Where is Pie Allen historical neighborhood located?
- The Pie Allen historical neighborhood is located across the street from The University of Arizona campus, located in Tucson, Arizona. The neighborhood embodies 23 blocks.
Who lives in the Pie Allen historical neighborhood?
- In 1910, the neighborhood was vastly made up of railroad families. Since then, the area has been remodeled with modern homes and student housing. The architecture for houses varies from Sonoran to western colonial.
Who is Pie Allen?
- The Pie Allen neighborhood was named after John Brackett “Pie” Allen. Allen was born in Maine in 1818. During his educational years, he studied to be a prosecutor in Boston Massachusetts, but was not successful in doing so. He moved to Southern Arizona from the east coast during the California gold rush period, in 1858. The California gold rush brought 300,000 people to California when gold was found in Coloma, California.
- Upon Allen’s arrival in Arizona, he began making and selling dried apple pies to soldiers and others in the community, hence his nickname, “Pie” Allen. His pie business became extraordinarily successful, and he was able to open his own store, selling his pies for only $1. His successful business operations did not stop there. Allen was a farmer, constructed buildings, and operated a dairy farm, all in the city of Tucson. Many might refer to Allen as a “man of all trades” and many people were inspired by his dedication to the city. As years went on, he became invested in politics. He served as a superintendent of Tucson’s first school district in 1867. Pima County school district was a monumental step towards bettering education in Arizona, which is another reason John Allen had a large impact on the city. Due to the publicity of his pie business, his dedication to the city of Tucson, and his educational background, he was eventually appointed two terms as the Mayor of Tucson. In addition, he was the 4th mayor of Tucson and helped build the city up.
John Allen’s love life:
- John Allen had a peculiar love life. When he was 63 years old, he married a teenage girl, Lola Tapia. According to “True West: History of the American Frontier”, Lola’s mother did not originally approve of the marriage. She only agreed to the marriage if Lola lived in a convent, which is exactly what happened. About a year later, she gave birth to a child, which could not possibly be John’s with their living arrangements. Eventually, Lola was charged for adultery, a fine of $25, and got divorced in the year 1891.
John Allen’s death:
- Records show Allen was buried in the county cemetery in 1873, following his battle with cancer. According to Paul L. Allen, the author of “Pioneer ‘Pie’, Allen’s Burial Site Unknown”, Allen’s burial cannot be found. Despite his marble marker in the county cemetery, his physical remains are in a location unknown. This is a big mystery for the residents of Tucson due to the enormous impact he had on the city.
Citations and References:
Allen, Paul L. “Pioneer 'Pie' Allen's Burial Site Unknown.” Tucson Citizen, Sept. 2002, http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/2002/09/25/126114-pioneer-pie-allen-s-burial-site-unknown/.
“Pie Allen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie_Allen.
"Where’d that name come from? Well, neighbor…” Arizona Daily Star. July 20, 2008. Page B1.