Browse Items · Woodstock Public Library Archives

Woodstock Opera House & Bandstand

The Opera House was finished in 1890 and this is one of the oldest photographs of it. The picture shows the bandstand as it looked before the 1909 structure. The houses and shops on the southwest side of the Square (where Woodstock Square Mall is…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Johnson Street, Music, Opera House, Square Park, Square Park Bandstand, Van Buren Street, Winter

Woodstock Public Library, 1948

The woman in the photograph is Library Assistant Jean West. We would love to identify the children in the photograph. If you know who any of them are please email to library@woodstockil.gov.

Opened in 1891, the library was originally located in…

Tags: 1900s, Libraries, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Woodstock Public Library - Librarian Edna Wienke, 1948

This photograph was taken in the Woodstock Public Library in 1948. At the time the library was located in the Opera House. The woman in the photograph is Librarian Edna Wienke. We would love to identify the children in the photograph. If you know who…

Tags: 1900s, Libraries, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Woodstock Public Library, 1935

Opened in 1891, the library was originally located in the Woodstock Opera House. The library moved to its Judd Street location in 1959. The 4000 sq ft building was designed by local architect William Fyfe, a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The…

Tags: 1900s, Libraries, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Woodstock Public Library, 1927

Opened in 1891, the library was originally located in the Woodstock Opera House. The library moved to its Judd Street location in 1959. The 4000 sq ft building was designed by local architect William Fyfe, a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The…

Tags: 1900s, Libraries, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Welcome Home 1919 Opera House

The Opera House is decorated for the June 10, 1919 celebration.

The Woodstock Sentinel June 12, 1919 p6:
Pavement Dancing
Between the hours of 3 and 5 in the afternoon and 10 and 12 in the evening, dancing was enjoyed on the pavement between…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Opera House, Van Buren Street, World War 1, World War 1 Homecoming Celebration

Van Buren St with boys on roller blades May 1997

1997 color photograph of three story brick buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. The street is paved with bricks and several cars are parked in front of the buildings.

Two boys emerge from E. Jackson ready to cross Benton St to get to the Square. They are on rollerblades so are resting on the corner flower planter to wait for traffic.

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

Van Buren St May 1997

Van Buren St buildings taken from the corner of E. Jackson and Benton.
101 Van Buren Hamer Schuh law office (partial)
103 Van Buren Cobblestones
105 Smith's Children's Shop
107 Hair Directors
109 Blazier's Pharmacy
111 Cobblestones
117…

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

Van Buren sidewalk widening Opera House 1984

1986 color photograph of work being done on the sidewalk in front of the Woodstock Opera House building on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.<br />
In the background ar other two and three story brick buildings.

The widening of the sidewalk on Van Buren has not reached the front of the Opera House yet. Bricks, sand, and construction debris are in evidence.

There is a good view of the restaurant on the opposite corner, including the vertical Restaurant…

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

Van Buren sidewalk widening 1986

1986 color photograph of work being done on the sidewalk in front of a few buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

The sidewalk is being expanded on Van Buren from Dean to Johnson streets to match the one on the east side of Dean. Bricks have been removed from the street an metal walkways cover the hole.

The sign on the Wood Bin indicate that they are worried…

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

Van Buren and South Benton Sts ca 1954

Circa 1954 black and white photograph of the south-east corner of the Woodstock, Illinois square. The streets are paved with bricks and there are a few cars driving and parked on the streets. Two and three story brick buildings line the streets. To the left can be seen a small portion of the Woodstock Square park with mature leafless elm trees.

Continuing the Public Works tour around the city, this photo includes a clue that the photos were taken around 1954. Bohn's added the two-story brick façade that year.
Other businesses include
117 Van Buren Woodstock Grill and
115 Van Buren…

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

Van Buren and South Benton Streets closeup ca 1954

Closeup version of Item #428: "Van Buren and South Benton Sts"

Continuing the Public Works tour around the city, this photo includes a clue that the photos were taken around 1954. Bohn's added the two-story brick façade that year.
Other…

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

Square, Southeast ca 1877 Bunker Bros.

Grainy circa 1877 black and white photograph of three and four story brick bildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

This photo of Van Buren Street was taken after 1872 when Bunker Brothers moved here after losing their former building by fire on October 8, 1871 that destroyed the west part of Van Buren and the south part of Johnson streets.
All of the businesses…

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

Square Taken Mar 27 1930

1930 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Square Park, Woodstock Illinois. The photo was taken after a snowstorm. In the square park can be seen leafless elm trees, the Springhouse structure, a tall soldier monument and a covred bandstand. Several cars are driving and parked on the snow covered street in the foreground. In the background can be seen three story brick buildings, the Woodstock Opera House building and a few other wooden structures.

This photo is taken from nearly the same vantage point as the photo taken Feb 22 1930, however snow covers the ground and the flags are no longer there. Mr. Stamet's popcorn wagon, the Spring House, Bandstand and Soldier Monument are all visible.…

Tags: 1900s, Automobiles, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, Johnson Street, Spring House, Square Park Bandstand, Van Buren Street, Winter

Square Taken Feb 22 1930

1930 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Square Park, Woodstock, Illinois. In the park can be seen leafless elm trees, the Springhouse structure, a tall soldier monument and a covered bandstand. Several automobiles are parked on the brick paved street. In the background can be seen three story brick buildings and the Opera House building.

One of three Tripp photos of the Square taken in 1930.This one shows the Square park from the entrance at Cass and Main street. A small popcorn wagon, identified as "Mr. Stamet's" for another photo, is adjacent to the entrance. The Spring House,…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Businesses, Cass Street, Civil War Monument, Music, Soldier Monument, Spring House, Square Park, Square Park Bandstand, Van Buren Street

Square Southeast Woodstock House ca 1868

Circa 1868 black and white photograph of three and four story brick buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. Several men are posing on the sidewalk and there is a horse and buggy parked on the dirt street in front of the buildings.

South east side of Square with Woodstock House and Post Office. This is a blurred closeup of the same buildings as photo ID 37 [105-117 E. Van Buren]
Blossom's Jewelry was established in 1868. [117 E. Van Buren]. The photo could have been taken as…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Churches, Van Buren Street

Square Southeast side Pratt House ca 1870

Circa 1868-1871 black and white photograph of three and four story buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. In the foreground is the Woodstock Square Park. The park has young immature trees and is surrounded by a white fence.

Pratt House
Back of photo: "This block of buildings on the south side of square built in 1853. In one of the upper stories over the drug store was Phoenix Hall where many church organizations conducted their services until they had buildings of…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Square Park, Van Buren Street

Square south east side in mourning 1885

1885 black and white photograph of three and four story buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. The buildings are decorated with mourning crepe to mark President Grant's death. Several men and young boys are seen posing for the photograph on the sidewalks in front of the buildings.

South side of the Square is decorated with mourning crepe to mark President Grant's death.
109 E. Van Buren A. S. Wright: Drugs & Medicines. The history of this business: Green Front Drug Store was opened by Cyrus B. Durfee in 1851 who took Chris…

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

Square South and East side 1881 snow

1881 black and white photograph taken after a snow storm of snow piles from a shoveled sidewalk. In the background can be seen three and four story brick buildins on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Looking toward the southeast side of the Square from in front of Murphy Block 101 N. Benton. Taken the same day as the stereoptican ID 45 but later in the day since the snow is piled higher around the lamppost and an advertising sign for Royal St.…

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

Square park in winter after 1891

1891 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Square Park, Woodstock, Illinois after a snow storm. On Cass street are two horse and sleds parked. In the Square Park can be seen leafless elm trees and and bandstand. In the background are various wood buildings and also the Woodstock Opera House building.

Square park after a snowfall showing the Woodstock Opera House (built 1889) and two other buildings on W. Van Buren St. Three buildings also are visible on S. Johnson, including the Donnelly buildings. The center of the square has a wood fence around…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Johnson Street, Square Park, Square Park Bandstand, Van Buren Street, Winter

Square in winter ca 1867

Circa 1866-1868 black and white photograph of the south-west portion of the Woodstock Square Park taken after a snowstorm. The Square Park is full of young trees. I the background is seen woooden buildings, the old McHenry County Courthouse and a two story brick building.

This photo of the west side of the Square in winter shows the trees slightly larger than in the photo Item #480: "West Side of Square, ca 1858" and a second fence outside the original fence. It is dated between 1866 and 1868.
After 1858 (square…

Tags: 1800s, Churches, Courthouse, Johnson Street, Square Park, Van Buren Street

South Side of the Square Van Buren St, circa 1868-9

Circa 1868-1871 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Square Park and brick buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. The square park is full of young trees and appears to have a small crowd of people gathered together. In the distance behind the brick buildings is open unoccupied land.

Back of photo: Old Bunker Block burned 1871
This photo of the south side of the square shows the Phoenix block that would be renamed as the Bunker Block after Bunker Brothers moved their grocery, hardware and crockery business there in 1872. Their…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Businesses, Schools, Square Park, Van Buren Street

South East Corner of Square L-38

Circa 1946-1948 black and white photograph of the south-east corner of the Woodstock Public Square Park in Woodstock, Illinois. In the park are mature elm trees, park benches and paths. In the background are two and three story brick buildings.

Part of the same series as Montgomery Ward (ID 183) and View in Business Section (ID 182), this photo of Van Buren and S. Benton street businesses was taken from the Square. Identifiable businesses include:
103 E. Van Buren: Sears (1952-1958)
105…

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

Sidewalk Sales Benton St at Cass 1970

1970 black and wite photograph of Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois during a sidewalk sale. The sidewalk is crowded with shoppers and the street is lined with parked cars. In the background are two and three story brick buildings.

A pedestrian is in the crosswalk at Cass & Benton during the Sidewalk Sales. The most notable images in this photo are the number of really big automobiles in the parking spaces. Signs are visible for Buschkopf'sWalgreen's Agency Pharmacy, Stone's…

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

Panorama Square bird's eye view from Jefferson St 1996

1996 color aerial photograph of the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois. The prominent buildings seen are the Woodstock Opera House, The Old McHenry County Courthouse, the decorative Springhouse and City Hall.

Jim Keefe's office was on Jefferson St. fairly close to where this photo was taken. His son Patrick was on the fire department, so perhaps he had access to a hook & ladder truck to take it.
The two photos are taped together to make the treeline in…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Cass Street, Courthouse, Johnson Street, Opera House, Post Office, Schools, Spring House, Square Park, Van Buren Street

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

Opera House with fire escape

Circa 1920-1940 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Opera House Building. The photograph was taken from the Woodstock Square Park, Woodstock, Illinois.

Photos of the Opera House in the 1919 Welcome Home series show the east side of the building without a fire escape. By 1921, there is a fire escape.

A. S. Wright, druggist, was in business between 1880 and 1940.

This postcard is labeled City…

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

Opera House postcard #6203

Circa 1908-1912 black and white postcard of the Woodstock Opera House building. Other brick and wooden buildings can be seen as well as a couple of horses and wagons.

Postcard title: City Hall, Woodstock, Ill. #6203
The postcard is post marked March 24, 1914
Taken from the street near Benton, it shows the Opera House without a fire escape. The dirt streets and the rope on post railing on the square indicate…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, 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

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 from Square Park ca 1958

Circa 1958 black and white photograph of the Woodstock Opera House located on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Opera House without portico or cupola but with the Library and City Hall signs in stone. The Opera House sign above the main entrance is electric and possibly neon.
A phone booth stands on the corner of the building on the sidewalk. The east side of…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Dean Street, Opera House, Van Buren Street

Opera House from Spring House May 1997

1997 color photograph of the Woodstock Opera House building located on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. The photo was taken from the Woodstock Square Park.

This photo continues the trip around the Square that Jim Keefe took on the day the Die Cast smokestack was demolished. It shows the Opera House from the vantage point of the Spring House. The trees that were planted in 1993 are still small.

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Opera House, Square Park, 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 and Van Buren 1909

1909 black ans white postcard of the Woodstock Opera House located on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Dark and blurred photo from a postcard titled "Van Buren St., South Side of Square, Woodstock, Ill."
Uncle Tom's Cabin poster with date Mar 31, Wednesday. This combination of date and day occurred in 1897, 1909, and 1915, but Good Friday fell on…

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

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

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

Grease Pole Climb 4th of July, 1910

1910 black and white photograph of people and automobiles gathered on the south-east side of the Woodstock Square, Woodstock, Illinois.

One of the many contests that took place as part of the July Fourth celebration, a boy can be seen climbing the pole on South Benton, reaching about as high as the store awnings. This is one of the few photos that shows this particular part of the…

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

Fire Department in front of Opera House

Circa 1936 black and white photograph of firemen and a fire truck on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. In the background is the Opera House building and other buildings.

Woodstock Fire Department shown with two fire trucks in front of Woodstock Opera House. The truck on the left has been dated as ca. 1936.
Photo shows original wood doors and the Fire Department lettering over the doors as well as the original…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Fire Department, Opera House, Van Buren Street

City Hall from Wdstk Illustrated 1895

1895 black and white photograph of Woodstock City Hall (now known as the Woodstock Opera House) on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. Six men can be seen standing in front of the building's main entrance.

The postcard shows a fuzzy print of the illustration used for the 1895 advertising pamphlet "Woodstock Illustrated."
The attached photo is from the jpg file from the booklet rather than a scan of the postcard.

This shows the original Opera House…

Tags: Buildings, Opera House, Postcard, Van Buren Street

City Hall and Opera House

Circa 1912 colorized black and white postcard of Woodstock City Hall (now known as The Woodstock Opera House) on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

Front of post card: City Hall and Opera House, Woodstock, Ill. 700
Reverse has message dated 9-7-27
The lights in front of the building were installed in 1912 and the horse in the photo indicates an earlier time than 1927. Also, there is no fire…

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

Car crash through Bohn's window 1971

1971 black and white photograph of an automobile that crasehd into a storefront on Benton Street, Woodstock, Illinois.

A large sedan has backed into the front window of Bohn's Ace Hardware, taking out the posts that hold up a metal awning. A woman left her car running while she went to make a deposit at the State Bank (101 S. Benton). When she returned to the car,…

Tags: 1900s, Automobiles, Van Buren Street

Business Block, South Side Public Square 1872

1872 drawing of buildings on the south side of the Woodstock, Illinois public square. This drawing appears in the 1872 McHenry County Atlas.

Business Block, South Side Public Square
This drawing in the 1872 Atlas has nearly all the same businesses as the photo ID 38, which we have dated ca. 1877. The drawings in the atlas are stylized to please the patrons of the publication so not every…

Tags: 1800s, Buildings, Van Buren Street

Bohn renovation window poster

Circa 1996 color photograph of building renovation plan image for 113 Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. The building plan image is displayed in a ground floor window of the building.

This closeup of the architect's drawing of what the finished façade will look like is framed by scaffolding.

113 Van Buren

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Van Buren Street

Bohn façade removal ca 1996

Circa 1996 color photograph of two buildings on Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Illinois. One building is in the process of having its facade removed and has scaffolding erected.

After Bohn's Ace Hardware moved to Route 47 and into the old A&P grocery store, this building remained vacant. It was used in 1992 by Columbia Pictures to house movie extras. Jim took this photo when only the B remained. The windows have already been…

Tags: 1900s, Buildings, Groundhog Day Movie, Van Buren Street

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

A Glimpse of Woodstock

Colorized black and white postcard with a montage of various buildings in Woodstock, Illinois in the early 1900s. Buldings featured are a typewriter factory, a dairy, the Woodstock train depot and brick buildings on the Woodstock Square.

This postcard is a photo montage of eight W. G. Hoffman postcards: "Benton St. From Van Buren #730"
"C. & N. W. Depot #705"
"Main Street #734"
"Oliver Typewriter Factory"
"Woodstock Typewriter Co."
"Benton Street #729"
"Congress Dairy…

Tags: 1900s, Benton Street, Buildings, Main Street, Oliver Typewriter Company, Opera House, Postcard, Railroad Depot, Van Buren Street

Browse Items (46 total)