Downtown Fremont has seen a rebirth. But do you remember scenes from the past 50 years?

It’s good to see that there is lots of activity in the Fremont downtown area these days.

Cars parked along the street and people walking, hopefully to do some serious shopping or enjoy a meal or entertainment, are good signs. And activities are planned to bring visitors down during the year.

The makeup of Front Street has certainly changed during the past 50 years, and I think that the most recent in a series of changes have sparked interest and participation downtown.

Fremont downtown has changed since thee 1970s

Things have certainly changed. Back in 1974, the east side of the block just south of State Street was dominated by the J.C. Penny store with offices and the opportunity center serving people there.

Heading across the Croghan Street Intersection, you came to F.W. Woolworth’s variety store, offering a wide variety of merchandise and a chance for lunch. By the way, there was another Woolworth’s store in Potter Village Shopping Center.

Fremont history spotlight:When Front Street flooded in 1959

Heading south from Woolworth’s, shoppers would find Lord’s Dress shop and then Lytle’s men’s clothing store. Kuebler Shoe Store was next, followed by the Jupiter Store with WSOS Community Action Commission at 115½. Next was Joseph’s Department Store, which despite two fires through the years was pretty much the anchor of downtown for a long time.

Across Garrison Street was Randy’s Barber Shop and Revco Discount Drug Center, with several apartments, many of them empty according to the directory. The Public Finance Corporation and Nor-Les Sales were next. While one might have focused on your financial well-being, the other was interested in your physical health, selling vitamins and the like. I suppose you could say that Fremont Recreation which followed down the block was good for the mental health of people trying to relax while playing billiards.

Downtown had some major store names

The biggest stores in the block between Garrison and Birchard were Montgomery Ward, where it seemed you could find just about anything, and Bond Furniture. Merrill Sohio service station stood at the corner where the Grund Drug Store building is located.

The Cinema Theater, Timpe’s Flowers and Miller Mobil Service filled the block between Birchard and Ewing. And with Pete Ellis Auto Sales on the southeast corner of Ewing and South Front, the next block was a mixture of private homes, businesses and government connected offices.

Many readers undoubtedly recall shopping along what some might say was the “downtown” portion of the eastside of Front Street or dealing with business and agencies in the southern most section of the street.

Some day in the near future, a column will cross the street and head back north on Front Street.

Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.