The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Fremont as a Tree City USA since 1986.

In 1787, the newly independent United States created the Northwest Territory to include all land west of the Ohio River.

Under the terms of Ohio's statehood, the area of Lower Sandusky was defined as Indian Territory.

During the War of 1812 the United States Army considered removing by force the white settlers who were violating the Treaty of Greenville, but they did not carry out the threat.

[9] Tensions with Great Britain increased in the early 1800s, and the United States government declared a boycott on all trade with the British, including those in Canada.

The U.S. Army built Fort Sandusky near the river to protect an important supply depot.

The town gradually increased in size, with the primary occupations being shipbuilding, fishing, and agricultural processing.

Sandusky Bay leads to Lake Erie, and there was good fishing for walleye in the river, which return annually to spawn upriver.

By the 1830s, the population included more white settlers, despite the area being a declared reserve only for Native Americans.

Numerous Wyandot people still lived in the area, and some runaway African American slaves had made it their home after reaching safety in the free state of Ohio.

[9] In 1849 the residents changed the name of Lower Sandusky to Fremont, to honor John C. Frémont, who helped acquire California during the Mexican–American War.

[11] In 1873, a few years before gaining national office, future president Rutherford B. Hayes moved into a family mansion in Fremont called Spiegel Grove, which was built by his late maternal uncle.

That year Hayes announced his uncle Sardis Birchard's bequest in his will, donating property in his estate worth $50,000 to the City Council in order to establish a public library.

A few years later, a new building was constructed for it in 1878 on the grounds of the Fort Stephenson State Park, per his bequest.

[9] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fremont became a major center for the production of cutlery, with several manufacturing plants, as well as other industries.

In 1885 the Sandusky County Soldiers Monument was installed in the park near Croghan Street, which was named after the commanding major of the fort.

In 1906 Colonel Croghan's remains were brought from his hometown in Kentucky to Fremont and reinterred under the Soldiers Monument.

In the same ceremony, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) unveiled a plaque to the Soldiers Monument to commemorate Croghan and his garrison in their victory in the Battle of Fort Stephenson.

Front Street has a pedestrian scale and is home to many small businesses in historic buildings: they include boutiques, gift shops, restaurants, and other attractions.

[25] The Ohio Turnpike, another long-distance east–west route, passes approximately 4 miles north of the city.