Browse Items · Woodstock Public Library Archives

401 W. Jackson Always Inn Postcard

This postcard, published circa 1910, shows the Cyrus Durfee House, 401 W. Jackson, during the years it was a hotel. Cyrus Durfee built his "mansion" in 1867. The Woodstock Sentinel extolled it as "One of the largest, most convenient, and best…

Tags: Businesses, Houses, Jackson Street - West

A&P on Van Buren ca 1954

Black and white photograph of the A & P Supermarket on Van Buren Street in Woodstock, Illinois in the 1950s featuring buildings, brick paved road and parking meter on the sidewalk.

The A&P Supermarket on Van Buren can be seen from an angle. The old blacksmith shop has a black glass façade but no sign identifying the occupants. An edge of the Post Office is visible as well as a low, long building on Throop St. that is difficult…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Van Buren Street

Borden's Condensed Milk Plant on Washington Street, 1908

In 1903, the Borden's Condensed Milk company sent a delegation which included representatives of the Chicago and North Western railway to search for a suitable site to build a factory in Woodstock. After consulting with prominent citizens, Mayor E.…

Tags: 1900s, Breweries, Buildings, Businesses, Industry, Milk and Dairy, Washington Street

Cass St and Benton St Stores, circa 1916

Cass St and Benton St stores ca 1916.jpg

This photo of the northeast corner of the Square was taken after 1910, when the McHenry County Bank moved out of the west portion of the building so that Stone & Sons shoes occupied the entire space. The globe type electric lamps were installed in…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street

Cass Street World War 1 Homecoming Celebration, 1919

On June 10, 1919 the city of Woodstock Illinois hosted a Homecoming Celebration for McHenry County's returning soldiers, sailors and marines from World War I.

Hoy’s Pharmacy was in business for many years, succeeded by Pfeiffer’s, Gibson’s and…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, World War 1 Homecoming Celebration

Edgetown Motors

Circa 1953 black and white photograph of a car dealershop storefront in Woodstock, Illinois.

1010 Lake Avenue
Edgetown Motors automobile dealership was located at the intersection of Route 14 (now Lake Avenue) and Route 47. The signs outside and inside are all for Hudson automobiles. Edgetown became a Studebaker dealer around 1950. Note the…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Lake Avenue

Evans Meat Market 1929

1929 black and white photograph of the interior of a meat market business in Woodstock, Illinois. Two men are seen behind the service counter and one woman in front of the counter

The interior of Evens Meat market, dated 1929 on back. The name Harold Evans is also on the back.

There are several intriguing items in the photo. There is a cash window on the right with a sign saying "Thank you call again" which indicates they…

Tags: 1900s, Businesses

Excelsior Market on Benton Street, circa 1883

Circa 1873/1884 black and white photograph of a horse and buggy with passengers parked on the dirt road in front of a brick building on Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois. A few men and a child are seen on the sidewalk in front of the building.

110 N. Benton: Exclesior Market and part of the G. F. Stone Drug Store [112 N. Benton] also known as the Old Reliable Drug Store.

Woman seated in a buggy driving a horse and three men & a boy look on. The dirt street is lower than the sidewalk and…

Tags: 1800s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses

Fair Diddley Benton St and E Judd 1971

1971 black and white photograph of people walking and mingling on the brick paved Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois. Several multi-storied brick buildings can be seen in the background.

Fair Diddley fairgoers on the northern end of Benton with East Judd in the background.
Jan Hervert is the tall man with light shirt, dark jacket and glasses in the middle of the street.

112 N. Benton Stones Drug Store
114 N. Benton Lloyd's…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Fair Diddley

Field Hardware on Main St

Circa 1919 black and white photograph of the interior of a hardware store in Woodstock, Illinois. Two men are standing in the main aisle of the store.

This store at 213 Main Street was Whitson's Hardware from 1910 until it was purchased by Edward J. Field from his great uncles in 1919. He remained here until the property was purchased in 1929 for the expansion of the Miller Theater after which he…

Tags: 1900s, Businesses, Main Street

Fire at Hall and Eckert 1908

1908 black and white photograph of a burned lumber yard in Woodstock, Illinois. Many people are seen mingling around the rubble. In the background are homes and a barn.

The remains of the fire at Hall & Eckert lumber yard at Madison and E. Jackson streets in 1908. Since the tracks run at the bottom of the photo, we are viewing it from Jefferson St. Jim thought the unknown photographer was standing on the roof of the…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Fires, Jackson Street - East, Madison Street

First National Bank interior 1950

1950 black and white photograph of the interior of a bank in Woodstock, Illinois. On the wall behind the teller counter are oversized historical photographs of Woodstock. These photographs now hang in the Woodstock City Hall building.

Interior of the newly remodeled First National Bank (101 N. Benton). Six giant Medlar photos are displayed on the wall. Several of the photos are now displayed in City Hall.

Amcore Bank scans (in History Photos) include a photo of this interior…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Businesses

Fourth of July Tug of War, 1910

This photo gives a good view of a large portion of Main Street’s east side to the edge of the Square. Note that the far building two stories. Also, this is a good view of the Waverly House (with balconies).

Tags: 1900s, 4th of July, Buildings, Businesses, Main Street, Movie Theatres

Hall & Eckert Lumber Yard fire 1908

1908 black and white photograph of a burned lumber yard in Woodstock, Illinois. Several men can be seen inspecting the ruble. In the backgrouind are telephone poles and two story brick buildings.

One of the most stubborn fires ever tackled by the local department occurred on the morning of Friday, April 17, 1905, when incendiaries touched off a blaze at the Hall & Eckert lumber yard, bounded by the railroad, East Judd and Madison streets. At…

Tags: 1900s, Businesses, Fires, Judd Street - East, Madison Street

Hicksgas

1023 Lake Avenue
Hicksgas was founded by Harold Hicks in 1946. This photo was taken during the same time frame as the others at this intersection, so could be as late as 1953. In addition to the propane tanks, appliances such as a refrigerator,…

Tags: 1900s, Businesses, Lake Avenue

Hogans Lloyds Stones on Benton 1972

1972 black and white photo of an automobile decorated as a train engine on a brick paved street in the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois. In the background are tow and three story brick buildings.

The Woodstock Die Casting newsletter editor took photos of events in Woodstock for the employee newsletter "The Spotlite." This shows the Square during Fair Diddley in May 1972. A truck decorated as a train is stopped on Benton St in front of Hogan's…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Die Cast

J. Dennis Livery Stable

Circa 1896 black and white photograph of a livery stable company in Woodstock, Illinois. In front of the building is a man holding the reins of two horses. Another horse and some horse buggies can also be seen in front of the building.

J. Dennis Livery Feed and Sale Stable
Corner of Jefferson and E. Jackson

Tags: Buildings, Businesses, Jackson Street - East, Jefferson Street

Jackson St East at Benton ca1952

Circa 1952 black and white photograph of brick buildings and a brick aved road on the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois. In the background are elm trees in the Woodstock Squae Park.

A small portion of the Odd Fellows entrance and the side of the State Bank of Woodstock are visible. The concrete planters and the light brick façade were all replaced when the bank demolished the Odd Fellows building and used red brick for the…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Jackson Street - East

Jackson St Houses demolished 1969

1969 color photograph of houses near the corner of Tryon and Jackson Streets, Woodstock, Illinois. A few 1960s era cars are parked and driving on Jackson Street.

Three large homes on the south side of Jackson St that were demolished soon after this photo was taken to make room for the First National Bank (225 W Jackson) building and parking lots.

The street sign for the corner of Jackson and Tryon is made…

Tags: 1900s, Businesses, Houses, Jackson Street - West

Jefferson St Lloyd's etc ca 1964

1964 black and white photograph of the rear of two and three story brick buildings. The fronts of the buildings face the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois. A few 1550s-1960s era cars are parked on the street and next to the buildings.

Buildings on the west side of Jefferson St with back doors to businesses on the the Square.

The front addresses would be on N. Benton:
112 Harpo's Dugout Tap (basement entry from the Square) has signs for Old Milwaukee America's Light Beer and …

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Jefferson Street

Jim Keefe's Tour of Woodstock 1972

1972 black and white photograph of buildings on the southwest corner of the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois. Several 1960-1970 era cars are parked on the brick paved road.

Jim Keefe’s Tour of Woodstock 1972

These proof sheets are photos Jim Keefe took in 1972. There are additional color photos in the Keefe Slides in History Photos. The new Government Center was being built on N. Seminary. City Hall was going to…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Calhoun Street, Churches, Jefferson Street, Johnson Street, Main Street

Johnson St and Ward's side ca 1954

1954 black and white photograph of the southwest corner of the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois. A few 1940-1950s era cars are parked on the brick paved street which is lined with parking meters.

The brick pavers of Johnson St stretch out past the McHenry County Courthouse and the Montgomery Ward department store. In the distance, the edge of the Post Office, the A&P grocery store on Van Buren and the Opera House are visible.
There are few…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Johnson Street

Kendall Block on Cass Street, 1920s

This photo was taken in the 1920’s, showing the building where Prudential Realty and Town Square Inn are located. Compare it with the photo of the same building in 1883 (Kendall Block and Austin’s Grocery Store). The building has been doubled in size…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, Main Street

Kids on Rollerblades May 1997

1997 color photograph of five children wearing rollerblades and sitting on a park bench in the Woodstock Square park. In the background are two and three story brick buildings.

Three other kids have joined the two boys from ID 411 and are resting on a bench in the Square. What a way to enjoy a spring day.

These kids were identified in August 2019 by "Annie" who responded to the photo published as the Photo Detective in…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Square Park

Ladies Foot Race 4th of July, 1910

1910 black and white photograph of a women's foot race on the unpaved dirt road Benton Street in the Woodstock Square. The street and sidewalks are lined with spectators watching the women run towards the camera. In the background are two and three story brick buildings.

Part of the big July Fourth celebration that Woodstock produced and invited all of McHenry County to attend. Six young ladies run down a dirt Benton Street. Five are wearing white dresses that flare up and show black stockings from the run while the…

Tags: 1900s, 4th of July, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Van Buren Street

M. Blossom on chair in snow of 1881

1881 black and white photograph of a man sitting on a chair on top of a pile of snow. Behind the pile of snow are several people posing for the camera. In the distance are brck and wood buildings.

Another view of the great snowstorm of March 19, 1881 shows the east side of the Square. M. Blossom, jeweler, is seated on a chair perched high on a snowbank. The crew of shovelers pose to the left of the snowbank. The chair is in front of two…

Tags: 1800s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Winter

Main St Waverly House ca 1871-1891

Circa 1871-1891 black and white photograph of a three story wooden hotel building. On each level there is a porch with people. In front of the building is a wooden sidewalk, hand water pump and a horse and buggy.

"Waverly House hotel was built in 1851 by Roswell Enos. In 1854 it was purchased by Leander Church who enlarged it and gave it the name of Waverly House. Church sold it to Daniel W. Robinson who further enlarged it to the present size. The present…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Main Street

Main Street at Cass 1924 One Way Street

1924 black and white photograph of Main Street, Woodstock, Illinois. One automobile is driving on the brick paved road and several others are parked. The street is lined with brick buildings and In the background is the Woodstock train depot.

Automobiles are parked along Main Street with one approaching the corner of Cass. Dushnack Restaurant is on the left with "Dentist" in the upper window. The movie theatre sign reads "Beau Brummel with John Barrymore" thus dating the photo as 1924.…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, Main Street, Movie Theatres

Main Street ca 1910

1910 black and white photograph of Main Street, Woodstock, Illinois. On the unpaved dirt road are horses and wagaons. The street is lined with brick buildings. In the background is the Woodstock Square park with elm trees.

Main Street looking south, taken between 1909 (new bandstand visible) and 1910 (Gem Theater at 220 Main). The businesses are similar to the other July 4, 1910 photos taken by Gus Persson but there are no decorations so it is taken sometime earlier…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Main Street

May 15 1903 | Canute Lee Sells Blacksmith Shop

1903-05-15 (mcr) canute lee sells blacksmith shop oppostie court house to william parker.jpg

Canute Lee has sold his blacksmith shop opposite the courthouse Wm. Parker, and old and experienced blacksmith, who will conduct the business in the future.

Tags: 1900s, Businesses, McHenry County Republican Newspaper, Newspaper Article

McCauley's Restaurant 126 N Benton

Circa 1919 black and white photograph of a restaurant in the lower level of the building located at 126 Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois. Several empty tables set for dining are seen . Two men are standing amongst the tables and three women are in the background.

This is the interior of the restaurant that is shown in Item #305: "Park Restaurant 126 N Benton". Jim Keefe wrote on the cardboard frame "Uncle Ben McCauleys- SE corner of E Judd & Benton." Another note attached to the photo identifies Ben McCauley…

Tags: 1900s, Businesses

McConnell Country Realty Jefferson St 1970s

Circa 1970 color photograph of three painted two-story brick buildings on Jefferson Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Three painted brick buildings on Jefferson St. back up to the Square. The McConnell Country Realty, 108 S. Jefferson, takes up the two right portions. A. B. McConnell specialized in country estates and farms according to his ad in the 1972 phone…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Jefferson Street

McHenry Co State Bank and HA Stone's Shoe Store

Circa 1903-1910 black and white photograph of a two-story wooden building located at 108 Cass Street, Woodstock, Illinois. Three men are seen standing in front of the building's entrance. Painted signs on the building indicate one half is a bank and the other a shoe store.

Three men stand in front of the frame building at 108 Cass. This was the last wood frame building on the Square which would burn in 1936. Wien's replaced it in 1937 with the brick building that became the Tip Top Café in the movie Groundhog Day.
…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street

Mead & Charles 1899-1928

Circa 1899-1928 black and white photograph of a grocery store located at 107 S. Benton, Woodstock, Illinois. Seven men pose in front of the store.

Mead and Charles Groceries Fruits & Vegetables was located at 107 S. Benton for almost 30 years. Seven men pose in front of the store, presumably the employees. This copy of the original photo is not clear enough so that clues that the sign on the…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Businesses

Midge's Café

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Church Street

Montgomery Ward 1969

Circa 1969 color photograph of the Montgomery Ward Building located on Johnson Street, Woodstock, Illinois. There are several cars parked on the street in front of the building.

Montgomery Ward department store taken from inside the Square where there is one large tree and two small, newly planted trees.
110 S. Johnson

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Johnson Street

Montgomery Ward and U. S. Post Office

Circa 1947 black and white photograph of the Montgomery Ward and Post Office buildings on Johnson Street, Woodstock, Illinois. There are several 1940s era cars parked on the brick paved street in front of the buildings.

Postcard in the same series as "View in Business District" showing cars parked on Johnson Street in front of the Post Office and Montgomery Ward's deparment store. Central School on Calhoun Street can be seen on the left.
The date is determined by…

Tags: 1900s, Automobiles, Buildings, Businesses, Johnson Street, Post Office

Montgomery Ward ca 1954

Circa 1954 black and white photograph of the Montgomery Ward building on Johnson Street in Woodstock, Illinois. The brick paved road is empty and there are parking meters lining the street in front of the building.

The front of the Montgomery Ward Department Store on Johnson St with the south side of the Courthouse in the background.

The window displays include bicycles, appliances and clothing. The small windows above the plate glass display windows are…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Johnson Street

Oliver Typerwriter Band 4th of July, 1910

1910 black and white photograph of a marching band leading a parade on Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois. They are following the Parade Marshall on horseback. A small crowd watches from the sidewalk and two and three story brick buildings are in the background.

As part of the large July 4, 1910 celebration, the Oliver Typewriter Band leads the parade on Benton Street following the Parade Marshall on horseback. A small crowd watches from the sidewalk.
"The Oliver Typewriter band, which gets its name from…

Tags: 1900s, 4th of July, Bands, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Music, Oliver Typewriter Company, Parades

Oliver Typewriter band July 4 Tripp photo

1910 black and white photograph of a band marching on the Woodstock Square. There are many other people on the street, on the sidewalks and in the Woodstock Square park, Woodstock, Illinois.

Part of the big July Fourth celebration that Woodstock produced and invited all of McHenry County to attend. Photo was taken from Melvin Tripp's photography studio's corner on Cass and Main streets. The movement of the band members make them slightly…

Tags: 1900s, 4th of July, Bands, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, Music, Parades, Postcard

Opera House 1889-93 aerial view

Circa 1889-1893 black and white photograph of the Opera House building located on Van Buren Street , Woodstock, Illinois. The photograph was taken from the roof of the old Woodstock Courthouse located on Johnson Street.

Taken from the roof of the Courthouse, this shows a new Opera House with neighboring businesses on Van Buren street and Johnson street. A corner of the public school and several residences on Dean street are visible.
After 1889-Opera House…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Courthouse, Johnson Street, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Opera House Curt Teich postcard

1951 colorized postcard of the Woodstock Opera House building located on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Postcard front labeled 1047 - City Hall Building Woodstock, Illinois

Reverse identification: City Hall Building and Theatre, Woodstock, Illinois. Genuine Curteich-Chicago "C.T. Art-Colortone" Post Card (Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.)

This postcard was…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Opera House, Postcard, Van Buren Street

Opera House front 1890s

Circa 1895-1912 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Opera House building located on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Front of the Opera House and C.W. Hill Horse Shoeing. Shows the original cupola, portico and fire bell.
Shows a fire hydrant in the bottom right corner, thus dating it as 1895 or later.
Blacksmith Chauncy Hill (1858-1938) came to Woodstock in 1888…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Opera House front and side 1890s

Circa 1890 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Opera House building located on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Fuzzy photo of Opera House when it was newly constructed as City Hall. The actual date is unknown. The building exterior is complete but there is no landscaping. Shows both the front on Van Buren and the side on Dean Street. A man stands on the Dean…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Panorama Cass and Sheriff's House 1993

1993 color photograph of the north-west corner of the Woodstock Square Park taken from the Square Park bandstand. In the background are two and three story brick buildings on Cass and Johnson Streets.

This panorama was taken from the bandstand showing Cass St west of Main plus the Sheriff's House on Johnson.

Signs and are not any easier to read when the photo is enlarged.

112 Cass Town Square Realty
Concorde Inn (Hotel sign)…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, Johnson Street, Sheriff's Residence & Jail

Panorama Square Benton and VanBuren 1993

1993 color photograph of the Woodstock Public Square looking south-east from the Square Square Park bandstand. the main focus of the photograph is a large soldier statue and the decorative Springhouse building. In the background are two and three story brick buildings on Benton and Van Buren Streets.

Taken from the bandstand, this photo shows a closeup of the soldier's monument (without his head) and the bandstand.

The buildings on S. Benton and Van Buren are visible in the distance. The Bohn's Hardware sign is obscured by the tree. Angelo's…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses, Civil War Monument, Soldier Monument, Square Park, Square Park Bandstand, Van Buren Street

Park Restaurant 126 N Benton

Circa 1919 black and white photograph of a two story brick building located at 126 Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois. The lower level of the building is a restaurant named the Park Restaurant Lunch Room.

Old photos of 126 N. Benton show it to be the only building in the block between East Jackson and East Judd streets without arched windows and a brick cornice (such as in the building to the right). The northwest corner of the original storefront had…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Businesses

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