One might imagine that a chain of 40 stores would reveal a wealth of historical information. This doesn't seem to be the case, so today's topic focuses on the Alling Rubber Company's long history as a High Street retailer.
Noyes E. Alling founded the Alling Rubber Company in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1897. A second and third store were added in Bridgeport and New Haven, Connecticut, that year.
By 1908, the Alling Rubber Company had 13 stores, and in April, it opened its 14th store at 366 High Street in Holyoke. The store's first location was opposite the YMCA, which was then located at the northwest Corner of High and Appleton Streets.
The store focused its inventory on rubber-made products, and its slogan was, "If it's made of rubber, we have it." The company advertised that, with 14 stores, it had the buying power to get better prices and pass those savings on to customers.
An early advertisement displayed a variety of rubber products, including coats, boots, hats, blankets, Aprons, gloves, leggings, sheeting, water bottles, and rubber hoses. The local store expanded its product line to include bicycle and automobile tires. The store offered tire repair on-site.
The diverse inventory mix continued. In 1911, the store began carrying football equipment, marking its commitment to supplying athletic supplies. At the same time, the store carried over a dozen rubber automobile parts. Soon after, the store had available rubber toys for infants and children, exercise equipment, boxing supplies, and other related goods. The store contracted to produce uniforms for local athletic teams.
The store ran out of space for its inventory, so on June 1, 1913, it moved to 352 High Street, a significantly larger store. The new location was closer to Division Street on the east side.
During the 1920s, the store sold 15-gallon drums of motor oil for the do-it-yourselfer. It also sold bicycles, offering payment plans.
In 1929, the company moved again, this time to 320 High Street, its final destination. The company spent $9,000 to alter the newly acquired building, situated near Peoples Savings Bank. The company added fishing gear, radios, luggage carriers, auto supplies such as spark plugs, and equestrian equipment. Moving through the 1930s, the store added children's snow pants and wool ski pants. Rollers for washing machines were available. This was the pre-spin-dry washing-machine era.
Alling Rubber Co. sold Eastman cameras, including the Brownie, Kodak, and Cine-Kodak. In the 1930s, the company discontinued its auto parts business.
During the 1940s, hobbyists visited the store for model airplane, car, and other buildable sets, along with supplies. The company bid on 50 12-gauge shotguns auctioned by the Holyoke Police Dept. The store carried sporting guns.
In 1962, Gerald Palmer, who had owned a Chevrolet car dealership in Springfield, purchased the Alling Rubber Co. chain. He was hoping to expand the business. In October 1963, James W. Marshall of West Hartford, former ice President of Kaman Aircraft, bought the company.
The final sale occurred on August 11, 1964, when the Mott Supermarket Co. purchased the remaining 8 stores of Alling Rubber. Holyoke was the only store in Massachusetts, with the remaining 7 located in Connecticut. In April 1966, the store advertised a clearance sale, and in May, the store relocated to Chicopee. Mott Supermarket Co. was building a new supermarket there. The 58-year run of a well-established, notable retail contributor to Holyoke's downtown had ended.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
