Woodstock Typewriter Factory
Title
Woodstock Typewriter Factory
Description
300 N. Seminary
Emerson Typewriter Co. was founded in Momence, Illinois in 1909 and moved to Woodstock in 1910. City subscribers raised $30,000 to purchase the land and build this 25,000 square foot building. Alvah Roebuck (of Sears and Roebuck Dept. Store) became a partner and the company was renamed Roebuck Typewriter Co. for a very short time. In 1913, the company was again renamed, this time to Woodstock Typewriter and was headed by Alvah Roebuck. The Woodstock Typewriter differed from the Oliver Typewriter in that it had a universal standard keyboard with a single shift and the letters were fully visible. An electric typewriter was manufactured in 1925 but was discontined because of a lack of trained service persons in the field. They tried again in 1949 and again discontinued the product for the same reason in 1957.
Alger Hiss was convicted of lying to the House Unamerican Committee about his connection to the American Communist Party because of the unique letter A on a typewritten note--he was using a Woodstock Typewriter.
Century America bought the company in 1949 but kept the Woodstock Typewriter name. In 1950, R.C. Allen Business Machines bought the factory and changed the name. R. C. Allen ended typewriter production in 1971 after producing an estimated 1 million typewriters.
Woodstock Wireworks (known locally as the lampshade factory) took over the building in 1972.
The building was converted into Emerson Lofts in 2006.
Emerson Typewriter Co. was founded in Momence, Illinois in 1909 and moved to Woodstock in 1910. City subscribers raised $30,000 to purchase the land and build this 25,000 square foot building. Alvah Roebuck (of Sears and Roebuck Dept. Store) became a partner and the company was renamed Roebuck Typewriter Co. for a very short time. In 1913, the company was again renamed, this time to Woodstock Typewriter and was headed by Alvah Roebuck. The Woodstock Typewriter differed from the Oliver Typewriter in that it had a universal standard keyboard with a single shift and the letters were fully visible. An electric typewriter was manufactured in 1925 but was discontined because of a lack of trained service persons in the field. They tried again in 1949 and again discontinued the product for the same reason in 1957.
Alger Hiss was convicted of lying to the House Unamerican Committee about his connection to the American Communist Party because of the unique letter A on a typewritten note--he was using a Woodstock Typewriter.
Century America bought the company in 1949 but kept the Woodstock Typewriter name. In 1950, R.C. Allen Business Machines bought the factory and changed the name. R. C. Allen ended typewriter production in 1971 after producing an estimated 1 million typewriters.
Woodstock Wireworks (known locally as the lampshade factory) took over the building in 1972.
The building was converted into Emerson Lofts in 2006.
Creator
Date
1928
Collection
Citation
Teich, Curt, “Woodstock Typewriter Factory,” Woodstock Public Library Archives, accessed May 12, 2026, https://woodstockpubliclibraryarchives.omeka.net/items/show/478.
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