In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, the Champaign County Historical Society is noting the history of previous offices of the Chamber.

These circa 1937 photos (#0130, #0131) of the Four Gables Building located at the NW corner of Church and Main streets document before and after the sides of the building were covered with an imitation brick veneer.

Note in Photo 1 the start of the covering on the wall at the left and the presence of scaffolding on the front of the building. At the time of this photo the Interurban tracks had been removed from the middle of Main Street.

Photo 2 is after completion of the cladding. Note in both photos the gasoline pumps and the tank cart for dispensing motor oil. Canned motor oil probably was not generally available then. Note the air hose at the extreme left of the photos and the buckets for radiator water at the base of the pole upon which a thermometer has been mounted. The Chamber of Commerce offices were in this building in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, the Champaign County Historical Society is noting the history of some previous locations of its offices.

The “Then” circa 1935 photo (#0138, above) is of the building at 113 Miami St., Urbana. Note that Miami Street was bricked. The Urbana Banking Co., Urbana’s first private bank, was established at this location in 1814, probably in a log structure. The current two-story building is thought to have been erected circa 1820 by Dr. Adam Mosgrove. The bank closed in 1842. By 1892 it was used as the medical office and residence of Dr. and Mrs. William A. Mosgrove. In 1939 Dr. Vogt Wolf had his medical office on the street level. Dr. Steven Radar maintained his general practitioner’s office here from 1963 until 1990. Information source: Then and Now in Downtown Urbana, Ohio from 1805 by Barbara Stickley Sour. Note: if you can identify the bartender and/or beer vendors in this photo, please call the museum, 937-653-6721.

The 2015 “Now” photo also is of 113 Miami St. The Chamber of Commerce was in this building in 2001. Note that the location of the A & P Food Stores next door is now the location of Fusion 40-83 Restaurant.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Friday; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays.

Then – This is a circa 1910 photo (#1845) of Willow Drive (now Patrick Avenue/state Route 54) looking south. As related by Emmett Sweetman, engineer for the city of Urbana, in a Springfield Sun article of March 13, 1958, Willow Drive, currently Patrick Avenue, with its overhanging willow trees, drew beauty lovers from afar to view its shady splendor.

In 1923 the famous old trees so overhung the road to the Oak Dale Cemetery that they created a problem. In the spring of 1923 as Mr. Sweetman’s wife’s grandfather was being buried in Oak Dale Cemetery, one of the willow trees came down, blocking the funeral procession halfway along Willow Drive. All of the willows were cut down in the summer of that year and replaced with locust trees. The willow wood was used to fabricate artificial legs.

The locust trees were replaced by elm trees in 1958. Unfortunately, the elm trees succumbed to Dutch Elm disease. The sidewalk on the cemetery side of the road was added in the 1890s.

The circa 1915 photo (#A1547) of Chowning’s Art Studio shows the address as 121 N. Main St., Urbana. Likely the address number has changed as the Boston Store, which was in the building next door toward the square, was listed as 121 N. Main St. in 1920. The studio was located on the 2nd floor. As indicated on the awning, the Champaign Clothing Co. was on the first floor. When the Boston Store was at 121 N. Main St. the Scherer Clothing Store was located on the first floor of the building in which Chowning Art Studio was located in 1915.

Note the women with hats looking at photos at the bottom of the stairway leading to the studio. How about the motorcycle at the curb! Most likely it is an early Harley-Davidson, perhaps 1905 or 1910.

This 2019 photo is of the same location as the circa 1915 photo.

Info from the Champaign County Historical Museum, an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.

Then – This is a 1939 photo (#0187) of the Boston Store, 121 N. Main St., Urbana. Standing in front of boxes of Ball Band footwear are, left to right, Francis Collins, Harry Bernstein, Malcolm Reich and Martin Reich. Upstairs was the Springfield Loan Co. Next door was the Scherer Clothing Store, above which was the office of Dr. E. E. Meyer, dentist. Related photos in the Champaign County Historical Society archives are 0188, 0221, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Boston Store was first located at 121 N. Main St. in 1917. What was the original location of the Boston Store? Answer and photos in a later installment of Then-Now.

Now – This is a 2019 photo of the same location, now occupied by The Boston, a collectibles store. 1984 was the last year The Boston Store was located at 121 N. Main St. 1991 Shield’s Bootery was located here.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.

This is a circa 1900 postcard photo of Billy Clifford’s private railroad car next to the Washington Hotel. Billy Clifford, who grew up in Urbana, was an internationally renowned entertainer. This photo was taken looking southeast across the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad (Big Four RR) toward Miami Street. In the background is the A.T. Woodcock grain elevator. Across the tracks from Clifford’s car is the Big Four RR freight and passenger depot.

These structures were located near where West Court Street currently joins Washington Street. Note next to the depot is a horse and cart loaded with items. In the right foreground is a pneumatic-tired bicycle; these bicycles were first produced about 1890. The Washington Hotel was remodeled for later use as the Urbana Broom Co. factory; most likely, this photo was taken during this transition.

In 1926 the depot and broom factory were razed when the Big Four RR tracks were elevated. Related photos in CCHS archives are: A2072-1, A2119-7, A1873.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is an all-volunteer, not-for profit organization that preserves, protects, archives and displays the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The organization depends upon donations and dues to provide a free public museum located at 809 East Lawn Ave., which is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is an aerial photo of Champaign Livestock Sales taken on June 28, 1971. The livestock sales facility was located at 430 W. Light St. just east of the big four railroad. Champaign Livestock Sales was owned by Gale Locke and managed by Dow Ward at this time. Livestock sales were held weekly on Wednesdays. June 28, 1971, was a Monday, thus the photo was not taken on a sales day. The area is now occupied by houses.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is an all-volunteer, not-for profit organization that preserves, protects, archives and displays the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The museum depends upon donations and dues to provide a free public museum, open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.

Then – This is a circa 1920 photo (0404) of the M.E. Goertzig IGA grocery store located at 315 Sycamore St., Urbana. The sign on the south side of the building reads: “We sell Purity Ice Cream."

Now – This is a 2019 photo of the same location. Note how little the building has changed except for the railed porch. Currently, the building is the Sycamore House, Pregnancy and Family Life Center of Champaign County. 

The Champaign County Historical Society is an all-volunteer, not-for profit organization that preserves, protects, archives and displays the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The society depends upon donations and dues to provide a free public museum, which is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.