A Man Called Pie

John Allen made his mark in Arizona.

John B. Allen came to Arizona during the 1858 gold rush at Gila City, a few miles east of Yuma. That same year he moved on to Tucson where he gave up gold prospecting and began selling dried apple pies for a buck a piece (and gained the nickname “Pie”). He made so much money selling pies he was able to open a general store. Soon he had stores in Maricopa Wells and Tubac. Always a wandering man, Allen headed for Tombstone following the silver discovery in 1877. Allen Street was named after him.