Groundhog Day 2019-- Part 5: The Groundhog Day House

I also found a 1900 newspaper with a story about Uriah Cottle who was the second permanent settler in McHenry County who was born in present-day West Virginia in 1800, moved to LaPorte County, Indiana, and came from there to McHenry County in 1834.  I will write about him in my Cooter's History Thing blog next week.

Also, in another book, I found a picture of Fred Hatch from Spring Grove in McHenry County who is given credit as having invented the first silo to be used in agriculture back in the 1880s.  The present owner of Fred's farm is a good friend of mine.

But, the most interesting thing I found was from the July 14, 1900, Woodstock newspaper about a new house which had been built in town in an article titles "An Ideal Residence:  The House of Attorney C.P. Barnes In This City."  A line drawing of the home accompanied it and this is the place that served as the B&B that Bill Murray stayed in for the movie "Groundhog Day."   I had to think this was very appropriate.  This home is now open as a real B&B and that sure would be a fun place to spend the night.

The interior scenes of the movie were filmed on a sound stage in nearby Crystal Lake,  but exterior and Bill looking out the window down the street were from the house.

I will write about the house next week in this blog.

An Interesting Trip To the Library.  --RoadDog