Tillie's Bakery, on the narrow 900 block of Liberty Street, was actually a family factory outlet store. Behind the house, whose living room served as the store, facing an alley called Fountain Street, was Long's Bakery. Long's produced small plastic wrapped shoefly pies and breakfast cakes, which were distributed in local grocery stores throughout Allentown. Tillie Long would open the bakery store several hours each day, and the small selection of wrapped bake goods would quickly be snatched up by knowledgeable neighbors. Peter and Tillie operated the factory and bakery front for the better part of a century. Afterwards, the business was operated by their son, William. The bakery building on Fountain Street is now apartments.
reprinted from May of 2013
ADDENDUM JANUARY 5, 2023:After a week of bashing Allentown's current administration and newspaper, I'm drawn to the serenity of a historical post. Nowadays, such posts tend to be reprints, because so little of Allentown's past remains. Furthermore, I'm drawn to write about that which I knew and experienced, such as Tillie's Bakery. Sometimes, I even have the pleasure of using my own photography from back in those days.
I'm aware that new places are making new memories, for Allentown's new residents. In the future, some young man who has grown older in Allentown will print his images of Allentown's past.
Allentown had a strong manufacturing sector. It was where many people could earn decent middle-class incomes by adding value from basic commodities. Steel made in Bethlehem, for example, could be made into toasters. Flour could be made into baked goods.
ReplyDeleteTillies, Egypt Star and others did that. Friehofer Bakery made mass quantities of bread...
Now Allentown has a microscopic manufacturing sector. Although we have stores where we sell things brought in from other areas. The stores no longer sell products made in Allentown or other cities in the area very much. Most of what they sell is made in Vietnam, or China.
Even Tastycakes are no longer made in Philadelphia..
My favorite bakery in Allentown was The Bride's Bakery. MM do you know if that is still open. I was in the Lehigh Valley right before Thanksgiving and went to Vallos' Bakery. Wow! That changed for the better. Their baked goods were great. Hate seeing all these stores and local people close up shop.
ReplyDeleteAl@11:25, there are very few, if any, old businesses left downtown. That bakery closed about 15 years ago. If they were still open, that block of 6th St. wouldn't be favorable to selling high end wedding cakes.
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