(12) 618 E. Third Street

"Dr. L.M. Friedrich built the two-story brick building in 1910 and had his doctor's office and home here. A photographer was on the second floor as well. The first floor at different times housed a variety store (bread was 5 cents a loaf), a bakery, a fancy work shop, a book store, offices of the Hobart Gazette, and a beauty shop. The east half was rented for the Hobart Post Office from 1923 until 1937. A restaurant was once here, also township trustee's offices. Smith Insurance now has offices here."

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ This image is not dated, but it appears to show the Friedrich block newly built.
♦ The Friedrich building, from a postcard postmarked 1913.
♦ Third Street including the Friedrich building around 1920, or a little earlier.
♦ The Smith-Schoon-Hampsten insurance office, 318 E. Third, in 1972.
♦ Inside the Smith Agency in 1975.

(37) Southwest corner, Center and Front Streets

"This corner once boasted a small store or trading post. When George Earle came to the locality to establish the town of Hobart he bought all the land nearby, built a log house and, with Henry Sylvester Smith, a sawmill. In 1847, he built a grist mill on the site now occupied by Gary National Bank (66 Main St.). Another Earle building was Earle's Art Gallery, built in 1858. St. Bridget's purchased this for their first church in 1874. This area, block 35 and 36 on the town plat, was called 'Earle's Reserve.'"

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ The Catholic parsonage, previously the home of the Augustus Wood family, stood on this corner before the present St. Bridget Church (image undated, but probably circa 1907-1912).

(42) 100 – 128 Main Street

"Lot #1 of Hobart's plat was the site of Lew Hammond's tavern, a stage coach stop. In 1886 it was run by Mrs. David Young as Young's Hotel. John Gordon came from Pennsylvania that year to visit his brother, Dr. Pliny Gordon. He walked from the Pennsylvania Railroad station down Front Street and inquired at the hotel where he could locate his brother. He was told he was upstairs at a dance. John Gordon bought a ticket for $2.50 and was handed a slip of paper. This, he was told, was a deed to a lot in the new cemetery on Front Street and the dance was being given to raise money to build a fence around the cemetery to keep the pigs and cows from grazing there. Mr. Gordon relates the hotel later burned down. At least four homes were built in this block, Henry Sylvester Smith's being one. All but one have been razed or moved. In the 1930s a beach was developed with a block house built on the shore of Lake George. When the beach was closed, the little building was used as school rooms for Lake Shore School for the Retarded. When classes outgrew the building, they were moved to the West Hobart School building and the Chamber of Commerce used the building. The Lake County Public Library (100 Main St.) chose this site to build a new library for Hobart in 1968. In the middle of the block Harrigan Real Estate (124 Main St.) has built an office building. One residence, originally built by Henry Sylvester Smith, still stands (128 Main St.)."

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ In this then-and-now post, we see the block building, which originally served bathers at the beach, converted to the Chamber of Commerce office.
♦ Speaking of the Lake George beach, here we see what a lively place it was around 1933, and again around 1940; and on July 4, 1931, it was packed to the limit.
♦ The new library under construction in 1968; this construction photo was taken August 2, 1968.
♦ The newly built library in 1969.
♦ Harrigan Real Estate at 124 Main in 1979.

(67) 347 Main Street

"The next two buildings have had a varied history. Ammerman's Harness Shop was at the corner in 1876. Bruce had a plumbing shop here and a shoe shop was operated by a Mr. Shoemaker, then Mr. McClary and Mr. Flood. Simon's Cigar Factory and Ben Lax's Clothing Store were other businesses here. Odell Smith (347 Main St.) moved the jewelry store from across the street and rebuilt the corner building which housed a restaurant until Odell's expanded."

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ The original frame building on the corner housed a pool hall around 1910 and French's Cleaners in 1953.
♦ The frame building had been replaced by a brick one housing Pete's Snack Shop by 1964, and here is the interior of Pete's Snack Shop in 1965. And since that last picture looks as if it might have been taken by one of Pete's competitors, let's see a few more cheerful shots: 1966, 1968, and finally, a 1972 shot featuring Pete Anderson himself.
♦ Inside Odell-Smith Jewelers in 1971 and 1973.