PHOTO OF THE DAY: DECADES AGO

This photo showing Freeman as it was in the 1960s was shared by Heritage Hall Museum & Archives on its Facebook page Monday as part of its weekly look back. It includes the following description.

A week and a day ago, in a museum-sponsored program at Pioneer Hall, Freeman Courier publisher Jeremy Waltner shared how Freeman grew from the depot in the northeast portion of Section 35 of Grandview Township to the east and the south. Several days later, we stumbled onto the accompanying photo from the mid-1960s in our archives that offers another example of that dynamic.

The photo is looking to the northwest from above Highway 81 (not seen but below the bottom of the photo). The diagonal street that bisects the photo from southwest to northeast is Sixth Street.

We were struck by the large open area in the lower left and we’ve highlighted a few landmarks.

(These landmarks are identified visually in a separate photo that was also part of Monday’s Facebook post.)

The St. Paul Lutheran Church, completed in 1963, is bordered by Relanto, the furthest east street on the south side of Sixth Street at the time. Albert Street and Wynken and Stadium drives were added in the 1970s.

Freeman Community Hospital is the long rectangular building, separated from Rural Medical Clinics, completed in 1963, by 8th Street. The nursing home wasn’t added to the hospital until 1972.

We suspect this photo was made in 1965 because the spire to the “old” St. Paul Lutheran Church is still standing at 4th and Poplar; it came down in early 1966.

You’ll find the Freeman Public School campus along Wipf Street and the Bethlehem Reformed Church, built in 1964.

The only business seen along Sixth Street in this photo is Pine Hill Printery/Freeman Courier on the northeast side of Sixth and Relanto.

Also note the lack of buildings – including homes, apartments and the Freeman Missionary Church on the south side of Sixth Street. The only developed space east of Relanto was the Fred Haar Company equipment lot; the dealership at the time was headquartered near Fifth and Main. Today that space along Sixth Street is home to 81 Metal Art.

We enjoy researching and sharing details about our history. If you appreciate it, we encourage you to become a member of Heritage Hall Museum & Archives. You can learn more online at https://heritagehallmuseum.com/involvement-opportunities or stop in and visit.

We’re open 10 to 4 Mondays through Fridays this month. In October we switch to weekday afternoons from noon to 4 and by appointment.