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Now and Then: Historic Photos of the Library Block and the Surrounding Neighborhood
Enjoy these current and historic photos of the library block and the surrounding neighborhood. Stop by the Don and Betty Jabas Appleton Collection to view the photos which will be on display for a limited time. Want to see more historic Appleton photos? Check out Fox Valley Memory.
Also, make sure you join our Local History Librarian for our upcoming Now and Then: APL Neighborhood Historic Walking Tours. Each tour will feature a short, guided stroll around the library block and surrounding neighborhood as we explore what once stood here. Along the way, we’ll highlight former businesses and view historic photographs that bring the past to life.
Tours begin in the Ramona Litscher Van Asten Commons on the ground level. During the walk, we’ll cover approximately a half mile over smooth surfaces at a relaxed pace, with several stops throughout.
Several tour dates and times will be available. You can view the full schedule on our online calendar.
Appleton Now & Then
A 2025 view of Appleton Public Library after its renovation. Photo by Graham Washatka of Graham Images.
Appleton Public Library when it opened at 225 N. Oneida Street in the summer of 1981.
A 2025 view of the north side of the library block, looking west with Oneida Street in the foreground and Franklin Street on the right.
Lincoln School, pictured here in 1907, stood on the north side of what became the library block. The school opened in 1897 and operated here until 1938, when the City of Appleton acquired it. After extensive renovations, the building opened as Appleton’s City Hall in August 1939. City Hall operated from this building until 1979 when it was demolished to make room for the Appleton Public Library.
Hercules School, pictured here around 1890, was one of the first buildings to occupy what would later become the library block. Also known as the Second Ward School, it stood in the northwest corner at the intersection of Franklin (then Fisk Street) and Appleton Street. The school was built in 1856, with a second story being completed in 1859. In the winter of 1859-60, Hercules School was the site of the first public high school classes held in Appleton, although there was not sufficient continuity at that time to create a graduating class and by 1881, Ryan High School (Appleton’s first high school) was opened. In 1873, after elementary enrollments continued to increase, the school added several wings to the building in 1873.
A 2025 view of Franklin and Oneida streets, looking northwest. In the photo you can see the current Emmaus Road Church (formerly Mount Olive Lutheran Church, which was built in 1919) and an apartment complex.
A 2021 view of Franklin and Oneida streets, looking northwest. You can see when the former Mount Olive Lutheran Church was OuterEdge and the lot to the north was vacant.
A 2025 view of the Yellow Ramp on Franklin Street, looking east. Further down the street you can see St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, which has called the corner of Franklin and Morrison Street home since 1868 – though the current church building only dates back to 1907.
This 1995 photo shows the East Ramp on Franklin Street, looking east. The East Ramp was built in 1963 and torn down in 1995 to make way for the current Yellow Ramp. Further down the street you can see St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
This 2025 photo shows the library block, looking to the west. To the left of the photo is Washington Street, with the AT&T building in the background and the Green Ramp behind it. Across the street are the Crescent Loft Apartments in the former Post-Crescent building.
This 1996 photo shows the library block, looking west. Within the library lot is the City Hall building being demolished to make room for additional parking spots in the library lot. Appleton’s City Hall operated from this building from 1979 (when their former building was demolished to make way for the Appleton Public Library) until 1996. Previously, the building was occupied by Wisconsin Michigan Power Co. To the left of the photo is Washington Street, where in the background you can see the AT&T building, Green Ramp, and Post-Crescent building and the Waterford Builders building and part of the Blue Ramp in the foreground.
As you can see from this 1976 photo, what would become the library lot housed many other businesses throughout the years. The photo shows Oneida Street, looking west, where you can see two cab companies, a chiropractor and podiatrist office. To the left (Washington Street) you can see the Waterford Builders building and Blue Ramp. Behind the ramp is the H.C. Prange Co. store and in the background you can see the 222 Building and telephone company building.
This 2025 view shows the library lot from the northwest corner of Oneida and Washington streets.
Appleton’s Fire Station 1 – shown here in 1916 – was located at the northwest corner of Oneida and Washington Streets from 1907 until 1964 in what is now the library’s parking lot. In the background to the right you can see the red brick chimneys of Lincoln School, which was on the northern half of what became the library block.
The D. Hammel and Co. Stable – shown here in 1892 from the book Appleton Illustrated – was located on the northwest corner of Oneida and Washington streets. The company was a well-known dealer in horses and cattle and was known for having a specialty of heavy draft horses which they would ship hundreds of annually throughout the north and west.
This 2025 photo shows the Valley Transit Center on North Oneida Street from the library block, looking east. The Transit Center has been at this location since 1989.
Menn Law Firm was located at 222 N. Oneida Street from 1967 until 2007. The building was razed in 2018 and is now green space next to the Valley Transit Center.
The Appleton Theatre – shown here around 1920 – was located on Oneida Street, where the Valley Transit Center is currently located. Appleton Theatre – also called “Opera House” – dates back to 1901 and was specifically designed for stage shows. It closed in March 1972 and shortly thereafter razed to make way for a parking lot for the Appleton office of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Wisconsin.
This is a current view of the corner of Oneida and Washington streets, looking northeast. In the photo you can see the Valley Transit Center and Yellow Ramp.
The Appleton Area Chamber of Commerce – shown here around 1966 – was once located at the northeast corner of Oneida and Washington streets. In 1974 the Chamber moved to offices on South Walnut and First Federal Savings and Loan took over this building along with other offices. In 1976, The Appleton and Neenah/Menasha Chambers consolidated to become the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. This photo was taken from Oneida Street, looking south towards Washington. You can see the Conway Hotel in the background.
The Appleton Post Office – shown here about 1911 – was at one time located on the northeast corner of Oneida and Washington streets. It remained here until 1932 when it moved to the corner of Superior and Washington streets.
A current view of Washington Street, looking east, showing the Yellow Ramp on the north side of the street and Urbane115 apartments on the south side of the street.
Photo courtesy of History Museum at the Castle
The Briggs House and Wright’s Livery – shown here around 1915 – were located on the north side of Washington Street, where the Yellow Ramp currently is. The Briggs House was a popular hotel among farmers coming to the city. It was opened on this corner in 1873 and an addition was added in 1881. Ownership changed numerous times until the hotel closed in 1946. In 1949, the city purchased the building and razed it to make room for parking. Wright’s Livery was started by brothers Frank and George Wright in the late 1880s and closed around 1922. The building was later used as the home of one of Appleton’s first auto paint shops and had the distinction of having one of the first power elevators ever operated in Appleton. It was razed in 1946.
Photo courtesy of History Museum at the Castle
This circa 1907 photo shows an unidentified fireman and horse standing in front of Fire Station 1 when it was on the northwest corner of Oneida and Washington streets (left side). In the background you can see the Briggs House on the north side of the street and the Sherman House and the original Fire Station 1 on the south side of the street. The fire department was at the original Fire Station 1 from the late 1800s until 1907 when they moved across the street to the northwest corner, where they remained until 1964.
In this 2025 photo, you can see Oneida Street, looking south, showing Fox Commons.
As you can see from this 1984 photo of Oneida Street, looking south, at this point it was a thru street. Oneida Street was a thru street until 1985 when the Avenue Mall (later City Center Plaza and now Fox Commons) was built. In this photo you can see the First Federal Savings building on the left. On the right is the Blue Ramp and further south the Zuelke building.
In this circa 1908 photo, you can see Oneida Street, looking south, with the Appleton Theatre on the left at the corner of Oneida and Washington (which at the time was called Edwards Street). Further south is the Sherman House. On the right side you can see Fire Station 1 and across the street is the original Fire Station 1 on the southwest corner.
In this 2025 photo, you can see Oneida Street looking north from College Avenue. Oneida Street is no longer a thru street. Fox Commons replaced City Center Plaza, which had originally been built as the Avenue Mall in 1985. To the right is 100 E. College Avenue (home of Bowl 91), one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating back to 1856!
This 1984 photo shows Oneida Street looking north from College Avenue when it was still a thru street. On the left you can see the Campbell Store and Blue Ramp. Just past the Blue Ramp you can make out part of the east side of the library building! On the right of the photo is 100 E. College Avenue, which at the time was Burger King.
In this circa 1938 photo, this is the view at the time of Oneida Street looking north from College Avenue. On the left corner is the Wards store, followed by the Rio Theater. For many years, the 100 block of Oneida Street held a theater. First was the Bijou Theater, which opened in 1905 and was razed in 1929. A new theater – the Fox Theater – opened on November 16, 1929, and in 1933, it was renamed to the Rio Theater you see in the photo. The Rio closed in 1959 when the building was purchased by H.C. Prange. It was demolished in April 1963 to make way for a parking ramp. On the right side of the photo is Muir Drug Store at 100 E. College Avenue, which operated here until 1958. Behind Muir Drug is Grace’s Apparel, which later moved to 100 E. College Avenue in 1959.
This 2025 view shows the corner of Washington and Oneida Street from the library’s parking lot. You can see Urbane115 apartments and Fox Commons.
In this 2021 photo you can see greenspace where Urbane115 currently is located and City Center Plaza, which would later be remodeled into Fox Commons.
Photo courtesy of The Post-Crescent
This 1960 photo shows the Conway Motor Hotel at the southeast corner of Washington and Oneida Street. Around this time, the original 1886 hotel building that stood at this corner was demolished and a new six story hotel was built on the site. The Conway operated on this corner until 1976. The building was then converted to affordable housing before it became Washington Place Apartments in 2002. In 2013, the building was torn down.
The Conway Hotel is shown here around 1930. In 1960, the name was changed to Conway Motor Hotel.
This 1908 photo shows The Sherman House, which was built in 1886 and located at the southeast corner of Oneida and Washington streets. In 1922 the name was changed to the Conway Hotel.
Washington Street, looking west. On the left, you can see Fox Commons, Appleton City Hall and further west the AT&T building. On the right is Appleton Public Library’s parking lot.
This 2019 photo shows the demolition of the Blue Ramp. For many years, the ramp was located on the south side of Washington Street. In front of the ramp is the Waterford Builders building, which was also razed.
This current view of Washington Street looking north shows the library block.
This circa 1910 photo shows the J.C. Kunitz & Son Horse and Auto Livery, which was located on the north side of Washington Street where the library’s current parking lot is. To the right of the Livery was Fire Station 1 when it was on the northwest corner of Oneida and Washington.
A current view of the northeast corner of Washington and Appleton streets.
This 1996 photo shows the City Hall building – which was located at the Northeast corner of Washington and Appleton Streets – being demolished. Following their time in the former Lincoln School building that was on the north side of the library lot, City Hall moved to this office building in 1979 and operated here until 1996. Previous to City Hall occupying the building, it was used by the Wisconsin Michigan Power Co.
Appleton Street, looking south, in 2025. On the right you can see Apollon restaurant. In the background is the ATT building, the 222 Building, and the former Chase bank building and parking lot.
This circa 1970s photo shows what Appleton Street looked like, looking south. On the left you can see the H.C. Prange Co. store. On the right, you can see Karras restaurant and Bohl and Maeser Shoes. Further south you can see the First National Bank building and parking lot.
This circa 1901 photo shows Appleton Street looking south. On the left you can see the Northwestern House, which was built in 1877 and at one time had a stable large enough to hold 76 horses. A grocery store and bar were on the Appleton Street side of the hotel. Around 1887, it was renamed the Northern Hotel. In 1938, the hotel was leased by the owners of the Conway Hotel and used as an annex. In 1952 it became the Balliet Hotel, which operated until 1955 when the H.C. Prange Co. bought the property. The building was razed in 1961 to make room for the Wisconsin Michigan Power Co. consumer service center.
Further south down Appleton is the William Tesch hardware store, the Hackworthy Construction Company, a grocery store, and the B.C. Wolter & Bro store, which sold carriages, buggies, sleighs and agricultural implements.
On the right side is the Hauert Flour and Feed store, Hotel Ritger, a restaurant and several other businesses.
The Hauert Flour and Feed store was built in 1883 by Jacob Hauert. This building later housed Bohl and Maeser shoes from the mid 1950s until 1990 before it was home to several restaurants. The building was lost to fire in 2019.
Hotel Ritger opened in 1893 and had a total of 30 rooms in its original three stories. In 1913, Anton Ritger – the original owner – sold the hotel and its name changed to the Randolph Hotel, a name it used until 1920. From 1920-1960, it was called Hotel Appleton. The building was razed in 1961 to make way for the First National Bank drive thru and is now a parking lot.
Looking north of Appleton Street, you can see on the left the former Cornerstone Chapel building and on the right the Appleton Public Library. The Cornerstone Chapel building originally was built as the First Baptist Church of Appleton, which used the building from 1859 until 2001. Further north is a parking lot and Misfits Tavern.
Appleton Street looking north in 1979. On the right you can see the empty parking lot that would become the home of Appleton Public Library. On the left is the First Baptist Church building, which dates back to 1859, though the church had been remodeled and expanded throughout the years.
Photo courtesy of The Post-Crescent
This 1961 aerial photo from The Post-Crescent shows the library’s neighborhood. The spot marked “City Hall” is where Appleton Public Library currently is. In the library’s current parking lot are the buildings marked Fire Station 1 and Balliet Hotel.
This 1976 aerial photo shows the library’s neighborhood.