What Was There: 846 Madison Avenue

By alcue, July 31, 2020

The area we call Ontario Street was mostly farmland throughout most of the 1800’s.

Sometime around 1888, Mary Miles sold the southwest corner of Madison and Ontario to James Colloton, who opened a saloon there. Since then, 846 Madison Avenue has been a variety of businesses – meat market, restaurant, dry cleaners, and sub shop. Here’s a casual chronology.

1886-98 The Pine Hill Hotel/George Colloton (and James Colloton) saloon. Foreclosed and sold at public auction in 1898.*

1900 George Elston’s saloon

1902 Amandus Roehr’s saloon

1906-1920 Joseph Bastian’s saloon (moved from 851)

1922-1932 L.A. Bookheim grocery (moved in 1933 to 238 Ontario)

1933 King’s Kandy

1934-5 Larry’s Confectionery

1938-53 Globe Cleaners & Dyers

1954 Poultryland

1961-72 R&G Cleaners

1974-76? Lebit’s Hoagies

1975? Billy’s Soft Ice Cream Parlor

1977-1990 Walt’s Subs/1980-90 Big Dom’s

1991-2 Sub Factory
1993-present Madison’s Subs, Pizza & Wings

*Colloton battled against The Raines Bill, passed in 1896, which stated that the right to sell liquors to be drunk on premises was rigidly confined to hotels, taverns or inns accommodating travelers. Liquor licenses would be granted for one-year periods only, by newly-appointed Excise Commissioners, whose decisions were final. The bill was rammed through in the name of suppressing intolerance, but was actually a power grab by the Republican machine.