By its centennial in 1953, Williamsville was known as one of the busiest and most prosperous towns of its size in Illinois, serving a rich agricultural region with railroad and Route 66 connections and sustaining a self-sufficient small-town farm economy. Its especially wide Main Street originated in 1853 when Abraham V. Flagg and William Harpole each gave strips of land in the platted Town of Benton, and the boulevard later became the setting for major community celebrations, including a pagoda for the Williamsville Cornet Band, a new bandstand, the Roll of Honor Arch dedicated to local men who served in World War I, the first community Christmas tree, public movies in the park, and the village's three-day centennial celebration in 1953. Williamsville's business life included the Williamsville Bank of J.F. Prather and Co., opened in 1890 and later chartered as Williamsville State Bank in 1920, whose leadership was credited with helping save many area farms during the Stock Market Crash and Great Depression; Laffey's Café and later Laffey's Market; long-serving physicians including Dr. William Conrey, Dr. Stuttle, Dr. Shearl, and veterinarian Dr. C.C. Hastings; and Patterson Bros. Oil Co., whose owner Wyatt Patterson also helped bring water and sewer service to the village. Agriculture remained central to the community, with a grain business dating to Wesley Council's work from 1857 and a grain elevator built in 1877, later rebuilt after a 1900 fire and becoming the Farmer's Cooperative Grain Company in 1921, alongside W.W. Hill Grain and Feed Co., established in 1923. Around 1900, local farmers joined in threshing runs, using machinery to harvest wheat while women and girls prepared large threshing dinners, and the wider farm economy was supported by elevators, feed plants, a lumber yard, implement store, welder, blacksmith, local labor, stockyards, and the local trade in milk, cream, eggs, chicken, beef, produce, and cold-storage services.