Shipping was an important industry in 19th and early 20th century Rocane. Cargo was shipped up the Missisippi and Rocane rivers to Rocane, from where it continued its journey westward on wagons and later on rail. The leading shipping company was Emery & Company, which was founded by John Emery in 1824. Emery & Co. Building was completed in 1907 as company headquarters. It's located at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Market Street, right next to the warehouses lining the riverfront. Real estate agents advised against this location, because they thought Emery & Co. would have difficulties attracting tenants to a building next to an industrial area. Emery & Co. proved them wrong, as the top floors they decided to rent out turned out to be popular because of the great views on the river.
Rocane's shipping industry was hit hard by the Great Depression and Emery & Company went bankrupt in 1932. Emery & Co. Building was mostly vacant up until 1955, when it was converted to a hotel as a part of the Riverfront Renewal project. It still functions as a hotel and goes by the name Riverside Hotel. Emery & Co. Building / Riverside Hotel has 21 stories, is 256 feet (78 m) high and was Rocane's tallest building from 1907 to 1916.
Hotel entrepreneur George Freemont opened Rocane's Freemont hotel in 1913 at the corner of 3rd South Street and Main Street. With its 18 stories and height of 217 feet (66 m) it was the largest hotel west of Chicago at that time. In the 20's its Great Ballroom was famous all over the country for its monthly balls.
Freemont Hotel lived through rough times from the 30's to the 80's and was abandoned from time to time. It was totally renovated in 1985 and again in 2003 and today it is the most expensive as well as the largest all-hotel building in Rocane. Hotel's Ballroom Club is the number one nightclub in Rocane.
