Nearly 100 Years at 15 East Market Street: The Trolley Car Story

Shared with permission from Jeremy Landes, host of The Valley Vault on WCHX 105.5 FM. Originally posted on Facebook on November 3, 2026.

The Valley Vault is a popular local history segment on the CHiX Morning FiX show, shining a spotlight on the heritage, forgotten landmarks, historic businesses and folklore of Mifflin and Juniata counties.

If you grew up in the Lewistown area or spent much time downtown, there’s a good chance you remember the Trolley Car on East Market Street. For generations, the small restaurant building at 15 East Market Street was a familiar part of downtown life. But what many people might not realize is that its history began nearly 100 years ago, long before it became known as the Trolley Car.

The story begins in 1928, when A. J. Kellerman opened a business called the Club Diner. The original structure was a prefabricated lunch car manufactured by the Jerry O’Mahony Dining Car Company, one of the companies that helped popularize the classic American diner. These buildings were designed to be manufactured elsewhere and delivered to their destinations, allowing entrepreneurs to establish restaurants without constructing traditional buildings from the ground up.

An especially interesting piece of the building’s history survives in a photograph taken on May 21, 1929. It shows the Club Diner during its early years, with employees standing outside the small restaurant. Looking at that photograph, it’s remarkable to think about how much the property would change over the next several decades.

Kellerman operated the Club Diner from 1928 through 1938. According to a historical timeline published by Buffington Property Management, the location was vacant during 1939 and 1940 before reopening as Shumaker’s Restaurant in 1941. H. Ward Shumaker operated the restaurant through 1952, giving the property another lengthy period as a downtown dining establishment.

The next documented operation was Pickett’s Diner, owned by Harry and Mary Pickett during 1954 and 1955. That was followed by Malarkey’s Bar and Grill, operated by J. B. Malarkey in 1956 and 1957. Although the names and operators changed, the property continued its association with dining and hospitality.

A particularly long chapter began in 1958, when Bob and Thelma Campbell took over and operated Campbell’s Bar and Grill. Their business remained at the location through 1982, making the Campbell years one of the longest periods under a single name in the property’s history.

In 1983, Frank Schellenberger became the operator, and the business was known as Campbell’s Diner through 1986. By this time, the little restaurant had already been part of the Lewistown community for nearly 60 years, serving customers through decades of changes in downtown businesses and everyday life.

But the building’s history also included a period when it wasn’t used as a restaurant at all. From 1987 through 1992, it housed the Downtown Gallery, with the property’s historical records identifying Ammerman, Mowery, Armstrong, and Laub as the people associated with that operation.

Then, in 1993, the restaurant tradition returned with the Trolley Car Cafe. The historical timeline identifies Bollinger and Shapoksy as its operators through 2005. By then, the building had undergone numerous additions and modifications, and the name Trolley Car had become closely associated with the familiar downtown location.

Doug and Marsha Wagner operated the Trolley Car Cafe from 2005 through 2017. Kurt and Linda Packer followed, operating the business as The Trolley Car from 2017 through 2020. These were the years when many more local residents developed their own memories of eating at the restaurant.

Another change came in 2020, when Malachi Scott operated the location as The Breakfast Cafe through 2022. Brianna Amspacker then opened The Nook, which operated from 2022 through 2025. Each business added another chapter to a property that had welcomed customers under many different names since the late 1920s.

Following the closure of The Nook, the building remained vacant. Unfortunately, the original structure and its many additions had deteriorated considerably over the decades. According to the property owners, the building’s condition had reached the point where renovation was no longer a practical or safe option.

In July 2026, the old Trolley Car building was demolished. For people who remembered visiting the restaurant over the years, seeing such a familiar part of downtown Lewistown disappear was understandably an emotional moment. But the demolition also marked the beginning of another chapter for the property.

The site is now part of a redevelopment project involving 13 and 15 East Market Street. The neighboring historic Fosnot-Wilson Building is being renovated to become the new dining area for The Square Cafe and Bakery, which currently operates at 10 West Market Street.

At the former Trolley Car location, construction is underway on a new kitchen, bakery, and outdoor patio that will connect with the restored building next door. The project also includes preserving architectural features at 13 East Market Street, including historic woodwork and leaded glass discovered during renovations.

As of the latest project updates, The Square Cafe and Bakery is planning to move into its new home in early 2027. The project will give the business additional space while returning restaurant activity to a property with a long connection to downtown dining.

What I find especially interesting about this story is how many generations of people have connections to one relatively small piece of Lewistown. Some might remember Campbell’s Bar and Grill, while others knew the building as the Trolley Car Cafe, The Breakfast Cafe, or The Nook. For many families, those memories are tied to meals, conversations, familiar faces, and everyday moments that became part of their lives.

And although the building itself is gone, its history hasn’t disappeared. Thanks to old photographs, historical business records, and the memories of local residents, we can still trace the story of a small lunch car that became a downtown landmark.

I’d love to hear your memories of the Trolley Car and the businesses that occupied 15 East Market Street over the years. Which restaurant do you remember best? Did you ever work there, or do you have old photographs of the building before all the additions and changes? Feel free to share your stories!

Share your memories on Jeremy’s Facebook post →

Nearly a century after the Club Diner first welcomed customers, this little corner of downtown Lewistown is preparing for another chapter. It’s a reminder that while buildings and businesses may change, the history connected to them remains an important part of our community.

PHOTO NOTE: These 2 photographs capture the beginning and end of a nearly century-long chapter in downtown Lewistown’s history. The first photograph, taken on May 21, 1929, shows 3 employees standing outside the original Club Diner at 15 East Market Street, which opened in 1928 under A. J. Kellerman. The second photograph shows the demolition of the building in July 2026, after decades of serving the community under several different restaurant names, including Campbell’s Bar and Grill, the Trolley Car Cafe, The Breakfast Cafe, and The Nook. Although the original structure is now gone, the property is being redeveloped as part of the new Square Cafe and Bakery project. Both photographs are featured in the historical collection published by Buffington Property Management.

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Read Jeremy Landes’s original post on Facebook · See the Trolley Car’s history and photos · Follow the Square Cafe project