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AVIS Grocery Store

Posted: 22 May 2007 03:53
by steps
Hey all! I had a customer come in with some very interresting items (i have a ebay consignment store). He brought in some books from the late 1800's which included a "city directory" for the city of Pomona. I was looking through the book which had pictures and came across a grocery store called "avis". I was totally surprised. I had never thought of any grocery stores before Safeway. I always saw Safeway as the first grocery store ever (although I know it isnt) does anyone know the history of this store? There were a lot of advertisement in the book that were Avis.

A lil off topic, but the bag he brought the book in was a pastic Luckys shopping back I think from the 1970s or earlier. THe bag features "lady lee" store brand frozen goods. If there is any interrest I can scan the pics of the book.

Posted: 22 May 2007 15:47
by runchadrun
I found pictures of the store at http://content.ci.pomona.ca.us/cdm4/ite ... OX=1&REC=3 and http://content.ci.pomona.ca.us/cdm4/ite ... OX=1&REC=8

Walter M. Avis was the postmaster of Pomona, a businessman, community leader, and developer and he owned a store with partner Frank Ellsworth. It's possible that the post office was inside the store, as the stores of the day were still in the style of the old general store especially in an outpost like Pomona.

Avis died on December 5, 1936. There is a picture of him at http://content.ci.pomona.ca.us/cdm4/ite ... OX=1&REC=7

An article from the LA Times in 1901 recounts how the chewing gum machine was stolen was from the store and that it had been found in a cement pipe yard with the gum removed but not the coins. Ah, what counted as news in 1901...