Unexpected City: Wabash Feed Store
OffCite presents the eighth submission to the Unexpected City challenge, made by Mary Gloriod. Click here to learn about making your own submission.
Wabash Antiques and Feed Store advertises itself to be “A little bit of country in the heart of the city.” I’ve walked through the store and seen what looked like grandparents guiding their grandchildren through the rows of chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other livestock. I’ve bought some delicious food, vegetables, and jellies directly from people who grow and make the items, and who bring them to Wabash’s farmers market days.
According to Wabash’s website, the store began as a grain store that eventually evolved into an antique shop:
This store, originally owned by a German family, opened around the turn of the century in the 6400 block Washington Avenue. It was called Consumer Grain. The name changed to Consumer Grain and Feed and then to Consumer Grain and Fuel to reflect changes in the store’s inventory. The family sold the store in the 1970s to interior designer Manning Mann, who was looking to expand his antique business. He liked the feel of the place, and ended up keeping the feed business, changing the name once again to the Wabash Antiques and Feed Store. “Wabash” is a name Mann coined. It stands for Washington Avenue Bric-Brac, Antiques, Sundries and Hardware.
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