Easter Holiday Closing

The Library will be closed on Sunday, March 31st for the Easter holiday.  We will reopen on Monday, April 1st at 9:00 a.m. 

Digital History

Neville Carr

"That it will never come again,  is what makes life so sweet."
-Emily Dickinson

Welcome to the Wauconda Area Digital History, designed and maintained by the Wauconda Area Library!  From horse-drawn carriages on Main Street through decades of summer fun at Bangs Lake, this new local history photo collection has something for everyone.

About the Collection

This collection was made possible by long-time Wauconda resident Neville Carr, depicted on the left, who has made it his mission to borrow and scan over 2,500 photographs from dozens of the Wauconda area’s oldest residents and their families, and to gather information about each photo “before it’s too late.” He created an archival digital image of each photo, providing captions with names and anecdotal information whenever possible.   He then donated all of these images to the library so that they would be easily accessible for everyone.  He is still in the process of adding his comments to many of the photos.

This collection was also made possible by the dozens of people and organizations, such as the Wauconda Township Historical Society, who allowed Neville to borrow their photographs for this purpose.  The caption of each item in the collection includes code letters that indicate the owner of the item.  A key to these codes is listed below.

Using the Collection

We’re off to a great start – now it’s up to you!

This digital history of the Wauconda Area is hosted by the Wauconda Area Library, and you can help us by contributing YOUR old family photos, identifying people in the photos in the existing collection, or by providing additional information about these photos. 

Do you recognize someone or something in the photos? Please email library@wauclib.org, call the library 847-526-6225, or visit the library.   We'll update the information so that everyone can see.  If you have your own Facebook account, you can read Neville Carr's comments about the photos and/or comment on them yourself! If you do not have a Facebook account, you can view the photos and comments with Internet Archive. The library is still in the process of copying the images and comments over to Internet Archive. 

Do you have similar old family pictures from or memorabilia related to the Wauconda Area's past?  We would love to add them to this collection and we'll even scan them while you wait... no need to leave them at the library.   And if you bring a flash drive, we can give you the digital files to take home with you!  (Photos should be at least 50 years old (1964 or earlier) and taken anywhere within the library district.)  The Dickson and Paddock family photos are a great example of this community participation, as these were all contributed by family members Cindy Graff and Vernon Paddock, respectively, in addition to all the photos gathered and scanned by Neville Carr.

ENJOY YOUR TRIP TO THE WAUCONDA AREA'S PAST!

Wauconda Area Collections

Family Collections

Dickson Family portrait (black and white)

Dickson Family

Paddock Family portrait (black and white)

Paddock Family

Farnsworth family in living room (black and white)

Farnsworth Family

Yearbook Collection

Visit our online Wauconda High School Yearbook collection!

1928-1977 (some issues still needed)

Yearbook Collection Page

Collage of Wauconda Area yearbooks

Key to Photograph Owner Codes

Each photograph in this collection has a caption that includes a brief description of the photo and a  2- or 3-letter code that indicates who owns the photograph and lent it to Neville Carr for digitizing.

  • Arvilla Fisher Petersen afp
  • Tony Jachec aj
  • Anthony Rake ar
  • Anthony Rosenwald atr
  • Barbara Crooks Enders bce
  • Betty Lusk Hughes blk
  • Barbara Peck Pawlak bp
  • Barbara Parelius Davenport bpd
  • Betsy Murray bemu
  • Charles P. Buschick pcb
  • Chris Reining cr
  • Chuck August ca
  • Carol Fowles Christensen cc
  • Cindy Graff cg
  • Cindy Hertel ch
  • Cheryl Hironimus Thompson cht
  • Cynthia Potter cp
  • Cathy Thomas Larson ct
  • Carol Wiser Baseley cwb
  • Doris Aimers-Voss dav
  • Doug & Beth VanDyke dbv
  • Denise DeHesus Schneider dd
  • David Fehlman df
  • Daily Herald dh
  • David Hildebrand dhl
  • Dale Johnson dj
  • Donna Knigge dk
  • Debbie Kruger Stegeman dks
  • Diane Knigge Veitch dkv
  • Dolly Lueder Lewis dll
  • Donald Meyer dm
  • Donald Nagel dn
  • Doreen Seidenzahl dors
  • Daniel Smith ds
  • Douglas Tomsha dt
  • Earl Porten ep
  • Frances Converse fc
  • Federated Church of Wauconda fcw
  • Fred Dierker fd
  • Gail Baseley Schendel gbs
  • Gifford Foulke gf
  • Grace Toynton Harris and Maryellen Thomas Perry gh
  • Helen Farnsworth hf
  • Homer-Mertie Cook hmc
  • Ira Bliss ib
  • Internet Resource int
  • Isabelle "Izzy" Williams iw
  • James Broughton jb
  • Jerri Bunce Pasborg jbp
  • Judy Billings Eschenbach je
  • Louise Fish Matthews jfm
  • James Gainer jg
  • Janet Prior Hironimus jh
  • Jim Kirby jimk
  • John Kallas jk
  • Jill Koffen jk
  • Joseph Lincoln jl
  • James Mantzoros jm
  • John Cooper jmc
  • Jeff Maute jm
  • Judy Pinkonsly jp
  • Joan Pretzman Heynis jph
  • Jacqueline Ross Peterson jrp
  • Kathie Broughton Carr kjc
  • Kelly Lincoln kl
  • Kenneth R. Dowell krd
  • Leah Blackburn Light lbl
  • Lake County Discovery Museum lcdm
  • Lisa Swanson Knight lk
  • Linda Russell lr
  • Michael Barnas mb
  • Margaret/Duane Heinsohn meh
  • Marilyn Copeland mc
  • Mary Alice Johnston Dianis mjd
  • Mary Jane Vasey Fehsenfeld mjf
  • Mary Martin mm
  • Monica Knigge mk
  • Marge Knigge Baseley mkb
  • Mary Lou "Mimi" Weinberg mnw
  • Marilou Wright Lento mwl
  • Nancy Breeden Wentzel nbw
  • Neville Carr nc
  • Nancy Christian Sutherland ncs
  • Norbert "Bud" Holz nh
  • Norman Kendall nk
  • Nancy Kuester nk
  • Pat Clinge cps
  • Paul Harris ph
  • Paul Smith ps
  • Rick and Pam Kuester r/pk
  • Roland Green rg
  • Ray Lenniger rl
  • Ramona Nicholson rn
  • Richard & Kathy Reilly rr
  • Robert “Koko” Svec rs
  • Ronald Vaughan, Sr. rv
  • Steve Boehmer sb
  • Sandra Cook Bowes scb
  • Sarah Pankonin O'Brien sbo
  • Sharon Grantham Paddock sgp
  • Steffanie Baseley steff
  • Tim Towne tt
  • Virginia Howells Reardon vhr
  • Valerie Whitman vm
  • Waucond Area Library wal
  • Wauconda Township Historical Society whs
  • Walter Broughton wmb
  • W. R. “Dick” Navarre wrn
  • Bill Schumacher ws
  • Will Tremont wt
  • Zelma Dunn zd
  • Chuck August ca
  • Michael Barnas mb
  • Carol Wiser Baseley cwb
  • Marge Knigge Baseley mkb
  • Steffanie Baseley steff
  • Ira Bliss ib
  • Steve Boehmer sb
  • James Broughton jb
  • Walter Broughton wmb
  • Charles P. Buschick pcb
  • Sandra Cook Bowes scb
  • Diane Knigge Veitch dkv
  • Kathie Broughton Carr kjc
  • Neville Carr nc
  • Carol Fowles Christensen cc
  • Pat Clinge cps
  • Frances Converse fc
  • Homer-Mertie Cook hmc
  • John Cooper jmc
  • Marilyn Copeland mc
  • Daily Herald dh
  • Barbara Parelius Davenport bpd
  • Denise DeHesus Schneider dd
  • Mary Alice Johnston Dianis mjd
  • Fred Dierker fd
  • Kenneth R. Dowell krd
  • Zelma Dunn zd
  • Barbara Crooks Enders bce
  • Judy Billing Exchenbach je
  • Helen Farnsworth hf
  • Federated Church of Wauconda fcw
  • David Fehlman df
  • Mary Jane Vasey Fehsenfeld mjf
  • Gifford Foulke gf
  • James Gainer jg
  • Cindy Graff cg
  • Roland Green rg
  • Grace Toynton Harris and
  • and Maryellen Thomas Perry gh
  • Paul Harris ph
  • Margaret/Duane Heinsohn meh
  • Cindy Hertel ch
  • Joan Pretzman Heynis jph
  • David Hildebrand dha
  • Janet Prior Hironimus jh
  • Norbert "Bd" Holz nh
  • Betty Lusk Hughes blk
  • Internet Resource int
  • Tony Jachec aj
  • Dale Johnson dj
  • John Kallas jk
  • Norman Kendall nk
  • Jim Kirby jimk
  • Donna Knigge dk
  • Monica Knigge mk
  • Lisa Swanson Knight lk
  • Jill Koffen jk
  • Nancy Kuester nk
  • Rick and Pam Kuester r/pk
  • Lake County Discovery Museum lcdm
  • Cathy Thomas Larson ct
  • Ray Lenniger rl
  • Marilou Wright Lento mwl
  • Dolly Lueder Lewis dll
  • Leah Blackburn Light lbl
  • Joseph Lincolnb
  • Kelly Lincoln
  • James Mantzoros jm
  • Mary Martin mm
  • Louise Fish Matthews jfm
  • Jeff Maute jm
  • Donald Meyer dm
  • Betsy Murray bemu
  • Donald Nagel  dn
  • W. R. “Dick” Navarre wrn
  • Ramona Nicholson rn
  • Sarah Pankonin-O'Brien sbo
  • Sharon Grantham Paddock sgp
  • Jerri Bunce Pasborg jbp
  • Barbara Peck Pawlak bp
  • Arvilla Fisher Petersen afp
  • Jacqueline Ross Peterson jrp
  • Judy Pinkonsly jp
  • Earl Porten ep
  • Cynthia Potter cp
  • Anthony Rake ar
  • Virginia Howells Reardon vhr
  • Richard & Kathy Reilly rr
  • Chris Reining cr
  • Anthony Rosenwald atr
  • Linda Russell lr
  • Gail Baseley Schendel gbs
  • Bill Schumacher ws
  • Doreen Seidenzahl dors
  • Daniel Smith ds
  • Paul Smith ps
  • Debbie Kruger Stegeman dks
  • Nancy Christian Sutherland ncs
  • Robert “Koko” Svec rs
  • Cheryl Hironimus Thompson cht
  • Douglas Tomsha dt
  • Tim Towne tt
  • Will Tremont wt
  • Doug & Beth VanDyke dbv
  • Ronald Vaughan, Sr. rv
  • Doris Aimers-Voss dav
  • Waucond Area Library wal
  • Wauconda Township Historical Society whs
  • Mary Lou "Mimi" Weinberg mnw
  • Nancy Breeden Wentzel nbw
  • Valerie Whitman vm
  • Isabelle "Izzy" Williams iw