stood right there.
That shop was called John’s Cigar Store.
A simple name, yes. For nearly two decades, it was a cornerstone of Omaha’s tobacco scene. It was housed in what is now The Limelight building. Mahogany cases were filled with cigars, pipes, pipe tobacco, and candy. It was the type of place where you’d expect an older man to greet you. He would speak with a faint Russian accent. He’d offer a cigar recommendation while puffing on one himself.
That man was John P. Alperson, a Russian-born Jewish immigrant who arrived in the U.S. around 1888. Born sometime between 1866 and 1873, Alperson made his mark as a dedicated merchant and tobacconist.
His shop, originally named Central Cigar Store, first appeared in the Omaha Daily Bee on November 26, 1905. John quickly became a well-known figure in Nebraska’s tobacco industry. He was even recognized as one of the leading jobbers in the state by The Tobacco World.
Trouble with the Law
In 1905, Nebraska passed an “Anti-Cigarette Law.” Not long after, Alperson was arrested. He was not arrested for selling cigarettes but for giving away cigarette papers. He challenged the arrest, successfully arguing that the law prohibited sales, not gifts. And so, he kept on selling cigars, with style.
The Rise of “John Says”
Soon after, Alperson’s advertisements began appearing in newspapers. They launched a clever branding campaign. This campaign featured a bespectacled cartoon version of “John” under the slogan “John Says.”
His first ad read:
“John Says: After that Thanksgiving dinner, the particular smoker enjoys a good cigar. We have a large variety of the best. By the box a specialty. A complete line of smokers’ articles at the Central Cigar Store. John Alperson, prop. 321 S. 16th St.”
In an April 2, 1909 ad, John poked fun at the popularity of his own cigars:
“There’s only one trouble with J.A. Secret Blend Cigars. It’s most too good to sell for a nickel. Seems to make my ten-centers sell slower.”
And in 1911, amid the aviation craze, he quipped:
“John Says: Speaking of ‘bird men’—I’d rather be a landlubber with a fist full of TRUST BUSTER 6c CIGARS than an aviator with a pocketful of undertaker’s addresses.”
John’s ads blended humor, current events, and good old-fashioned cigar salesmanship. He even celebrated a U.S. Supreme Court decision that broke up the American Tobacco monopoly with this 1911 rally cry:
“Hurrah for the U.S. Supreme Court! Down with the Tobacco Trust! Put ‘em in jail! Make ’em do business on the level. In the meanwhile, smoke TRUST BUSTER 6c CIGARS.”
But by 1916, the “John Says” ads faded. The last was a modest holiday gift promotion.
The Final Curtain
In the early 1920s, the business shifted. Alperson opened Alperson’s Men’s Store, a clothing and gift shop. It was located at 1522 Harney Street—just a stone’s throw from the original location. It was also next to the theater and King Fong’s Café. The cigar business was downsized, reduced to a small side room.
By April 1923, the transformation was finished. The men’s store officially annexed John’s Cigar Store. It announced it had taken over the lease and was holding a clearance sale. This was a quiet farewell to a once-vibrant hub.
John’s nephew, Sam Alperson, a World War I veteran, ran the men’s store for years after. John himself passed away in Los Angeles in 1946 at the age of 86. He’s buried at Pleasant Hill Jewish Cemetery in Omaha.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Today, John’s Cigar Store lives on only in yellowed newspaper clippings and a few digitized ads. It’s a tale mostly forgotten, until now.
So, in the spirit of the man himself:
John Says: Enjoy your brick-and-mortar shops and cherish their stories. Because one day, they too might fade, like the smoke from your first good cigar.
Special thanks to Chronicling America without their scans, this story would’ve stayed buried.
Sources are in the public domain.
1. 1911 Omaha Bee ad featuring “John Says”
• Source: Chronicling America
• Search: Omaha Bee 1911 John’s Cigar Store
Quack Pack Tabac 