Allen and Lewis records, 1853-1931

The wholesale grocery firm of Allen and Lewis was a prominent fixture of the commercial scene in Portland, Oregon, from the 1850s through the early 20th century. Beginning as one of the town's only general stores in 1851, the firm was founded by Cicero Hunt Lewis (also known as Cicero Horatius Lewis) and Lucius H. Allen. Lewis (1826-1897) was a native of Cranbury, New Jersey, and after his arrival in Portland, he began a rapid rise to prominence. In 1857, he married Clementine Couch, daughter of John Heard Couch, who had platted the city's northern section. Lewis was also involved in a number of significant Oregon ventures in addition to his mercantile firm, including the Oregon Central Railroad, the Willamette Bridge Company, and efforts to establish telegraph service between Portland and San Francisco.

Long after Lewis's death, in 1924, property owned by his heirs at Front Avenue and West Burnside Street was subject to appropriation by the the City of Portland due to the construction of the approach to the new Burnside Bridge.