Oakmont has maintained the spirit of small-town America from its formation in 1889 to the present day. The land on which it sits has a history that reaches from ancient Native American burial grounds to 19th-century farmers and land developers. Its distinctive past can be seen in the 1901 Carnegie Library, in its businesses and industries, and in a community contained within one square mile, with a redbrick Main Street, well-preserved older homes on tree-lined streets, and numerous parks. Many residents take part in local government and volunteer their time and talent to organizations devoted to preserving and improving the town. In 1853, the arrival of the Allegheny Valley Railroad linked Oakmont to Pittsburgh, bringing increased settlement and industry. By 1903, it had become a popular summer destination for swimming, boating, camping, picnic grounds, and golf. Trolley service arrived in 1902, and the Hulton Bridge opened in 1909. Oakmont became still more accessible with the opening of Allegheny River Boulevard in 1938 and its proximity to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1940. Over the years, the community changed with the times while holding on to its small-town character. James G. Foster's grocery store, shown in an early photograph, is now home to Hoffstot's Cafe Monaco. Oakmont once had more than a dozen groceries, and most provided home delivery before automobiles. Passengers waited for trains at Oakmont Station, stores along the boulevard created a bustling business district near Delaware Avenue, and residential homes sprang up across the borough. The original Oakmont High School stood at the corner of Fifth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue before later being converted into an elementary school and renamed Gilmore School.