John McGivern’s Main Streets

- I'm in the bell tower of an opera house in a city in North Central Illinois that's famous for the movie that was filmed here.

Let me give you a hint.

You should watch this movie on February 2nd, and you should watch it over, and over, and over again.

- "John McGivern's Main Streets" thanks the following underwriters: - Remember when the American dream was being able to say, "I made that.

I built that."

Wouldn't it be great if your kids and grandkids chose a career that provides that kind of pride, with good pay, but without a ton of student loan debt?

A four-year degree isn't the only path to success.

We need talented people to make and build on main streets everywhere.

Skilled work isn't a thing of the past; it's a bright future.

[exciting music] - I'm on my way Oh, it's time to hit the road I'm on my way This is the freedom I live for [pleasant music] - In southeastern Wisconsin, there's a village... With something for everyone.

It's everywhere you look.

On every street, behind any door you open, and we want to share it with you.

You just gotta see Greendale.

- Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Plum Media, and the Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

Thanks, friends!

- 'Cause these are our main streets Something 'bout a hometown speaks to me There's nowhere else I'd rather be The heart and soul of community's right here On these main streets - I am in Woodstock, Illinois, which has a lot of connections to Hollywood.

And one of the most significant is its connection to the 1993 Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day."

Most of that movie was shot right here in Woodstock, which changed this town's economy and culture forever.

Woodstock is the county seat of McHenry County.

And even though it's 50 miles northwest of Chicago, it is still considered one of Chicago's outermost suburbs.

Woodstock Square Historic District is really Woodstock's main street and center of activity.

Emmy, that's what I got.

You got anything?

Besides the new baby?

Congratulations!

We are so happy for you.

So, what do you know about Woodstock, or are you too busy to talk?

- Mr. McGivern, how could I be too busy to talk to you?

It's already "bring your son to work day," and lookit-- he's even got the cutest little "Main Streets" shirt on.

So he's ready to go, right?

We've been working on Woodstock.

Now, modern settlers first came to Woodstock to access the artesian spring that was rumored to have healing properties.

- I've never felt better.

– Emmy Fink: In the 1840s, the town square grew around the spring.

And today, the population has grown to 25,000 people.

Originally, it was called Centerville because, well, it was in the center of McHenry County.

But the name was changed to Woodstock to honor the Vermont hometown of early settler Joel Johnson.

One of the town's earliest industries: pickled foods.

In fact, Woodstock is the home of Claussen Pickles.

I'll eat to that.

[upbeat music] - We've all seen movies.

I, in fact, have made movies.

And for that movie "Groundhog Day" to be shot here in this town, do you wonder what sort of economic impact it has?

Because it's a great movie.

It's a really great movie and-- and you can watch it, like, as much as you really like.

And there are some fans that will come to this community over and over again, yes?

– Melissa McMahon: Yeah.

We have gone on and we've celebrated with a five-day festival.

- Okay.

- And it's just grown and grown.

So it was, like, a one-day thing, and now we're up to five.

– John: And what do people want to experience when they come for that?

- So every person comes in here for, like, a unique experience, but the majority is for that walking tour.

- Let's start.

- Yeah.

- Where should we go?

- Let's head to the middle here.

- Good.

- This bandstand plays focal point for many, many events.

So, this was the bandstand that Phil and Rita, when they take their dance during their date, this is where that happens.

- Yeah.

Okay, now go around.

There we have it.

That's our dance.

- Aw.

So, right now, we're walking up to Taqueria La Placita, which actually was the Tip Top Caf in the movie.

- Oh, jeez.

"Movie 'Groundhog Day,' 1992."

- Yup.

- "Bill Murray stepped here."

- Yeah.

- So that was the actual hole, right there.

- That was the hole, yes.

- Boom!

What'd they do?

- So, yeah.

So since '92, when they filmed, the sidewalk was actually expanded.

So, this was the curb, and that was where the puddle was.

Plaque there, also.

- Boom.

- And then, here you go, Ned's corner.

- [John imitates Ned Ryerson] "Phil Connor, is that you?!?

Phil?!"

So good.

- And then, actually, if you go right around the corner, that's where you're gonna find the Old Man's Alley.

- "Old Man's Alley in the film 'Groundhog Day,' 1992."

- But, yeah, it's just a little skip on over to the movie theater here.

"Heidi II" was the movie showing, yes.

This is Wayne's Lanes.

– John: This is it, isn't it?

– Melissa: This is it.

And this was the bowling alley from the movie.

- People know where we're at, don't they?

– Melissa: I think so.

– John: Yeah.

They're like, "Wayne's!"

So, there were such great snow scenes... - Mm-hmm.

- In this movie.

- It was actually-- a lot of that was shot in, like, June, July.

- No.

- So we've got pictures of the crew in tank tops and shorts all behind the scenes and everybody's wearing their winter coats in the fake snow.

- What you see in the movie is really kind of what you get when you show up in real life.

- It really is.

And the overall just happy, joyful of that community-- that is exactly what you feel when you're here.

[upbeat music] - John: This is your house.

– Lori Miarecki: It is, yes.

- It's a B & B.

And people know this house, don't they?

- Ah, people from all over the world show up here every day to just see the house and take pictures.

- Tell 'em why they know this house.

- Well, it is the bed and breakfast from Bill Murray's most famous movie, "Groundhog Day."

- And the house really looks like the movie.

- It does.

- I mean, it really does.

And I love the fact that you're so kind of open and welcoming to people who really were a fan of the movie.

- If I see people, I wave them in.

Like, "Hi, do you want to see the house?"

They're like, "Wait, we actually can do that?"

And I'm like, "Come on in."

And then, they just lose their minds.

And so now guests are chored with giving tours.

If you leave the door open, now it's your job.

Here is the little "Groundhog Day" shrine.

- Oh, it certainly is.

- The clock.

- It flips, doesn't it?

- It does.

– At 5: 59.

- So, when they were planning the movie, it wasn't this clock that they were featuring.

It was actually a bell clock.

- There you have it.

- So every time Bill walks out the front door in the movie, he's walking past this newspaper article.

This is the article that described the house in its entirety when it was completed in 1900 with a carriage house.

- Oh, great.

- You have the Magnolia Suite, most coveted "Groundhog Day" room.

- Yeah.

- It gives you the view.

The iconic archway and-- - Well, even if this did not have the notoriety it does, it would still be incredibly popular just because of the house.

- Yes.

- You know.

- This is my kitchen.

This is where I make magic, but I did not make those cookies.

- You know, I was gonna ask, Laurie.

They're great.

Look at that beautiful cookie.

Your house.

- My house!

Morgan made my house.

I created my own little happy postage stamp of the world, but I can make sure that, you know, the spot that I've created is what I've always dreamed the world to be.

- Orson Welles was the director and star of "Citizen Kane"; some would say maybe the best film ever made.

As a boy, he attended Woodstock's Todd Seminary School.

There, his theatrical creativity blossomed.

His first stage performance was at the local opera house.

And it's because of these early years that Welles considered Woodstock his true hometown.

- Emmy!

I thought he was bigger.

[acoustic music] People know this space.

– Daniel Campbell: We're definitely the heart of the community.

You know, we were built in 1889, so, you know, we are over 130 years old at this point.

And we have been continuously operating since 1889.

But it housed City Hall.

Yeah, this was the historic library.

You can still see ridges on the wall where the bookshelves used to be.

- Oh, sure.

- But the theater has always been on the second and third floor.

And it was built with that purpose, 'cause they wanted to have a gathering place for the community, someplace where they could bring in the traveling road shows, et cetera, and bring that artistic element to the community.

- We're standing in front of the box office?

- This used to be the fire department.

- It was?

- Believe it or not.

Yes, they actually kept the fire engine here as well as the horses in here, as well.

That changed in the early 1900s, when the people upstairs started complaining about the smell of manure in the theater.

And then, they built some stables in the back.

Yeah.

[laughter] There's all these little stories, and little tales, and little intricacies of any theater.

We have one set of historic seats donated to us from a garage sale.

Underneath the seats, we had these wire racks here.

Those wire racks were for men's top hats.

- That's great.

- So before you go, make sure you get a picture of this.

Yes, we used to have championship wrestling up in our theater; No more.

- Who's in charge of programming again?

- [laughs] - Come on!

- We've had a lot of luminaries here over the years.

Orson Welles started his career here.

– John: That's great!

- You tend to be a breeding ground at small theaters for the next generation of artists.

And they all have to start somewhere.

So, this is our historic theater.

We've done our best to try to keep the theater as close to its original nature as it was back when it opened in 1890.

The stage here has been officially dubbed 'The Orson Welles Stage.'

And you'll notice our balcony has this horseshoe-shaped curve to it.

It just creates this beautiful look in the theater.

You know, every town should have a theater in it.

I'll tell you one thing, it makes economic sense.

The dollars that flow through to places like restaurants, and stores, and shops is a real vital heartbeat.

- This is really the showplace of the Square.

- It is; You got three more hours?

I'll tell you the rest.

[laughter] - In 1871, a fire started right here that destroyed nine buildings on the Square.

Now, the only silver lining was that it paved the way for the building of the Woodstock Opera House.

Can you name the other significant event that rocked Illinois on October 8th, 1871?

[quirky music] - The Great Chicago Fire occurred the exact same night that the Woodstock Town Square was devastated by fire.

Sadly, the local fire trucks couldn't even assist with the Woodstock fire because all available trucks went to Chicago.

That's awful.

[upbeat music] - So this is your shop.

– Sara Miller: It is.

– Mary Ervin: This is our shop.

- So, how did this happen?

– Mary Ervin: It's my fault.

- Is it your fault?

[laughter] - Mary Ervin: We became friends.

And I said, "Hey, Sarah, why don't we start a company together?"

– Sara Miller: And it had to be food-related because we both love food.

- Right.

- It's kind of remarkable, isn't it?

Are you, like, "Look at what we've created?"

- Considering when we first started, we were like, "We'll have a storefront in ten years."

[laughter] We started and by the end of the first year, we had a storefront.

- And if I were to talk to a customer, what do you think your customer talks about?

- I think they like that it's all handmade.

It's all-- we make it from the beans.

- So, the beans come, and you do everything after the beans show up?

- That's right.

- Yeah.

- So we start by doing roasting in-house and then grinding.

- Yeah.

- Downstairs is where we do all the chocolate production from the beans.

- Which, they look like almonds, don't they?

- Yeah, so winnowing is cracking the beans open and separating the nib from the husk.

- And then, once you get the nibs, then it's time to-- - Then it's time to make chocolate.

So you have to do it slowly.

- Yeah, that smells good.

I wish people watching could smell this.

Wow.

- Well, when you're in the speakeasy, you can smell it.

- Yeah.

And there's a speakeasy here.

[knocking] [hinge creaks] So you don't have enough to do?

- You've never been to a chocolate shop with a speakeasy?

- Never.

[laughter] Has anybody?

What should we taste first?

- Let's start on the left.

- Great.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- There's absolutely nothing wrong with this.

[laughter] - Okay, so now try-- try the Ecuador chocolate.

- It should be a little bit sweeter.

- Mm-hmm.

- It is.

- Mm-hmm.

- So different.

- This one's from Uganda.

- Oh, Uganda.

I think that is my favorite.

- Mm-hmm.

- I'm gonna tell you-- so this Ugandan chocolate, really chocolatey, really kind of rich and velvety.

And it's-- anywhere I'm going, I'm gonna ask somebody if they have some Ugandan chocolate.

Yeah.

So good.

Everyone is familiar with the concept farm-to-table when it comes to restaurants, but this restaurant is a little different.

Because Isabel's Family Restaurant, the husband and wife team who own this restaurant, guess what else they own?

They own the farm.

So, the vegetables and the fruit is picked before sunrise and brought to the restaurant.

So the food that I am eating may have been, like, on a tree or in the ground this morning.

Talk about fresh.

Emmy, pottery!

- I have a huge love of handmade ceramic dishes.

Our kitchen is just filled with them.

The design on this beautiful ceramic plate was made by pressing lace into the clay before firing it.

It's one of the many pieces you'll find at Artisans on Main.

Nearly all of the art there was created by members of the Clay Workers Guild of Illinois.

They're a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and collaborative opportunities for clay artists and the general public.

The diversity of pottery there is simply beautiful.

- Woodstock used to be home to two typewriter companies, Emerson and Oliver.

In fact, I'm standing outside what used to be the Emerson Typewriter Company.

By 1922, Woodstock produced half of the typewriters in the entire world.

Okay, not just the USA, but the entire world.

And they were big contributors to the war effort in the '40s.

And, can I tell you, their legacy continues.

Because wherever you go in Woodstock, you end up seeing a vintage typewriter.

Because people love to collect history, and history in Woodstock: the typewriter.

What made these typewriters made in Woodstock so popular?

Because beginning in 1891, they had a feature that most other typewriters did not have.

Can you guess what that was?

[quirky music] - Well, starting in the 1890s, the Oliver Typewriter Company produced a typewriter that actually allowed you to see what you were typing as you were typing it.

That's a pretty important feature, right?

They were the first company to do it.

How do you even type if you can't see?

Genius.

[upbeat music] - So, this is a first.

In all the years that I've been doing this kind of work, we've never been to a shop like this.

Guess what they make?

Paper straw is what you came up with because why?

– Andrew Spinell: I hate paper straws.

The straw sticks to my lips, tastes like paper, and I go, "What is this garbage?"

- Can't have it.

– Andrew: Don't want it.

About three years ago, it came to me.

Well, why don't we make the perfect straw?

- So, that's what we did.

We're the boss of straws.

- You're the boss of straws.

- We make the best straw.

- So, you said it's three types of paper?

- Three types of paper.

- Are there 15 types of paper in real life or how many-- - Oh, there's millions.

- There's millions types of paper.

- So how do you reverse engineer that product to stand up to all the different drinks that are out there?

- My son, Andy, has done a tremendous amount of the testing.

And with him doing that, we've come up with the best paper straw in the world.

- You've got the inner ply, the middle ply, and then the outside ply.

- Yeah.

- So this goes then where?

- This is called a festoon.

- Oh, a festoon!

- A festoon.

- I love a good festoon.

[laughter] - So from the festoon, it comes through the gum boxes.

- The gum boxes.

- Yup.

And this is where they get married together right here.

- All three of 'em do?

- All three get married at the spiral.

It comes in here, and this is actually called a cutting mandrel.

- And here's where we're gonna stop showing anything, just so you know.

- Yup, yup.

- Because the secret sauce is coming!

[laughter] - But we're gonna go wrap some straws.

And this starts the accumulator, and what this is doing is jogging the straws so they can drop down onto the belt.

- Okay.

- So we're gonna take that, bundle it, put it into the box.

Okay, there's a batch.

Get it into the box.

There you go.

Feel like Lucille Ball in the-- in the chocolate factory yet?

- Almost.

- Almost?

- "Turn it down, Lucy!"

- [laughs] - What's the trick?

- I don't normally do this.

- Oh, my God!

Look at this batch!

[laughter] - This is a very creative batch.

- It is, it is.

- [laughs] - Are you the salesman around at all?

- I'm a salesman, yeah.

- Oh.

Can I tell you, I'd buy it from you.

These are nice straws.

- They got your name on 'em!

- I love this!

- I think you're taking those home.

- I've never had a straw with my name on it.

You're terrific.

- [laughs] - [spits] [laughter] So many small, independent bookshops are having a hard time lately, but this is not one of them.

I am in a shop called Read Between the Lynes, L-Y-N-E-S, because that's the owner's name.

And they're successful for a couple reasons.

The first is that this town really supports businesses.

And the second is that they don't have a caf, but do you know what they do have?

Okay, this is the best.

Come take a look.

What they have... is an ice cream shop and a candy shop.

Come on!

The families love it and I love it, as well.

So I'm not sure right now if I should get a James Patterson novel or a-- or a salted caramel ice cream cone.

It's a good dilemma, isn't it?

We're at the Public House in Woodstock, which is in the lower level of what used to be the county courthouse.

– Kathryn Loprino: It's a pretty amazing historic monument on the Square, yeah.

- It sure is.

Do you have any idea when it was built?

- 1856, I believe.

- 1856.

And we are in a space that used to house what?

- Jail cells, so prisoners.

Yep.

[laughter] And then, all of the county courthouse offices, records-- - Records.

And how long has this been a restaurant?

- We've been here for seven years.

- And you couldn't have a better location.

- No, it's amazing.

The Square is a backdrop for so many things, but it's pretty awesome.

- Why?

- Because this is the seat where Andie MacDowell and Bill Murray sat and repeatedly toast-- she toasted to world peace.

So, that's an original door and this was-- led to the records room.

- Important stuff was back there.

- Yup, yup.

- Obviously, yeah.

- So this is a fun space just for dining.

This is actually where the original jail cells were.

- There wasn't an ice machine?

- No, no, no.

- Original piece from the courtroom.

- Mm-hmm, so we just kind of made it into the hostess stand.

- What are we making, Chef?

– Anthony Staskiewicz: And that is our signature grilled peach salad.

- Take a look at that.

It's gorgeous.

That looks delicious.

- How could it not be?

Chorizo, risotto.

- I know.

- And, voil, that is southwest steak risotto.

- Looks gorgeous; Thanks, Chef!

[bell dings] We're gonna share 'em.

- Sure.

- Grilled peach, right off the grill.

- Yep.

- Well, that couldn't be better, could it?

This, right here.

- Yeah.

Dig into that one.

- Try a bite of that... - Absolutely.

- If you don't mind.

Skirt steak and chorizo.

- Yeah.

- Mm.

This is great.

I would go to jail to eat this.

You guys do a great job.

- Thank you.

- Mm!

– Emmy Fink: I'm enjoying a cup of tea from Woodstock's Casting Whimsy.

All their tea is custom blended in-house with such imagination.

The co-owner actually considers herself a tea sorceress.

The product names are filled with pop culture references to "Alice in Wonderland," "Star Trek," "Willy Wonka."

Cheers!

- I'm here for the audition.

They're casting for "whimsical tea man."

Come on.

I bet you're wondering why is there a great mural of Dick Tracy here in Woodstock.

Well, let me tell you.

Dick Tracy was written and drawn here for almost 40 years.

There's even a park that's called Dick Tracy Way Park here in Woodstock.

So, we all know Dick Tracy comics, but can you name the author?

[quirky music] - The author was Chester Gould.

His creativity was housed in the second-floor office on the Square in a building that now houses The Double Yolk Caf.

- Emmy, we certainly know this artist in our hometown of Milwaukee.

- The North Benton Street Mural, by acclaimed artist Mauricio Ramirez, borrows elements and colors from the surrounding neighborhoods to fulfill its theme of "Made in Woodstock."

People in the community could paint sections of the mural themselves.

And, of course, that led to the piece having a greater sense of ownership among the citizens of Woodstock.

- I'm in a building that used to be a Unitarian church.

And the new owner kept the stained glass windows; why?

Because, well, he loves them.

Now, what's unusual is that this building is now a Buddhist temple.

The new owner, Bhante Sujatha, who has been a Buddhist monk for over 40 years, gives free meditation classes here in the temple.

See, many people believe that Buddhism is a way of life, a lifestyle, and not a religion.

So, this has got to be one of the only places in the world where Jesus lives next to Buddha.

[upbeat music] We're at a farm.

It's a flower farm.

How did the name come, Dented Gate?

– Robert Wyslak: In front there, we have a gate that's got a dent in it.

- [laughs] - That's it.

Came with the property.

- Came with the property.

This is the kind of farm that you farm and then you invite the public in to come and pick the flowers that you've grown.

Pick your own flowers.

I was like, "Are 'ya sure?"

[laughter] And they were.

- Kind of very passionate about it.

- Good for you.

Was it the plan when you bought the property?

– Lisa Wyslak: No, no plan.

- No plan.

- We came up with it kind of-- - Sitting at the dinner table.

- Yeah.

[laughter] - That's what it is.

- And don't people love the whole thing?

- They do.

- They really do.

- Is this a mum?

- No!

That is a marigold.

- That's what I-- my second guess.

- This is a buckwheat.

- I love this.

- Queen Anne's Lace.

- Yeah.

- These are ageratums.

- And what are these?

- These are zinnias.

And we have several different varieties in here.

- And behind us?

- These are really fun.

These are straw flowers.

They feel like paper.

- Why?

That's ridiculous.

Weren't you surprised how much I didn't know?

- Yes.

- Okay, shut up.

[laughter] - Let's go over by the dahlias.

You like this color?

- I do.

- Okay.

Do you want to try cutting?

- I do.

- Okay.

- What are those?

- Those are phlox.

- There you go.

Oh, we should get some of this.

- This is yarrow.

- There we go.

- Do you like that one?

- They're brilliant, yeah.

- Okay, yeah.

- Nice!

That's pretty, perfect.

- These are snapdragons.

- I kind of love 'em.

Do you have a lot of return business?

- Yeah.

- [laughs] - I get to know people.

They share their stories with me.

It's like everybody's family.

- What do you think?

- I think that's pretty.

- You can make anything out of anything?

- I sure can.

- You guys know what you're doing.

– Samantha Wyslak: Everything I do has a rhyme and a reason to it.

- Oh, come on.

This is gonna be great.

- Getting there.

- It's really nice.

Would you go to prom with me?

[Samantha and Jackie Wyslak laugh] - Yes.

- Yes!

Thank you for saying yes to me!

[laughter] - Great!

[upbeat rock music] - Woodstock, Illinois, it's a small town mixed with a little bit of Tinsel Town, but mostly it's a place people are proud to call their hometown.

- There's nowhere else I'd rather be The heart and soul of community's right here - That's a Christmas tree made out of straws, and they gave it to me.

Isn't that nice?

Woodstock Square Historic District-- [John mumbles, laughs] - Where is that pickle when we need it?

[Emmy speaking 'parentese'] Clarence, did you eat the pickle?

- In Woodstock, you're gonna see a vintage typewriter.

And why?

Be-- Oh, so close.

– Emmy: Thank you.

Who talks like that?

- I'm losing my mind.

- "John McGivern's Main Streets" thanks the following underwriters.

- Remember when the American dream was being able to say, "I made that.

I built that."?

Wouldn't it be great if your kids and grandkids chose a career that provides that kind of pride, with good pay, but without a ton of student loan debt?

A four-year degree isn't the only path to success.

We need talented people to make and build on main streets everywhere.

Skilled work isn't a thing of the past; it's a bright future.

[exciting music] - I'm on my way Oh, it's time to hit the road I'm on my way This is the freedom I live for [pleasant music] - In southeastern Wisconsin, there's a village... With something for everyone.

It's everywhere you look.

On every street, behind any door you open, and we want to share it with you.

You just gotta see Greendale.

- Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Plum Media and the Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

Thanks, friends!

- Emmy, I have a question.

Is this groundhog to scale?

Scary.