Woodstock | |
---|---|
Motto(s): "True to Its Past; Confident of Its Future" | |
Coordinates: 42°18′53″N88°26′51″W / 42.31472°N 88.44750°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Illinois |
County | McHenry |
Townships | Dorr, Greenwood, Hartland, Seneca |
Founded | 1852 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Michael Turner |
Area | |
• Total | 13.19 sq mi (34.15 km2) |
• Land | 13.19 sq mi (34.15 km2) |
• Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 25,630 |
• Density | 1,943.58/sq mi (750.41/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP Code(s) | 60098 |
Area code | 815/779 847 |
FIPS code | 17-83349 |
Wikimedia Commons | Woodstock, Illinois |
Website | www.woodstockil.gov |
Woodstock is a city in (and the county seat of) McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located 51 miles northwest of Chicago, making it one of the city's outer-most suburbs. [2] Per the 2020 census, the population was 25,630. [3] The city's historic downtown district and turn-of-the-century town square is anchored by the landmark Woodstock Opera House and the Old McHenry County Courthouse. In 2007 Woodstock was named one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. [4]
Woodstock was originally known as Centerville because of its location at the geographic center of McHenry County. It was chosen as the county seat on September 4, 1843. Early settler Alvin Judd developed a plat for the town, which incorporated a two-acre public square, near which a 2-story frame courthouse and jail were constructed the following year by George C. Dean and Daniel Blair. [5]
In 1845, prominent resident Joel Johnson proposed that Centerville be given a more original name, and the town was renamed Woodstock after Johnson's hometown of Woodstock, Vermont. The town was still listed as "Center" on the 1850 Federal Census. In 1852, Woodstock was incorporated as a village with Judd as president. In response to a growing population following the end of the Civil War, Woodstock was incorporated as a city in 1873. [5]
John S. Wheat was elected as Woodstock's first mayor. A vital artery for the growing town was the train line to and from Chicago, which allowed for a substantial industrial presence early in the town's history. [5]
In 1895, Eugene V. Debs served a short federal prison sentence in the Woodstock Jail following the 1894 Pullman labor strike in Chicago. Debs, the former president of the American Railway Union, was held in Woodstock instead of Chicago because federal officials feared that he would be surrounded with too many sympathizers in a Chicago prison and therefore could have still incited further unrest. Debs was instead assigned to a cell in the newly constructed Woodstock Jail, which occupied the lowest floor of the Woodstock Courthouse on the town square. [6]
During his time in the jail, Debs received several influential socialist visitors and encountered the works of Karl Marx. He is said to have considered the Woodstock Jail one of the "greatest school[s]," and passed his time reading and writing many letters from his cell. By the time he was released in November 1895 (to great fanfare and before crowds of onlookers assembled in the Woodstock Square), Debs had become a socialist and a national celebrity. [6] He later ran for the United States Presidency five times between 1900 and 1920 as the candidate for the newly formed Social Democratic Party. [7]
During the early part of the 20th century, Woodstock had become "Typewriter City" and was home to factories of both the Emerson Typewriter Company and the Oliver Typewriter Company. Woodstock workers had built more than half the world's typewriters by 1922. [5] The companies were very much a part of civic life in Woodstock during this time. Both factories had active social clubs, baseball teams that competed against one another, and Emerson had a well-regarded band that played at public events. [8] [9]
In 1919, Emerson Typewriter became the Woodstock Typewriter Company. The city grew and flourished with increasing demand for Woodstock typewriters through and after World War II. Initially the company sold typewriters for use in the war effort both domestically and abroad, but after the war's end returning servicemen, now familiar with the Woodstock brand, chose these models for their households. The factory was in use until 1970, and has since been converted into lofts. [8] [9]
Woodstock had an important role in the creative development of Orson Welles. In 1926, in the midst of a chaotic upbringing, he enrolled at the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock at age 10. His five-year stay there was his only formal education, and the town and school made an impression on the young Welles. Years later, in 1960, when asked where he thought of as his hometown, he replied "I suppose it's Woodstock, Illinois, if it's anywhere. I went to school there for four years. If I try to think of a home, it's that." [10] [11]
At Todd School, the young Welles came under the positive influence and guidance of Roger Hill, a teacher who later became the school's headmaster. Hill provided Welles with an educational environment that supported his creativity, allowing Welles to concentrate on subjects that interested him. Welles performed and staged his first theatrical experiments and productions at Todd. He also performed at the downtown Woodstock Opera House, where the stage — the site of his American debut as a professional theatre director — is now dedicated to him. [12] [13]
Welles returned to Woodstock periodically after leaving school. In July 1934 at the age of 19, he coordinated the Todd Theatre Festival, a six-week summer festival at the Woodstock Opera House that featured Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir of Dublin's Gate Theatre. [14] : 165 His short film The Hearts of Age was shot on the Todd School campus during the festival. [15] [16]
Todd School for Boys closed in 1954. Several original buildings were purchased at auction and reused by Marian Central Catholic High School and Christian Life Services. [17] Welles' former dormitory was demolished in 2010. [18]
Several scenes in the 1987 film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles were shot in Woodstock, including the scene in which the protagonists' rental car is towed in front of a building, the old Courthouse. [19] The movie brought Woodstock to the attention of location manager Bob Hudgins, who later recommended the town to Harold Ramis for the filming of Groundhog Day. [20]
Woodstock is perhaps most famous for its role as the location for the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. Although the story is set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the movie's producers preferred the quintessentially American, but non-specific backdrop of Woodstock Square and its surroundings. Outdoor and street scenes were filmed around the downtown and various side streets, and signs from stores and businesses are visible throughout the movie. [19]
Many notable scenes' locations are commemorated with plaques as part of a walking tour for visitors and enthusiasts. [21] In January 2020, several key actors, including Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray and Stephen Tobolowsky returned to Woodstock to film a Groundhog Day-themed commercial for Jeep. The commercial aired during the 2020 Super Bowl. [22]
Woodstock was the basis for the fictional town of Hawkins Falls in the 1950s television soap opera Hawkins Falls, Population 6200 . The city was the site of primary filming for the movie Bored Silly, which was released in 2000. [23] In August 2018, it was reported that filming had begun in and around the Square for the 2019 HBO series Lovecraft Country from producers J. J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, Misha Green and Ben Stephenson. [24] A map of Woodstock can be seen on the splash screen for The Jackbox Party Pack 4 game Civic Doodle where the historic square and Illinois route 47 and 120 are clearly visible. [25]
In September 2021, a second commercial began filming in Woodstock, including the Woodstock Square and the surrounding areas, for Toyota, which began airing on television later that December. [26]
Woodstock was also a primary filming location for the Amazon series Night Sky doubling as the fictional Farnsworth, Illinois.
The Woodstock Independent is the award-winning local paper of record and is delivered weekly to subscribers. [27] Published on Wednesdays, The Independent covers community news, events as well as local government and schools. The Independent also publishes The Torch, a feature-oriented magazine delivered free to all Woodstock residents 8 or 9 times a year. [28]
Woodstock has become an important destination for live music in McHenry County and the region with venues featuring local, national, and international artists.
A number of organizations support and promote live music in Woodstock:
Woodstock is home to many Protestant and Catholic churches, a Jewish congregation and The Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple since 2002.
Woodstock's public schools are part of Woodstock Community Unit School District 200, which was formed in 1969. [30] The district operates 1 early learning center (Verda Dierzen), 6 elementary schools (Dean Street, Greenwood, Mary Endres, Olson, Prairiewood and Westwood), two middle schools (Northwood and Creekside) and two high schools (Woodstock High School and Woodstock North High School). [31] The three newest buildings, Prairiewood, Creekside and WNHS, were approved in a March 2006 referendum to address crowding in schools due to the area's growth between the mid-1990s and 2008. [30]
Woodstock is served by private educational institutions: St. Mary Catholic grade school (K-8) is located in town. Students often continue on to Marian Central Catholic High School, also located in Woodstock.
Residents pursuing an associate degree normally do so at McHenry County College in neighboring Crystal Lake. Loyola University Chicago owns and operates a large property on Woodstock's eastern edge as its Retreat and Ecology Campus. [32] Aurora University also operates its Woodstock Center downtown.
According to Woodstock's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, [33] the top employers in the city are:
# | Employer | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | McHenry County | 1,249 |
2 | Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 | 1,142 |
3 | Northwestern Memorial Hospital | 904 |
4 | Catalent | 590 |
5 | Charter Dura-Bar | 335 |
6 | Claussen Pickle Company | 300 |
7 | Walmart | 277 |
8 | Berry Plastics | 180 |
9 | Other World Computing | 180 |
10 | Menards | 140 |
Woodstock's railroad station is the penultimate passenger stop on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line, which originates from Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago and ends in Harvard, Illinois. At Woodstock, Metra offers passengers 14 daily trains to Chicago on weekdays, with 13 returning outbound. [34] Between 400 and 500 passengers use the train daily for travel to Chicago or other suburban communities along the line. [35]
This direct link to the city was historically instrumental in Woodstock's growth as a city, and remains an attractive option for local commuters and residents to reach Chicago. As a result, Woodstock's use of the system is greater than that of nearly half of the Metra system's other outlying stations, many of which serve larger or geographically nearer communities. [36]
Other public ground transportation is limited to Pace bus route 807, which connects downtown Woodstock with downtown McHenry. [37]
U.S. Route 14 once took drivers through the heart of downtown Woodstock, but a bypass now curves around the city's southwest border. Illinois Route 47 runs through the city in the north–south direction. Illinois Route 120's western terminus is in northwest Woodstock, and continues east past Woodstock's downtown and into rural McHenry County.
In the 2010 census, Woodstock has a total area of 13.55 square miles (35.09 km2), all land. [39]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 1,327 | — | |
1870 | 1,574 | 18.6% | |
1880 | 1,475 | −6.3% | |
1890 | 1,683 | 14.1% | |
1900 | 2,502 | 48.7% | |
1910 | 4,331 | 73.1% | |
1920 | 5,523 | 27.5% | |
1930 | 5,471 | −0.9% | |
1940 | 6,123 | 11.9% | |
1950 | 7,192 | 17.5% | |
1960 | 8,897 | 23.7% | |
1970 | 10,226 | 14.9% | |
1980 | 11,725 | 14.7% | |
1990 | 14,353 | 22.4% | |
2000 | 20,151 | 40.4% | |
2010 | 24,770 | 22.9% | |
2020 | 25,630 | 3.5% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [40] 2010 [41] 2020 [42] |
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 [41] | Pop 2020 [42] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 17,748 | 16,456 | 70.56% | 64.21% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 513 | 737 | 2.07% | 2.88% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 40 | 33 | 0.16% | 0.13% |
Asian alone (NH) | 562 | 527 | 2.27% | 2.06% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 15 | 2 | 0.06% | 0.01% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 16 | 106 | 0.06% | 0.41% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 294 | 860 | 1.19% | 3.36% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,852 | 6,909 | 23.63% | 26.96% |
Total | 24,770 | 25,630 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In the 2000 census, [43] there were 20,151 people, 7,273 households, and 4,843 families in the city. The population density was 1,891.1 inhabitants per square mile (730.2/km2). There were 7,599 housing units at an average density of 713.1 per square mile (275.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.48% White, 1.06% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 7.69% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.01% of the population.
There were 7,273 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,871, and the median income for a family was $54,408. Males had a median income of $40,137 versus $27,264 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,210. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
McHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 Census, it had a population of 310,229, making it the sixth-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Woodstock. McHenry County is one of the five collar counties of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Long known as a center of recreation along with agriculture in the western portion, it has more recently experienced rapid rates of suburbanization, exurbanization and urbanization, but the western portions of the county remain primarily agricultural and rural.
Elmhurst is a city mostly in DuPage County and overlapping into Cook County in the U.S. state of Illinois, and a western suburb of Chicago.
Riverside is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. A significant portion of the village is in the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The population of the village was 9,298 at the 2020 census, up from 8,875 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of Chicago, located roughly 9 miles (14 km) west of downtown Chicago and 2 miles (3 km) outside city limits.
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 census, down from 43,862 at the 2010 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War.
West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,614 at the 2020 census. It was formerly named Junction and later Turner, after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) in 1855. The city was initially established around the first junction of railroad lines in Illinois, and today is still served by the Union Pacific West Metra service via West Chicago station.
Wheaton is a city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, Wheaton's population was 53,970, making it the 27th most populous municipality in Illinois.
North Chicago is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 30,759 at the 2020 census making it the 3rd largest city by population in the county, after Waukegan and Mundelein.
Waukegan is the most populous city in and the county seat of Lake County, Illinois, United States. An industrial suburb of Chicago, Waukegan is situated about 26 miles (42 km) north of Chicago’s city limits. As of the 2020 census, its population was 89,321, ranking it the seventh-most populous city within the Chicago metropolitan area and the 10th-most populous city in Illinois.
Cary is a village located in Algonquin Township, McHenry County, Illinois, and Cuba Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 17,826.
Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Named after a lake 1.6 miles (2.6 km) southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population is 40,269 as of the 2020 Census, a 1.2% decrease from 2010. Crystal Lake is the largest city in McHenry County, part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
Harvard is a city located in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 9,469 at the 2020 census. The city is 63 miles from the Chicago Loop and it is the last stop on the Union Pacific Northwest Line.
McHenry is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb, part of the Chicago metropolitan area and is located about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 27,135. McHenry was at one time the county seat of McHenry County, which once included adjoining Lake County to the east. McHenry took its name from the county, which was named for Major William McHenry, a prominent US Army officer in the Black Hawk War.
Mokena is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. The population was 19,887 at the 2020 census. The Census Bureau's 2019 estimate found that the population had increased to 20,159.
The Woodstock Opera House is a historical venue for performing arts and receptions located in Woodstock, Illinois. It was built in 1889 and designed as a multi-use facility with space for city administration offices as well as police and fire departments. The building was planned by architect Smith Hoag and built by contractor Simon Brink for a cost of $25,000. Today, the City of Woodstock still owns the building, but the building is used exclusively as a performance space.
The Woodstock Square Historic District is located in the county seat of McHenry County, Illinois, which is Woodstock. The district is located in downtown Woodstock and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Within the district two of Woodstock's other Registered Places can be found, Woodstock Opera House and the Old McHenry County Courthouse.
Geneva is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the western side of the Chicago suburbs. Per the 2020 census, the population was 21,393.
Harvard station is a Metra commuter rail station in Harvard, Illinois. It is the terminus of the Union Pacific Northwest Line. Harvard is the farthest Metra station from Chicago at 63.16 miles (101.65 km) from Chicago; the next furthest stop, Antioch on the North Central Service, is over 10 miles closer to Chicago at 52.9 miles (85.1 km). The station contains a parking lot operated by the City of Harvard. A coach yard is adjacent to the station and is used to store trains during weekends and overnight hours. Harvard was the only Metra station located in the M zone, until all fare zones beyond J were retired by Metra in 2018. Trains that traveled to Chicago passed through an entire fare zone to reach Woodstock. No stations were located in zone L. Originally, Hartland was the only station located in zone L, however, the stop was closed in 1984. Harvard was then located in fare zone J until February 2024, when the fare structure was simplified across the system. Harvard is now in Zone 4. It is the westernmost station of the Metra system; the next most westerly stop is Elburn on the Union Pacific West Line. Harvard is the last station to use more than one track, as further beyond this station, the UP line is single tracked until reaching Janesville, Wisconsin.
The Todd Seminary for Boys (1848–1954) was an independent preparatory school located in Woodstock, in the U.S. state of Illinois. From 1930 it was called the Todd School for Boys. Under headmaster Roger Hill from 1929, it became a progressive school that provided students including Orson Welles with a creative educational environment that emphasized practical experience over traditional academics. Only one building, Rogers Hall, remains from the original campus.
Woodstock is a commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line located in Woodstock, Illinois. The station is located on the Harvard branch of the Northwest Line and is the last stop before Harvard; inbound trains run as far as Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago. The station is located in fare zone 4. Woodstock is 51.7 miles (83.2 km) from Chicago via Metra. The station consists of two grade-level side platforms which serve two tracks; there is a rail crossover located just north of the station. As of 2018, Woodstock is the 149th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations on the Metra system, with an average of 273 weekday boardings.
Marching Song is a play about the legend of abolitionist John Brown, written in 1932 by Orson Welles and Roger Hill. It is most notable for its narrative device of a journalist piecing together a man's life through multiple, contradictory recollections—a framework that Welles would famously employ in his 1941 film, Citizen Kane. Although the play has never been professionally performed, an abridged version of Marching Song was presented in June 1950 at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois, a world-premiere benefit production by the Todd School for Boys. Rowman & Littlefield will publish the play in August 2019.