Niles gives Fremont an early-movie story before Hollywood took over

Before Hollywood became the easy shorthand for movies, Fremont’s Niles district had its own film moment. Essanay made silent films there from 1912 to 1916, using the town, the canyon, and the nearby hills as ready-made scenery.

The studio brought a little movie world into a place that was already a rail stop and small main-street town. Westerns, chase scenes, and comic shorts could be filmed close to town, then sent out into a country that was still learning what movies could be.

Charlie Chaplin also worked in Niles during that early movie era. The district has a fun double identity. It is a historic neighborhood with shops and trains, but it also has a piece of motion-picture history tucked into the storefronts and museum displays.

The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum is the best way into the story. Check showtimes and museum hours before going. Silent-film history is more fun when you can actually see one on a screen.