Hales Corners grew into a village after the Civil War as new homes and businesses were established along the Janesville Plank Road, the village’s most important road. Adam Conrad erected his Opera House at this approximate location in 1908, and it was used for dances, movies, and parties, but never for operas. Across the street stood a number of businesses, including a smithy, hardware store, grocery store, meat market, saloon, ice cream parlor, and cobbler shop, with living quarters often upstairs or in the back.