Woodstock | |
|---|---|
 The landmarkWoodstock Opera House building in historic downtown Woodstock | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto(s): "True to Its Past; Confident of Its Future" | |
 Location of Woodstock in McHenry County, Illinois. | |
  Woodstock  Woodstock | |
| Coordinates:42°18′53″N88°26′51″W / 42.31472°N 88.44750°W /42.31472; -88.44750 | |
| 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(s) | 815/779847/224 |
| FIPS code | 17-83349 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Woodstock, Illinois |
| Website | www.woodstockil.gov |
Woodstock is a city in and thecounty seat ofMcHenry County,Illinois,United States. It is located 51 miles northwest ofChicago, making it one of the city's outer-mostsuburbs.[2] Per the2020 census, the population was 25,630.[3] The city's historic downtown district and turn-of-the-centurytown square is anchored by the landmarkWoodstock Opera House and theOld McHenry County Courthouse. In 2007 Woodstock was named one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations by theNational Trust for Historic Preservation.[4]
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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 aplat 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 ofWoodstock, 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 the1894 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 theWoodstock Courthouse on the town square.[6]
During his time in the jail, Debs received several influential socialist visitors and encountered the works ofKarl 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 asocialist and a national celebrity.[6] He later ran for theUnited States Presidency five times between 1900 and 1920 as the candidate for the newly formedSocial 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 theOliver 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 afterWorld 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 ofOrson Welles. In 1926, in the midst of a chaotic upbringing, he enrolled at theTodd 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 theWoodstock Opera House that featuredHilton Edwards andMicheál MacLiammóir of Dublin'sGate Theatre.[14]: 165 His short filmThe 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 filmPlanes, 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 toHarold Ramis for the filming ofGroundhog Day.[20]
Woodstock is perhaps most famous for its role as the location for the 1993 movieGroundhog Day, starringBill Murray. Although the story is set inPunxsutawney, 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, includingBill Murray,Brian Doyle-Murray andStephen Tobolowsky returned to Woodstock to film aGroundhog Day-themed commercial forJeep. The commercial aired during the 2020Super Bowl.[22]
Woodstock was the basis for the fictional town of Hawkins Falls in the 1950s television soap operaHawkins Falls, Population 6200. The city was the site of primary filming for the movieBored 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 seriesLovecraft Country from producersJ. J. Abrams,Jordan Peele,Misha Green andBen Stephenson.[24] A map of Woodstock can be seen on the splash screen forThe 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, forToyota, which began airing on television later that December.[26]
Woodstock was also a primary filming location for the Amazon seriesNight 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 publishesThe 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.
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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 andWoodstock 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 toMarian Central Catholic High School, also located in Woodstock.
Residents pursuing an associate degree normally do so at McHenry County College in neighboringCrystal 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 onMetra'sUnion Pacific Northwest Line, which originates fromOgilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago and ends inHarvard, 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 toPace 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(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[43] | Pop 2010[41] | Pop 2020[42] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 15,511 | 17,748 | 16,456 | 76.97% | 70.56% | 64.21% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 195 | 513 | 737 | 0.97% | 2.07% | 2.88% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 30 | 40 | 33 | 0.15% | 0.16% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 400 | 562 | 527 | 1.99% | 2.27% | 2.06% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 20 | 16 | 106 | 0.10% | 0.06% | 0.41% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 165 | 294 | 860 | 0.82% | 1.19% | 3.36% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,830 | 5,852 | 6,909 | 19.01% | 23.63% | 26.96% |
| Total | 20,151 | 24,770 | 25,630 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In the 2000census,[44] 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% fromother races, and 1.52% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried 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. Theper capita income for the city was $23,210. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
Municipalities and communities ofMcHenry County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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