Allison's Feed Store, 1904 - 1922

 

Allison's Feed Store
northeast corner 8th St. and Glenwood Ave.
circa 1915
courtesy Louis Vukovcan family

Robert G. Allison was already advertising his feed and flour business in 1904, the year before Ambridge was incorporated.

R. G. Allison ad
Ambridge-Economy Citizen
Sept. 2, 1904

Allison's first location was in the part of Ambridge that was still referred to as Economy, north of what is now 8th St. But he stayed there for less than a year before moving to a building he'd built in the 300 block of Maplewood Ave., near the intersection of what is now 4th St., located conveniently near the new railroad depot and station on the east side of the new American Bridge plant.

R. B. Allison
Stock Feed & Grains
ad
Pittsburgh Gazette Times
February 8, 1914

Eventually, Allison's business outgrew the Maplewood location, and in 1914, he bought property on the northeast corner of 8th St. (then called Bryden Rd.) and Glenwood Ave. He selected that property because it was located next to the spur rail line that had been built through Ambridge. The "Belt Line" ran from French Point, serviced a rapidly growing number of businesses across Ambridge, and eventfully ended at 8th St. next to Allison's new building. (While the spur line no longer exists, an end-of-the-line "bumper" on the east side of 507 8th St. still does.)

Notice
Weekly Northwestern Miller
Jan. 12, 1916

In 1922, the building Allison built on 8th St. was sold to William Wall, who had decided to close the bakery he'd operated in Ambridge since 1910. 

"R. G. Allison Sells Feed and Seed Store"
The Citizen
July 18, 1922
courtesy Jefrey Wall

At the end of the above article, Allison described his future plans: "When asked what he purposed doing, Mr. Allison replied, 'Nothing at present, except collect up my accounts.'" 

William Wall, then later his sons, continued to operate the business as a feed and grain store until the demand for those dwindled. The Wall family then switched to primarily selling lawn and garden supplies in that building until they closed the business in 1997. 

Below is the what Allison's 8th St. building currently looks like. You can see the spur line bumper to the right of the building. Several small businesses are currently located in the building.

Former Allison's Feed Store
507 8th St.
June 20, 2021
credit: P. J. Shotter

Here's a closer shot of the bumper:

Train bumper
east side of 307 8th St.
June 20, 2021
credit: P. J. Shotter