A Square Celebration: 150 Years of History June 22-26, 1994, page 16

Post Office moves from Square in 1989 Alvin Judd was the first postmaster in 1844, with the Post Office most likely located in his home. In the early years, the post office was located at the discretion of each postmaster. In the 1880s and '90s, it was located in a variety of businesses approximately where Beard and S to vail is today. In the early 1900s, the first official Post Office was built on the corner of Jefferson and East Jackson. Later to be known as the Odd Fellow's Hall, that location is now part of the State Bank of Woodstock. A new Post Office (pictured above) was built on the Johnson Street side of the Square in 1931. The current Post Office on Country Club Road was built in 1989. Library provides education, entertainment since 1856 Woodstock's first library was established in 1856, when citizens donated books and money. This library was not free to the public but was kept up by subscription. The Woodstock Literary and Library Association formed in 1877. Borrowing from this library of books was free only to members of the association. In 1880, A.R. Murphy was elected the first librarian for the literary association. At this time, the collection of books was kept at varying sites, depending upon who was serving as librarian. When the City Hall was completed in 1890, all of the books belonging to the literary association were housed there and a reading room was established. The following year, the collection was transferred to the city and the Woodstock Public Library was formed. The public library was free to all citizens of Woodstock. Funds were raised through dues, donations, lectures and collections. The library held 900 books at this time. The library continued to grow, as did the city government, and in 1959, the library moved to its current location at 414 W. Judd Street. The collection had grown to 23,000 books by the mid-1960s, and an addition was completed in 1966. Today, the library holdings include 77,500 books, as well as periodicals, audiocassettes, compact discs, miscrofilm and toys. Its card catalogue is on a computer shared with 10 other libraries in Northern Illinois. Many reference books are now available in CD-ROM.