Little Joe's

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Long before places like Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods opened their doors, Little Joe's on the northwest corner of Howard and Baltimore was selling everything from camping equipment and fishing gear to bikes and saddles. In addition, Little Joe's (named for its proprietor, Joe Wiesenfeld, who was just shy of 5 feet) sold a variety of "sundries" and toys, including electric trains and, for a short time, cars and auto-related accessories. By the turn of the century, Wiesnefeld, who opened a bike shop at the corner of Baltimore and Paca Streets in the early 1890s, had expanded his business and moved the shop to this location. In 1909 Wiesenfeld opened an auto annex on West German Street , where his staff repaired and sold cars.

Wiesenfeld's goal on opening Little Joe's Sporting Goods was to sell everything that the multiple department stores in the area didn't and for years he did just that, offering the neighborhood access to goods that would otherwise not have been readily available. This location of Little Joe's was closed in 1925.