Browse Items (516 total)

A postcard featuring Christ's Church, today Trinity United Church of Christ. The Evangelical Christ's Church was once affiliated with the German Lutheran congregation, until it merged with the German Reformed Church in 1953.

Herman Freedlander, far right, grew up helping his father at the store and began working there at the age of twelve.

In the interior lobby of the Trinity United Church of Christ stands the original facade of the church.

The original Freedlander’s was well known for men’s clothing, including hats, jackets, and pants.

This is what the Trinity United Church of Christ, a congregation that merged the Evangelical Lutherans and English Reformed Church in 1953, looks like today.

Although Freedlander’s only sold men’s clothing when it opened, the store expanded to include women’s clothing, a toy department, and a milinery section.

Photo of the front of Salem Lutheran Church, one of the oldest German Lutheran congregations in Wooster.

Freedlander’s customers often had charge cards, but eventually these gave way to credit cards around the 1970s.

Plaque outside of the Salem Lutheran Church stating that the congregation was founded in 1828 by Reverend Weygandt.

Many Wooster residents still remember the distinctive hat boxes and bags from Freedlander’s Department Store before its closing in 2009.

Freedlander’s was a popular place during the Christmas shopping season, especially the Toyland Department and Santa.

Herman Freedlander and his son, Harold, both ran the store before it was sold to investors in the late 80s.

Photo of the Wooster Christmas Tree, located in the Wooster Cemetery, lit-up for Christmas.

Dollar Day sales were a chaotic and well remembered event in the store’s history.

Residence of August Imgard, the man credited with bringing the Christmas tree to Wooster. This photo was taken before the house was moved to it's current located at St. Mary's Church.

Program from a religious celebration in Wooster's town square in 1947 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the christmas tree in Wooster.

Wooster’s local newspaper, The Daily Record, documented the tearing down of the Freedlander storefront that had been a part of the town for more than 125 years.

Stamps sold in Wooster in the late 19th century that continued the legend of Wooster as the "home of the first Christmas tree."

The Freedlander’s storefront changed around the 1960s and stayed in that style until its closing in 2009.

Modern photo of August Imgard's house, the man credited with bringing the Christmas tree to Wooster. The building is now the rectory of St. Mary's Church.

Photo of Dr. Scheiber, the German professor who first proved that Wooster was not the site of the first American Christmas tree by citing earlier instances in Cleveland and Buffalo, NY.

Painting of August Imgard, the man credited with bringing the Christmas Tree to Wooster. For many years, local legend suggested that he was the first to bring the Christmas tree to America.

Photograph of August Imgard, the man credited with bringing the Christmas Tree to Wooster. For many years, Wooster legend persisted that he brought the Christmas tree to the United States.

Photo of Jacob's Lutheran Cemetery

Charles E. Thorne started working at the OAES as a foreman right after graduating college. When he noticed the station was not near as large or successful as it could have been (mostly due to its location in Columbus), the young man started sharing…

Photo of Jacob's Lutheran Cemetery.

Photo taken across the street from the remnants of Jacob's Lutheran Church, featuring the junction signs.

Building a strong campus for the OARDC in Wooster took many years. The first building on campus is pictured here, erected in spring 1893.

Photo of the Jacob's Lutheran Cemetery and Foundation in Franklin Township.

Photo the Jacob's Lutheran Cemetery in Franklin Township.