Although I doubt that there will ever be a show at the Historical Society, or brochures at the Visitors Bureau, perhaps nothing encapsulates the history of Allentown more than the corner grocery stores. Allentown proper, is mostly comprised of rowhouses built between 1870 and 1920, long before the era of automobiles and suburban supermarkets. Most of the corner markets were built as stores, and over the years many were converted into apartments. Up until the late 1940's, there may have been well over a hundred operating in Allentown. Some specialized in ethnic food. The bodega at 9th and Liberty was formally an Italian market. Live and fresh killed chickens were sold at 8th and Linden, currently H & R Block Tax Service. A kosher meat market is now a hair salon on 19th Street. The original era for these markets died with the advent of the supermarket. In the early 50's some corner stores attempted to "brand" themselves as a "chain", as shown in the Economy Store sign above. That market is at 4th and Turner, and has been continually operating since the turn of the last century. Ironically, as the social-economic level of center city has decreased, the corner stores have seen a revival. Most of these new merchants, many Hispanic and some Asian, know little of the former history of their stores, but like their predecessors, work long, hard hours.
ADDENDUM: The above post is reprinted from 2009. The sign shown above has been removed or sold. When my parents were first married, they lived next door and would patronize the same store. My grandparents lived nearby on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets.
ADDENDUM 2: the Economy Stores sign shown, apparently came from an early A&P format in 1912 when they leased small stores. If this particular store was such an A&P, or just dressed later with a reused sign, I have yet to determine.
ADDENDUM APRIL 12, 2024: When I took the photo back in 2009, I was friendly with the long time owner, from having managed apartments in that neighborhood. Both she and the enamel sign are now long gone. When I told the current owner that members of my family have been coming into that same store for over a hundred years, he looked at me as if I was from another planet. There are very few long time store owners that I still know.
I grew up in Emmaus and there were 3 stores within 1 block. I was often sent by my mother to go buy something from one of these markets or the bakery that was about 4 blocks away. We also had dairy delivery every day to your insulated box on our porch.
ReplyDeleteThis was still the case into the 1970's, many people did not own a car or if they did, only 1. The store owners knew everyone and their children personally. It was a time of real community that I suspect will never return.
I think it is important for the older generation to pass this history on to the young, I fear that much of this history is going to be lost forever.