Centers of commerce and community, main streets have long been at the heart of America's towns and cities. Over the centuries, these commercial hubs have evolved in response to shifting values, economies, and ways of life. From small-town parades to bustling boulevards, we compare past and present to reveal what's been lost, what's been gained, and what has stood the test of time.
Click or scroll through this gallery to discover the history of these vital thoroughfares...
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The birthplace of one of the nation's first civil rights associations, Greensboro was incorporated in 1823. The town's economy has historically hinged on agriculture, cotton production, and livestock (it's known as the catfish capital of Alabama thanks to its plentiful catfish farms).
Back in 1941, when this photo was taken, the town's Main Street featured grocery stores such as Grady Lawless & Co., and the Greensboro Opera House, which also hosted town meetings and dances. However, when the Great Depression hit, its impact on Greensboro was devastating. By the mid-20th century, the town's fortunes were in decline.
Around 1940, the population of Greensboro stood at 2,034. More than 80 years on, it's 2,390, indicating modest development in this tight-knit community. These days, the largest industries in the town are retail, healthcare, and hospitality, a shift from its agricultural past.
One of the benefits of Greensboro's small-town feel is how intertwined it is with its past. Main Street, now part of the Greensboro Historic District, is remarkably well-preserved. The road features much of its original architecture and storefronts, now home to new business ventures, restaurants, and specialty shops.
Founded by the Mormons in 1847, Salt Lake City was intended to be a religious sanctuary for the group. But the arrival of the railway in 1869 heralded the emergence of heavy industry in the city, and mining and smelting became crucial to the economy.
Part of the growing business district, the first stores on Main Street opened their doors in 1850, with the commercial area reportedly growing by one block every 10 years from the 1880s. Pictured here on Main Street in 1951 is the First Security Bank and the ZCMI building with its grand pediment, thought to be among America's first department stores.
By the 1970s, the rise of the American mall had changed shopping habits, leading some of Main Street's older stores to close. The ZCMI building was demolished, though its distinctive façade was preserved and installed on the Macy's store that took its place.
Today, Main Street features a light rail system, retail chain stores, banks, restaurants, and a theater, but there are plans afoot to change the face of the thoroughfare once more. The Main Street Promenade Study is seeking to make the road a global destination by pedestrianizing it and carving out more public amenities, so watch this space...
Framed by snow-capped mountains, South Franklin Street is the historic heart of trading in Juneau, which has been the capital of Alaska since 1900. While the region was home to Indigenous Alaskan tribes for tens of thousands of years, it became a commercial hub in 1880 when gold was discovered. As prospectors and merchants flocked to the area, stores, saloons, a bakery, and a blacksmith opened up on the road.
South Franklin Street is pictured here in 1959, the year that Alaska became America's 49th state. This momentous event signified the start of the city's transition from a mining town to a government hub as federal agencies moved in.
While scores of mines had closed by the mid-20th century, the city's fortunes were buoyed in the 1990s by visiting cruise ships and an influx of tourists. Today, Juneau's dominant industries are the public sector, healthcare, and education. Many of downtown's historic buildings are still standing – around 60 structures were built prior to 1904, while 140 were built before 1914.
As you can see here, while businesses have come and gone, much of South Franklin Street's architecture remains the same. Dating back to the gold rush heyday, you'll find the restored Senate Building and the Alaskan Hotel & Bar with its Victorian-era interior on the road.