Then and now: America’s main streets through time

1893: Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota

The city of Deadwood was founded in 1876, when miners in search of gold began scouring South Dakota’s northern Black Hills. The boomtown was quickly populated by prospectors looking to make their fortune.

Shown here in 1893 is the Black Hills Stage on Deadwood’s Main Street, a stagecoach route that linked the city with Cheyenne, Wyoming. During this period, dance halls, gambling establishments, and saloons flourished on lower Main Street, in a lawless area dubbed “the bad lands.

Today: Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota

Like many gold rush communities, Deadwood’s economy began to decline when the region’s gold mines started to dry up in the late 19th century, though the nearby Homestake Mine continued to operate until 2002.

A new chapter in Deadwood’s history began in 1989, when the legalization of gambling injected new life into the faded outpost. Invigorated by the surge in tourism, Deadwood’s largely unchanged Main Street is now awash with Old West museums, amusements, and casinos. In the summer months, you can even witness historic reenactments featuring the city’s most colorful characters.

1900: Main Street, Buffalo, New York

The origins of Buffalo’s Main Street date back to the early 1800s when it was used as a rudimentary wagon route. The city benefited from waterways and the railroad, making it an ideal shipping center and a burgeoning industrial hub.

In the 1830s, the city’s first commercial buildings were constructed along Main Street, which became Buffalo’s financial center. The fine houses of the upper echelons were also built on the road, along with a string of department stores and theaters. This photo of Main Street was captured in 1900, a year before the city hosted the Pan-American Exposition, an honor that recognized its industrial success.

Today: Main Street, Buffalo, New York

The 1970s and 80s signified a downturn in Buffalo’s fortunes. Factories closed and alternative shipping routes were established, taking vital jobs away from the city. But today, new industries have sprung up in place of those of yesteryear. The tech and medical industries, in particular, have seen significant growth.

Main Street today may be punctuated by skyscrapers and metro cars, but it also features landmark buildings from the road’s early development. For example, the Ellicott Square Building, thought to be the world’s largest office building upon its completion in 1896.

1905: Main Street, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Situated in the middle of Lake Huron, between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, Mackinac Island was a busy fur trading hub in the late 17th century. However, the island’s strategic position made it a hotly contested military outpost, triggering the War of 1812 between British and American forces. The isle was returned to the US in 1815, and Fort Mackinac remained active until 1895.

As the fur industry and military activity waned, Mackinac Island reinvented itself as a summer resort in the late 19th century. Hotels and vacation homes sprang up, and Main Street became a premier shopping destination. This photo from 1905 shows tailors and rug merchants advertising their wares.

Today: Main Street, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island is still a beloved tourism destination today. Over the years, some structures have been relocated and restored, but the old-world charm remains. Main Street, which is now part of the historic downtown district, has been sensitively preserved and offers a glimpse back in time to its 1920s heyday. The heritage buildings bustle with historic inns, eateries, gift shops, and the island’s world-famous fudge shops.

A ban on motorcars enacted in 1898 is still in force, meaning visitors must navigate the streets on foot, by bicycle, or by horse-drawn carriage, like those who came centuries before them

1915: Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont

The quaint town of Brattleboro in Vermont was chartered in 1753 following the construction of Fort Dummer, one of the state’s first permanent English settlements. Its earliest commercial store opened in 1771, and, by the time this photo was taken in 1915, Brattleboro had evolved from a trading post into an industrial town, most notably home to the Estey Organ Company factory.

The town’s Main Street, pictured here, was lined with businesses, including a tailor by the name of Carl F Cain. The road had been newly revitalized after a flood and fire crippled the commercial district in 1869. Local businessman Edward Crosby is said to have purchased one million bricks to rebuild the street’s west side.

Today: Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont

Fast forward more than 100 years and Brattleboro is still thriving. These days, the small town is beloved for its rich cultural scene, local eateries, and retail offerings.

Main Street, now part of the downtown neighborhood, has undergone decades of development since Carl F Cain owned his tailoring business here. The shop’s grand façade has long since disappeared, but the vaulted roof of the River Garden Marketplace, which stands on the same site, pays homage to the former building’s architecture.

1918: Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

The retail hub of New Orleans, Canal Street was never intended to be a shopping destination. As its name suggests, it was supposed to host a waterway to divide the city’s Creole neighborhood from its growing American district. Because of this, it’s still considered one of the widest main streets in the US, with a width of 171 feet.

While the canal never came to fruition, Canal Street became a key commercial thoroughfare by the 1860s. High-end department stores and theaters moved in, and the street benefited from the latest innovations of the time. In the mid-1880s, electric streetlights dazzled shoppers, and by 1894 the road’s streetcar line was electrified. It’s shown in action in this photo from 1918.

Today: Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

Today, Canal Street is still one of the city’s shopping and entertainment centers, though there have been some changes. Smaller boutiques have replaced the vast department stores, along with a number of hotel chains, and the road’s 1920s Saenger Theatre had to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Nevertheless, the historic spirit of Canal Street lives on. While new development peppers the road, its Italianate-style buildings stand tall, and its streetcars continue to transport shoppers. New Orleans’ famous Mardi Gras parade route still takes in Canal Street today, as it did back in the mid-1800s.

1934: Main Street, Weaverville, California

Weaverville was founded in 1850 as one of three crucial gold rush towns in Northern California. A rugged and mountainous region, the outpost offered respite for thousands of miners. By 1854, Weaverville had a sizable commercial district, featuring two banks, six hotels, four restaurants, six saloons, three blacksmiths, and four markets. There was even a flourishing Chinatown that accommodated around 1,000 Chinese miners and merchants.

Bolstering the economy, hydraulic mining and gold dredging had begun by 1900, which brought more jobs into the town. As you can see from this 1934 photo of Main Street, the local hotels were still busy, with patrons’ cars lining the roadside.

Today: Main Street, Weaverville, California

When World War II began, mining had dwindled and been overtaken by the timber industry, though the town’s economy sadly languished. Instead, the late-20th century and early-21st century saw Weaverville reinvent itself as an artsy community that wears its past on its sleeve. Between 2004 and 2014, its population grew by a staggering 31% as new residents and tourists were drawn in.

Remarkably well-maintained, Main Street is now part of the Weaverville National Historic District. Pictured here with the two-story porch is one of the road’s oldest structures, originally called the Buck & Cole Building. Now home to a gift shop, the characterful store dates back to 1856.

1940: 2nd Street, Laramie, Wyoming

The community of Laramie in Wyoming was founded as a tent town in 1868 along the newly established Union Pacific Railroad. A lawless frontier outpost in its early years, Laramie’s fortunes were intertwined with the railroad, as well as cattle and sheep farming.

As Laramie’s economy grew, the city plan was made permanent with stores, businesses, and infrastructure. By 1940, 2nd Street, one of the main commercial arteries, was lined with stores and amenities, as pictured here. Meanwhile, enrollments at the University of Wyoming, which had opened its doors back in 1887, soared to more than 2,000 in 1940, expanding the town’s population.

Today: 2nd Street, Laramie, Wyoming

From the mid-1950s, railroad jobs began to dry up in the city, and the University of Wyoming became Laramie’s largest employer. Today, the school’s 12,000 students call Laramie home.

While the 1970s and 80s saw the downtown district neglected and plagued by boarded storefronts, it’s a different story now. Thanks to investments in the local area by the Laramie Main Street Alliance, 2nd Street has been revitalized in recent years and returned to its former glory. These days, the road’s historic buildings, many of which have stood the test of time, house boutique stores and curio shops.

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