Fletcher Street Murals

Continuing north on Columbia street, we take a left into a wide alleyway where we encounter a mural depicting the storefronts as they were right here in the 1950's and 60's. The Sweet Shoppe depicted in the mural was a particular favorite of all ages and it is almost certain that every student attending high school in Union City during this time visited this diner at least once to gather with friends, sip a milk shake or a root beer float and play music on the table-top juke boxes in the booths. If you've ever been in a Johnny Rocket's restaurant which is a throwback tribute to the art deco style of the 50's, well that's what the Sweet Shoppe was like. Think Happy Days the TV series or the diner in Back to the Future One.

Proceeding west away from Columbia street, we take our first right into another wide alleyway Two buildings up we find a mural that commemorates the iconic Step Van which was produced by the Union City Body Company which was one of largest and longest-lived manufacturing companies in town. Founded in 1898 to build carriages, buggies and wagons the company began building wooden bodies for the new-fangled horseless carriages being manufactured in and around Union City. Over the years, the Body Company branched out building bodies for such automobiles as Auburn, Duesenberg, Essex and Pierce Arrow as well as commuter and school buses. In the 1950’s the Body Company began a period of explosive growth providing “step van” bodies to all of the major auto manufacturers and, by the 70’s, the company had become the nation’s largest supplier of delivery van bodies for large fleet customers like United Parcel Service.  

Proceeding out the west end of the small park we cross a parking lot to reach the alleyway which is euphemistically labeled Fletcher Street on the map. Here we find two more murals of historical note. The first commemorates