Several ghost towns once existed in the Fairbury area. The histories of Avoca, Champlin, Lodemia, Potosi Corner, and Rosealthe are fairly well understood. Cassville, however, remains a mystery. The first mention of the existence of a Cassville, Illinois, is the April 29, 1915, obituary of Civil War veteran George Washington Sutton. This obituary states that he spent his childhood in Cassville, Illinois, from 1846 to 1861. Further genealogical research indicates that whoev

The Fairbury police chief told members of the Fairbury City Council Wednesday evening that the recent Prairie Dirt Classic race weekend went well. Chief Chris Edwards reported no law enforcement-related issues with out-of-town visitors. “Overall, it went smooth for us,” Edwards said. Alderman Jim Tipton asked if it was possible to allow golf carts to travel out to Kilgus Farmstead during PDC week on First Street. The road changes to county control around the grain bin area, a

For 150 years, the Fairbury Fair has been one of the most important annual events in the Fairbury community. While the fair is often remembered for its livestock exhibits, horse racing, and entertainment acts, it also served another important purpose. For generations of residents, the fairgrounds became a place where people gathered to see friends, visit neighbors, and reconnect with members of the community they might not have seen for an entire year. The first Fairbury Fai

Organizing a small-town fair has never been easy. For 150 years, the Fairbury Fair has required careful planning and hard work by generations of volunteers. Over that long period, fair managers have faced many challenges, including bad weather, financial difficulties, performers who failed to appear, and even several years when the fair could not be held at all. The first Fairbury Fair was held in 1876. Like many agricultural fairs of that era, its primary purpose was to prom

130 Years Ago July 18, 1896 David Henry, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Henry, had his arm badly broken Thursday morning while scuffling with another boy. E. A. Agard is attending the national convention of the American Glass Blowers at Streator. Mr. Agard is a member of the executive committee of that body and prominent in the councils of the leaders. D. K. Unsicker has traded the Seeders property, corner of Elm and Second Streets, and 17½ acres southwest of town, for an elevato

Fairbury News file photo showing a previous Prairie Dirt Classic check presentation. One of the elite racing events in the country is here. It is Prairie Dirt Classic weekend at Fairbury Speedway with thousands of visitors in town through Sunday. “People continue to talk about what Fairbury has,” said Matt Curl, owner and promoter of Fairbury Speedway. Curl and his crew are anticipating around 7,500 people on Saturday night for the premier event. The track sees more some year

Dr. Dan Brewer practiced medicine in Fairbury for more than half a century. When he began his medical practice in 1876, the science of medicine was still developing. By the time he died in 1933, medical knowledge had advanced dramatically. During those fifty-seven years, Dr. Brewer witnessed some of the most important changes in medical history. Dr. Brewer was born in 1843 in Warren, Ohio. During his youth, medicine was still a profession where doctors relied heavily on pers

The recent increase in the number of e-bikes in Fairbury generated quite a bit of discussion during Wednesday’s Fairbury City Council meeting. Alderman Bruce Weber reported that he had several citizens contact him expressing their concern about the safety of e-bikes on public streets and walking trails. City Attorney Matt Schrock will investigate recent changes to the law regarding e-bikes and report his findings to the City Council. Superintendent Brett Ashburn reported t

During the late 1960s, a small but ambitious college operated just a few miles from Fairbury in Pontiac, Illinois. Known as Winston Churchill College, the school existed for only about five years, but during that brief time, many Livingston County students—including some from Fairbury—attended classes there. Today, the college is almost forgotten, but its story reveals an interesting chapter in local history and demonstrates how quickly the educational landscape in Illinois

130 Years Ago July 4, 1896 Jacob Von Tobel is taking a three weeks' vacation from the lumber business and is visiting old acquaintances in Iowa. The lumber yard is being ably looked after by his son, Edward. The graduating class had a picnic at the Avoca Church last Friday and enjoyed themselves immensely. The Churchills are building an elegant residence on their lots at the corner of Second and Maple Streets. The marriage of Isaac N. Gardner and Miss Pearl E. Tappin occurred

As settlers moved west from the East Coast into Indiana and Illinois, they soon discovered that farming the vast Midwestern prairies required techniques different from those used in the East. To help educate these pioneer farmers and share practical information, Prairie Farmer magazine was founded in 1841. The magazine is still published today and remains a respected source of agricultural information for Illinois farmers. In 1925, one of the magazine's editors, Clifford Gr

A bid correction was approved by members of the Prairie Central Board of Education during a special July 2 meeting. According to information from Superintendent Brian Quam, the board needed to make a correction to the bids accepted on June 18 and award the HVAC controls to Alpha Controls for the new school, Junior High and Upper Elementary. With the correction, it was recommended by Quam to approve the base bids and seven alternate bids for the new school. The board also corr

Superintendent Brett Ashburn reported to the Fairbury City Council last week that bids are being sent out to resurface Locust Street. Locust Street will be resurfaced from First to Fifth Street later this summer. Brett also said some new umbrellas and chairs have been purchased for the swimming pool. Superintendent Ashburn also revealed that the two new basketball courts have now been completed and are in use. A dedication ceremony will be scheduled in the near future.

130 Years Ago June 27, 1896 Work was commenced this week on the Masonic Hall property preparatory to remodeling the interior. Messrs. Carrithers, Gregg and Conerus have charge of the work. A cement walk is to be laid on the north side of Maple Street between First and Third Streets. I will be in my ice house all day the Fourth to serve the people with ice. —C. L. Mowery Married at the residence of the bride's mother in Fairbury, Wednesday afternoon, Miss Goldie Spence to Mose

Many people have wondered why the Fairbury Blade finally disappeared after serving this area for roughly a century and a half. For generations, the Blade had been one of the most familiar institutions in town. It carried the local news, school activities, sports, weddings, obituaries, advertisements, and the ordinary weekly happenings that told the story of community life. When it vanished in December 2022, many local people felt as if Fairbury had lost an old friend. Earli

The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has named Susan Cavazos, Food Service Director for Prairie Central CUSD #8 in IL, the recipient of the Food Warming Equipment (FWE) Grant, worth up to $25,000 in specialty school foodservice equipment. The grant is among 2026 SNF Equipment Grants available to help school meal programs overcome staffing, budget or operational challenges. The additional funding supports programs working to expand fresh and scratch-made menu options, increas

Carolyn Jackson, Past Grand of Lodge 41 in Seneca and member of the Scholarship Committee for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, presented scholarships to Julianne Woodrey of Chenoa and Karmyn Steidinger of Fairbury, at Livingston Lodge 290 in Fairbury. Julianne will be attending Millikin University, and Karmyn is entering her junior year at Illinois State. Also pictured is Dawn Hurt, Noble Grand of Livingston Lodge and District Deputy Grand Master. Livingston Lodge 290

130 Years Ago June 20, 1896 The new pump at the city well is in position and working smoothly. The supply of water seems ample. Last Wednesday evening, Charlie Fitzgerald, on returning home, found 60 of his friends and relatives assembled at his residence for the purpose of helping him celebrate his birthday. Forrest has become a great baseball center. The nine there is in the habit of wiping up the scenery with any other aggregation that is rash enough to tackle them. They h

Several months ago, I wrote a story describing how pioneer farmers in the Fairbury area harvested corn in the 1840s and stored it in small wooden corn cribs. That article explained how every ear of corn had to be picked by hand, hauled by wagon, and then shoveled into the crib to dry. Farming in those early years was extremely labor-intensive, and even a modest harvest required many long days of work. Since publishing that story, I have learned that the earliest settlers som

130 Years Ago June 13, 1896 Work has begun on the foundation of the new Walton Bros. Palace of Trade building. The firm has not let the contract to anyone for the building, but will be their own contractors. Dr. Brewer has a young apple tree in his yard that is a phenomenon. It has apples on it about the size of hickory nuts and last week burst into bloom again. The installation of Rev. Charles S. Davies as pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Fairbury took place last Friday