We wanted to give our readership—those whose roots go deep within the community as well as those who are newcomers to the area—a chance to stop and take a moment to reminisce about the past.

So we decided to look back at the wonder years on Lincoln Avenue—arguably the heart and soul of the Willow Glen community—and share what we discovered after talking to former and present merchants and historians and combing through books and photographs of the past.

We couldn't capture it all, so we focused on the section of the avenue between Minnesota Avenue and Willow Street, and reflected on the time period between the 1950s and the present. But we also added historical pictures that span the decades dating back to the late 1800s.

And we asked our staff photographer, Jacqueline Ramseyer, to capture images of various places on Lincoln Avenue so our readers could marvel at how the avenue and its surrounding streets have been transformed time and time again.

While researching the story, it was interesting to discover that many of the threads that hold the present-day residents and merchants together on Lincoln Avenue may have originated in the early days of Willow Glen.

People were attracted to the area because of its beauty, its good climate, its bountiful soil and a drive to succeed, and that energy and drive still exists today, as local merchants continue to rejuvenate the downtown area and residents play a strong role in maintaining the charm and quaintness of their neighborhoods.

The avenue has been through an amazing metamorphosis. Where department stores, grocery stores, meat markets, gas/service stations and drugstore were once a common sight, specialty stores, coffeehouses and restaurants have become the new faces on the street.

But even as buildings were changed, torn down or replaced, there is something that has remained constant—many merchants are locals, born and raised in Willow Glen neighborhoods. It's a unique aspect of the avenue, with native Willow Glen residents choosing to start their businesses or continue operating family businesses in the place where they grew up. And those with no family ties to the immediate neighborhood have been lured to the community by a desire to become part of what makes doing business on Lincoln Avenue special—its strong character and sense of family. All of which makes a strong case for why Lincoln Avenue, even during hard economic times, has survived and continues to shine brightly.

The avenue's history also makes us ponder about what once was. Where today we face traffic and parking problems, in the late 1890s and early 1900s the avenue had a trolley—an affordable form of public transportation—that conveniently carried residents all the way down Lincoln Avenue to downtown San Jose.

The avenue's history is also tied to early education. The "corners"—the intersection of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues—was a major thoroughfare 200 years ago and one of the reasons Willow Glen Elementary was build there in 1897. And although the school has been rebuilt several times, it still sits on the same southeast corner of land originally donated by farmer Royal Cottle.

Another piece of history that connects the avenue's past and present is the renaming of El Abra Road. Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, El Abra became Lincoln Avenue, illustrating that the citizens of Willow Glen have always been a patriotic bunch.

Even the neighborhood's nine-year incorporation—a defining moment in its history—helps to make Lincoln Avenue the place it is today and explains why locals still call it their "downtown," even though that terminology is usually limited to incorporated cities.

Journeying back into Willow Glen's history gives us an opportunity to remember how it was, to realize what makes Willow Glen the place it is today and to renew our appreciation for a community many residents, old and new alike, are proud to call home.

Moryt Milo is the editor of The Willow Glen Resident. She can be contacted at 400.200.1051 or mmilo@svcn.com.