Almost 12,000 souls. Its Wikipedia entry suggests it was not home to a substantial number of famous people:

While radio DJ Alan Freed was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he grew up in Salem. While working at a radio station in Cleveland, he coined the phrase "Rock & Roll.

So . . . yay Salem!

Okay, let's take a stroll.

Oh no

It’s like something made with extruded pieces from a Play-Doh Fun Factory. Love the period stones, though.

Believe it or not, it’s a landmark. A place with a storied past as a motel, if memory serves; I think we'll meet it this year in the Motel Americana section.

 

Da da da dum (snap snap)

Da da da dum (snap snap)

Da da da dum Da da da dum

Da da da dum (snap snap)

It must have been a welcome sight once, but it’s passed into Addams Family territory. Regrettable bottom floor modernization. Can we see that sign?

 

There’s a great sadness in long-broken neon signs.

As time goes on:

 

More evidence that the latter 20th century did not know a Got-damned thing about rehabbing street level facades:

Rather hard for the son to quit the business.

If he stayed on and took over after his father died, that name block would make his son a bit nervous. Do I hafta?

One Buckaroo’d Awning to rule them all:

 

 

You don’t know if he was trying to be a good neighbor or capitalize on the Masonic building’s rep:

Whenever they do this, it looks like the company actually died.

 

 

Not a lot going on in this part of town now, but once upon a time:

That's a lot of Motie work.

Once it was but two windows.

 

Can I jush lean up against you bud I’m pretty hammered right now

 

Renovation?

Nope.

Later:

I'll have to stop back in a few years and see what's up.

A fine old bank with the original clock, I think. Couldn’t be anything but a bank.

 

 

Whoa! A little piece of Deco Miami in Ohio, albeit more sedate, because, well, Ohio.

 

It was originally the Farmer’s National Bank.

Really says "Farmer," doesn't it.

“BL.”

Bank of Lincoln? Lincoln Bank? Rare mid block bank, if that’s the case.

A not-entirely-successful design that seems a bit unsettling. Maybe it’s the top.

“Yes, dear, I promised I would.”

She was the wife of the owner, Mr. Zadok Street the Second. Really.

Good Golly Miss Molly

 

It's like it was designed by early AI with insufficient resources upon which to draw.