Fremont Indiana

Settled in 1834 as Willow Prairie, Fremont began as the village of Brockville, platted in 1837, and its post office and town were renamed in 1848 to honor John C. Fremont, “the Great Pathfinder.” Located on the Vistula Trail, it was a meeting place for people from the Detroit, Toledo, and Pittsburg areas moving westward. The first frame building was erected in 1837 near the center of the village, and in 1838 the Potawatomi Tribe was removed from the area. The first church, Methodist Episcopal, was organized in 1841, and the first frame school was built in 1845. In 1877 a brick school was erected to replace one built in 1856 that had been destroyed by fire, and a new school was erected on Spring Street between Tolford and Coffin Streets. Electric lights were installed in 1896. Dr. Wade opened Steuben County's first hospital in 1914. The first paved streets were laid in 1922. In 1937 the town erected a 60,000 gallon tank and supplied water to the community, and sewer lines and a disposal plant went into service in 1957. At one time Fremont boasted 2 hotels and was served daily by 6 passenger trains and 4 freight trains.

Fremont, Indiana · United States