Wollan Brothers’ Store / Fremad Building

This week’s photo in the series of Glenwood Photographs taken in 1876 by N.J. Trenham, is the “Wollan Bros. Store / Fremad Building.” It shows the main Fremad Association building and a few other buildings on the west side of South Franklin street. The third building in the line has “HOTEL” written on the front. That building is most likely the Glenwood House run by P. & O. Schjerden. Unfortunately, there is no individual shot of that building in the collection. According to J.G. Whittemore, the people in the photo are Sam Johnson (sp), Mike Wollan and Casper Wollan. In the upstairs window is Mrs. Casper Wollan.

The Fremad building in 2015.

(Samuel Johnstone’s is often written with the e on the end in the tax records.)

Newspaper ad for the Fremad Association – 1876.

There is extensive information on the Wollan family and the Fremad Association available at the Pope County Museum.

The Fremad Association was located on the corner of Franklin and Green (1st Ave) streets SW. Lot 10 of Block 23 of the original plat of Glenwood. In 1893 this building was moved to the west and a larger building was constructed. The new building was also wooden, but with a brick facade.

Fremad Association Store built in 1893. Note the original building moved to the west to make room for the new one.

The 1893 building still stands today – with its second brick fascade, but may not be standing much longer as it has gone into tax forfiture. This building, and the attached bank building (now Nelson, Kuhn & Nordmeyer law office) are on the National Registry of historic places. Pope County State Bank (now Eagle Bank) was a spin off of the Fremad Association. The history of the organizations links the buildings together.