Knox County ILGenWeb

Street Scenes

"Looking East on Main Street" picture taken from booklet titled Twelfth Annual Excursion Galesburg Merchants' Association June 25th, 1903.  [Picture contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

"Main Street, From Central Park, Galesburg" postcard from circa 1906.  This view is looking east down Main Street from the Public Square.  A cannon, that was removed from a fort in Santiago, Cuba, by American forces in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, can be seen in its original location at the head of Main Street.  The cannon has since been moved to the north side of the Knox County Courthouse lawn.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Main Street ~ Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked November 2, 1906.  This card  shows the north side of Main Street from Prairie Street west to the Public Square.  People's Trust and Savings Bank, organized in 1900, can be seen on the awning of the building at the far right.  Above it is a sign for The Illinois Life Insurance Company.  The Big Store (O. T. Johnson's) is the large, three-story building near the middle of the block.  Both wagons and carriages being pulled by horses and horseless carriages can be seen all along Main Street.  Note the trolley car tracks and the man in the lower left sweeping the street.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Home Coming, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked 1908.  [Picture contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

Looking east down Main Street from the public square.

"Murga Groto Parade, June 11, 1918, Galesburg, Ill.".

"Main Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard.  This view is looking west on Main Street toward the Public Square.  Doyle Furniture Co. is the building at the left on the southeast corner of Seminary and Main Streets.  Further down the left side of Main Street, a Bank of Galesburg sign can be seen atop the five-story Fraternity Building.  The top two floors of the building were added in 1911.  On the north side, a sign for the Kozy Fruit Store hangs out over the sidewalk.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Main Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked August 31, 1911.  This view is looking west down Main Street towards the Public Square shows a business district active with pedestrians, carriages, automobiles and trolleys.  The Continental clothing store, founded in 1895, can be seen at the southeast corner of Main and Prairie Streets.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"East Main Street at Night, Galesburg, Illinois" postcard postmarked January 13 1952.  This view, probably produced in the 1940s, is looking east on Main Street from just east of Cherry Street.  The entrance south into the notorious Boone's Avenue can just barely be seen on the far right edge of the picture.  [Contributed by Sue Voller.]

"South Broad Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked September 19, 1910.  This view is looking south down Broad Street from the Public Square.  Central Congregational Church can be seen on the right.  Cox Brothers Co., that sold surreys, buggies and cartage rigs, can be seen on the left.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"South Prairie Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard dated May 1, 1907.  This view down south Prairie Street shows the Universalist Church, dedicated in 1895, on the northeast corner of Prairie and Tompkins Streets.  Across Tompkins Street is a good view of the Corpus Christi Lyceum tower and, in the distance, the spire of Corpus Christi Church, built in 1884-85, can be seen at the northeast corner of Prairie and South Streets.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"North Broad Street from Tompkins, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked June 17, 1912.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

Real photo postcard of the front hall sitting room at a home in Galesburg, Illinois.  The card is postmarked October 25, 1906, with a Galesburg cancel and was mailed to Fred Less, Muscatine, Iowa.

"Broad Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard date 1913.  [Contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

"Seminary Street from Losey, Galesburg, Ill." postcard.  This is a view looking south down Seminary Street from Losey Street.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Losey Street from Bateman, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked July 7, 1915.  This view is looking east on Losey street from Bateman Street.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Residence of George A. Lawrence" picture taken from booklet titled Twelfth Annual Excursion Galesburg Merchants' Association June 25th, 1903.  [Picture contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

"Prairie Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked August 10, 1910.  This house at 590 North Prairie Street was constructed in 1891 by George Lawrence for $80,000.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"North Prairie Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard postmarked October 23, 1907.  This house at 560 North Prairie Street was built circa 1894 by Clark E. Carr. [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Residence of Cyrus M. Avery" picture taken from booklet titled Twelfth Annual Excursion Galesburg Merchants' Association June 25th, 1903.  [Picture contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

"Residence of Hon. George W. Prince" picture taken from booklet titled Twelfth Annual Excursion Galesburg Merchants' Association June 25th, 1903.  [Picture contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

"Residence of Mayor George Shumway" picture taken from booklet titled Twelfth Annual Excursion Galesburg Merchants' Association June 25th, 1903.  [Picture contributed by Cindy Lowe.]

"North Prairie Street from Dudley, Galesburg, Ill." postcard August 5, 1911.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"North Chambers Street, Galesburg, Ill." postcard.  [Contributed by Bob Miller.]

"Chambers Street, from Grove, Galesburg, Ill." postcard.  [Contributed by Jim Ferris.]

"North Main Street, Abingdon, Ill." postcard postmarked 1911.  [Contributed by Jim Ferris.]

St. Augustine Street Scenes.

This picture from approximately 1908 shows the Palmer Meat Market with three men and a horse and wagon in front of it.  The building on the far right is S. Huntley Ryan's General Store and home.  Notice the absence of utility poles.  [Contributed by Patti Lawson.]

On the right is a February 17, 1927, newspaper article about a fire that destroyed several stores and a residence on the south side of Main Street, Saint Augustine.  [Contributed by Patti Lawson.]

"Wolf Covered Bridge" photo from about 1915.  [Contributed by Todd Walter.]

Built originally in 1848, about 5 miles south east of Gilson in Haw Creek Township, Wolf Covered Bridge was enclosed in 1874 by Capt. James Burkhalter.  It was 234 feet in length, 104 feet of it being covered, with two open trestles at either end.  It was of a Howe type span, a combination of wood and iron.  The foundation was made of huge stone blocks.  It was on the National Register.  Wolf Covered Bridge got it's name from Jacob Wolf, head of a prominent farm family in the area.  In 1994, it was burned by arsonists.  It was rebuilt in 1999, being wider and taller to accommodate modern travel.

"Spoon River Bridge, Williamsfield, Illinois" photo from about 1910  [Contributed by Todd Walter.]

"Parade at Horse Show, Williamsfield, Ill." postcard from around 1900.  [Contributed by Jenny Williams.]