It’s now known as Upland Feed and Groom, but the store at 164 N. 2nd Ave. in downtown Upland is closing any day now. Signs outside say everything is half off and a peek inside on Tuesday showed there wasn’t a lot left.

The store opened in 1896 and I believe it’s been in continuous operation ever since. Ray Stump was involved with the store for 50 years, working his way up from employee to owner, before selling it in 2008. The store sold pets as well as feed for horses, rabbits, chickens and birds, a function that was more important in a more rural era; ditto with the fuel, presumably firewood, that was part of the original name but fell by the wayside long ago.

Owner/landlord Mike Cobb, who took over the ailing store in 2010, hasn’t returned calls from our Upland reporter, but it seems evident the store has had trouble repurposing itself despite adding pet grooming and altering the name in 2011. Too bad. In the age of Petco, it’s tough to make it as an independent pet store, especially in a sleepy downtown.

Feel free to share any memories or history of the store by leaving a comment.