The Fremont Store

The Fremont Store and a landmark was created…. The historic main road ascended the high bluff behind LaCrescent, followed the ridge north by northwest. Rice as postmaster.

The Old Territorial Road originated at a sand-bar just north of the present steel bridge, on the west side of the Mississippi, from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to Chatfield, Minnesota. Even with a well-laid road, a sturdy team of oxen could travel on average eight miles a day. Along this old route were strategically placed ‘water holes’ at 8-mile intervals. One of those locations was Neoca. Neoca was name

d after a Winnebago Native American girl who would run like the wind down the territorial road with her hair flying behind her. Using hand forged nails, local trees and plaster mixed with horsehair; a dual-purpose store was built in the spring of 1856, one mile east of its current location at Neoca corner. The first post office was established in1857 at this location with Luther C. Passed down from many generations, it has been told that in the middle of the night the Neoca (Fremont) store was jacked up from its foundation and moved ½ mile to the west to its current location. There was still Indian uprising in the territory; the move would keep the store out of trouble. In its day it was common to move buildings on logs to different locations. How the Fremont Store received its name:

General John Charles Fremont (1813-1890) was traveling on the Old Territorial Road, perhaps during his Republican presidential campaign, and stopped at the hotel/general store in Neoca. The next morning after he left it was decided to change its former name, Neoca, to Fremont, as it was unusual to have a General stop and stay overnight at such a small place.

166 years of owners:

1856 – 1868 Luther C. Rice
1868 – 1876 Orrin Kelley
1876 – 1898 John & Murray Kelley
1898 – 1912 Kelley & Hans Selvig
1912 – 1922 Hans Selvig & Neil Bain
1922 – 1954 Neil Bain
1954 – 1978 Frank Root
1979 – 2003 Don & Pauline Johnson
2003 – 2021 Martha Johnson & Family
2021 - Present

As the Fremont store phases out of 2021, it is also the end of a forty-two-year family legacy for the Johnson’s. Many m...
01/01/2022

As the Fremont store phases out of 2021, it is also the end of a forty-two-year family legacy for the Johnson’s. Many memories have been made at this little country store with a big heart. The brilliant sweet mind of Donald Johnson, the Norwegian jokester Martin, the flurry and laughter from Helen, David’s shenanigans, and the sassy community matriarch Martha Johnson. Not to mention the antics of family and friends. There have been summers spent here, hunting season gatherings in the wee hours of the morning, afternoon stories of the one that got away or finally getting that prized buck, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, travelers from all over the world, a warm fire, story-telling, farmers taking a break, jokes from the mailman, a bottled soda and chips for lunch, hugs, laughter, love and LOTS of coffee. A place you can always return to and feel like it is home. This community is a strong one, the store’s legacy will live on in you. The Johnson family would like to wish the best of 2022 to the new store owners. They should be reopened in a couple of months, just in time for the weather to warm up.

This is a story about the Fremont store that is inspiring on this Independence Day. Happy 4th of July from Fremont, MN....
07/04/2015

This is a story about the Fremont store that is inspiring on this Independence Day. Happy 4th of July from Fremont, MN.

http://kathyschronicles.com/2013/10/01/community-blessed-be-the-tie-that-binds/

Written August 26, 2013. On the surface, I just bought a few cool drinks at The Fremont Store and watched the Gladiolus Days Parade while my kids loaded up bags with candy. It was just typical sum...

07/18/2011

The Fremont Store & Martha Johnson would like to thank all that helped out and attended yesterday's anniversary celebration, photographs to be posted soon.

07/17/2011
07/17/2011

Address

29476 County Road 29
Lewiston, MN
55979

Telephone

+15075233320

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