This “Then & Now” view places a historic wooden storefront onto today’s Market Street streetscape, highlighting how dramatically the city has changed around an early business site. The black-and-white image shows a simple, gable-roofed building and a small group posed out front, while the modern background is filled with glass-and-steel architecture, streetlights, and a busy downtown corner.
On the side of the building, painted signage reads “Hughson & Merton,” with additional lettering advertising “Safe Moving and Draying” and “G.W. Emmons Co.” These details anchor the photo in everyday commerce—when hand-painted ads, modest structures, and curbside activity defined the look and feel of Market St.
According to the post title, Hughson & Merton manufactured bicycles and buggies and later became known as the world’s first Ford dealer, marking a shift from early personal transport to the automobile age. This historical photo invites a closer look at Market Street history and the roots of local industry, capturing a moment when a small business presence helped shape what would become a major urban corridor.