Looking Back: 1-14-26

130 Years Ago

January 11, 1896

At the annual congregational meeting of the Presbyterian Church Monday evening the following officers were elected: Trustees, A. B. Claudon, L. W. Ring; ushers, Ken Shankland, Lyman Sheaff, A. B. Wharton and Henry Remington. The matter of holding church services was discussed, but nothing definite was decided.

G. B. Gordon is building a new house on West Walnut Street.

Conrad Munz has his dam across Indian Creek in shape again. It was taken out by the flood a couple of weeks ago.

The smokestack for the large boiler at the electric light plant arrived and was placed in position this week and the boiler is almost ready to be fired up.

120 Years Ago

January 12, 1906

Fairbury is one of the best towns of its size in the state. There are many advantages in favor of Fairbury: First, it is desirable as a location for people who are identified with churches. There are eight church organizations here, all of them practically free from debt and having good sized memberships. Second, the finest public library in the county, well stocked with the best of literature, well kept and free to everybody. Third, a public school system second to none in the county. Fourth, the finest opera house in the county, attracting entertainments far above the average. Fifth, an inexhaustible supply of the finest artesian water in the state and as good a water works system as can be found anywhere. Sixth, fourteen miles of cement sidewalks all paid for. Seventh, plenty of good coal, supplied direct from our mines and at less prices than coal can be purchased anywhere else. Eighth, A well-governed city with fine residences, broad shady streets, beautiful parks, healthful climate, excellent people, and many other advantages too numerous to mention.

Wm. Alt will open the Fairbury Steam Laundry Monday. New machinery has been added to the plant and the machinery which was in use at the time of the fire has been rebuilt. The facilities of the Fairbury Laundry are now better than ever before in its history for turning out first-class work and that is undoubtedly just what Mr. Alt will furnish his customers every week.

110 Years Ago

January 14, 1916

Carl Goudy arrived in Fairbury Monday morning from San Diego, Cal., where he laid the remains of his brother to rest last Thursday. He has so arranged his business affairs at San Diego that he will not have to return there until such time as he desires, and will stay with his parents here for the present. Carl was at his place of business in San Diego, Cal., when he received the message that his brother had been injured at Bakersfield. Carl had to go to Los Angeles to get a train to Bakersfield. He got on a motorcycle and rode the distance of 131 miles to that city. He did not reach Bakersfield until the next morning and found his brother had passed away the evening previous.

The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Ward underwent an operation Monday at the hands of a local surgeon for the removal of a tumor from the spinal cord. The baby was only five days old at the time of the operation, which was a very difficult piece of surgery. The baby is getting along nicely.

There was quite a change in the temperature of the weather between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning and the coal men and ice men are around shaking hands with each other, while the other natives are sitting around the house trying to thaw out. Wednesday morning it was raining and the thermometer stood about 34 degrees. Thursday morning everything was froze up and it was 16 degrees below zero, a difference of 50 degrees in 24 hours.

100 Years Ago

January 15, 1926

Every day last week with the exception of Sunday, John Meis, residing northwest of this city and one of the well known farmers of the state, especially in the treatment of the soil, gave a talk from station WLS. Mr. Meis has given talks all over the country, but it is doubtful if he ever had as large an audience as he did on those days. The first five days he had as his subjects, "Soils," "Phosphorus," "Limestone," "Lagumes," and "Crop Rotation and Livestock." The last day, Saturday, he gave a general resume of his talks the five days preceding.

According to word received here, E. M. Stuckey, formerly a druggist here, but now conducting a drug store in Chicago, has had his hands in the air most of the time during the past year. During that time  he has been held up and robbed twelve times, two of these robberies occurring last week. Twelve such happenings in a year is about enough in eleven months and will probably be the last, too, for it is said they will be in waiting for the next band to appear.

The Fairbury Shipping Association has done a good business during the past year, as the report of their secretary-treasurer, C. W. Veatch, shows. During the years they have shipped 40 cars of livestock (2,634 head), weighing 824,008 pounds, and totaling the sum of $79,037.16. These shipments included 1,969 head of hogs, 281 head of cattle, 260 head of calves and 124 head of sheep.

90 Years Ago

January 10, 1936

The Klopfenstein Motor Co., of which Harry Klopfenstein is owner, is occupying its new quarters in the garage located on Oak (Route 24) and Second Streets. The building, which is of hollow tile construction, is one story with gable roof, with the main entrance on Oak Street, where three large drive-in doors give easy access to the building. There is another drive-in door on the west. The building is a credit to both the city and its owner. The J. N. Bach Lumber Company were the contractors and builders; Hibsch Brothers did the masonry and cement work; the plumbing and heating was installed by Nussbaum Brothers, and Phillips "66" gas, for which Van T. Wharton is agent, will be dispensed by the new station.

Conrad Munz had a force of men, numbering around 40, busy the first of the week putting up the ice from the Munz gravel pit. They started in Sunday morning at six o'clock, worked all day and night, finishing up the job Monday morning at six. About twelve hundred tons of ice was put up, filling three of the four ice houses. It was as clear as a crystal and from nine to ten inches thick.

Mrs. D. S. Voorhees received a rather badly sprained ankle yesterday afternoon. She went to the garage to get the car and in opening the door it fell from its rollers and caught her foot.

80 Years Ago

January 11, 1946

John Wade, recently returned from army service, is back at the Farmers National Bank as assistant cashier, the position he had in pre-war days. Mr. and Mrs. Wade are to occupy the Klopfenstein residence property on South Fifth Street, which had been the home of the late Mrs. Margaret Huntoon for many years. Mr. Klopfenstein has remodeled the house.

Sam Hirstein, who some time ago purchased the building at Locust and Fourth Streets of G. L. Mowry, is remodeling the second floor and when it is completed it will have two complete apartments. The apartments will have four rooms each and will be modern.

Robert Glinnen, of northeast of Fairbury, was in town yesterday looking a little the worse for an experience he had Wednesday of last week with a calf. If you remember last Wednesday was one of those slippery days. He was leading the calf to water when the animal gave a sudden lurch on the rope and down went both Robert and the calf on the icy ground. The calf got up, just as frisky as ever, but not so with Mr. Glinnen. He suffered a black eye, one wrist was sprained and one shoulder was badly bruised. Outside of that he was all right.

70 Years Ago

January 12, 1956

Six Fairbury men were injured early yesterday morning when a car in which they were riding skidded on icy pavement a mile and a half south of Forrest on Route 47, went into a ditch and through a fence into a field. Still in Fairbury Hospital at noon yesterday was Gene Spence, 24, driver of the car. He was suffering from a blow on the head and lacerations. Others in the car were Donald Rabe, 23; Wilbur Hoffman, 22; Ernie Hoffman, 24; Donald Doran, 25; and Jack Sparks, 22. Rabe and Sparks were treated at the hospital for head injuries, and released within a few hours. The others were given first aid for cuts and bruises and were released.

The Eskimos took their 22^nd win in a row from the Tartars here Friday night. The score was 52-43. It was the worst game of the season for the Green and Gold, and although the Forrest fans, who almost filled the upper balcony on the west side  of the gym went home happy, they were no doubt hoping it was Forrest's poorest game also. Neither team team played good ball, but the Red and Black were the better team, and that's all that counts on any given night.

Mr. and Mrs. Debold Householder will hold open house at the Methodist Church January 15, from 2 to 5 p.m. The former Lottie Freeman and Debold Householder were married January 18, 1906 at the country home of the bride's parents southwest of Fairbury. They are the parents of three daughters, Mrs. Irene Hodgson, Forrest; Mrs. Harvey Day, Fairbury; Mrs. Donald Woodall, Chicago; and one son, Raymond, Fairbury. They have six grandchildren.

60 Years Ago

January 13, 1966

Richard G. Wagner, a February, 1965 graduate from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, has been signed as the new vocational ag teacher at Fairbury-Cropsey High School. He succeeds Harry White, who resigned last week for personal reasons after 4½ successful years here. Wagner, who just returned from a year in Japan and Korea as an International Farm Youth Exchange student, will start here January 31. Until then, Bill Fugate is directing the ag classes.

A 1,040 pound national celebrity will be visiting Chatsworth January 28. His name is "Someday," and he was recently crowned Grand Champion Steer of 1965 at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago. According to William Zorn, Executive Vice President of Citizens Bank who is sponsoring the display of "Someday," this magnificently conformed steer sold for $10,040 or approximately $10.00 per pound on the hoof. The high bidder was Central National Bank in Chicago who displayed the prize-winning animal in its lobby for several days following the exposition.

Loss was kept to a minimum at the grain elevator of The Livingston of Chatsworth, early Wednesday morning when fire was discovered there about 7 a.m. A bearing on the dryer inside the elevator got hot causing the dust, which accumulates in an elevator, to catch on fire. The dust ignited the wooden shaft which was burning when discovered. Ed Stoller discovered the fire and called the fire department, which responded and doused the fire before it could travel up the air shaft and cause a major loss.

50 Years Ago

January 15, 1976

Honeggers and Co., Inc. will spend at least $200,000 for construction or modernization of its Fairbury facilities during 1976. The commitment is part of a $1.1 million loan agreement with the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, approved by Honegger stockholders on Dec. 31. Honegger officials are still uncertain as to how the $200,000 will be spent in the upcoming 12 months. "We haven't got firm approval of any plans at this time," Richard Funk, executive vice president and treasurer of the company, said Tuesday. The work to be undertaken this year follows on the heels of modernization accomplished in 1975, Funk said.

The new Treetop Child Development Center in Fairbury, under the direction of Mr. Roger (Kathy) Sutter of Pontiac, was opened primarily to accommodate working mothers. Also to provide a day care center for mothers who sometimes have obligations outside the home and need a place to leave their children for a few hours of a day. Mrs. Sutter graduated from Western Illinois University, with a degree in special education, elementary. Doris Bachtold of Forrest assists her full time at the Center.

Two Fairbury firms last week were awarded contracts for parts of a $803,000 elementary school expansion at El Paso. Stoller and Maurer Construction Company of Fairbury was awarded the contract for the general construction on their low bid of $521,100 for the Jefferson School expansion which will house 375 pupils in grades K-4. Getting the plumbing contract with a bid of $49,461 was Weber Plumbing and Heating of Fairbury. Ivan Stoller said Tuesday in Fairbury his firm hoped to break ground "around Feb. 1." The project is scheduled for completion next October.

40 Years Ago

January 9, 1986

When 1985 produced probably the best crops in history for farmers raising corn and soybeans in the east-central Illinois area surrounding Fairbury, there was little doubt that a considerable amount of the credit goes to the weather. You didn't have to be a farmer, just a grass-cutter, to know that.

Official records at Fairbury Water Works show a total of 44.09 inches of rain during the year, paced by a record 8.20 inches in November, the highest figure ever recorded for that month in this area. Wettest day of the year was March 28, when 4.88 inches were recorded at the Fairbury waterworks.

Fairbury Hospital welcomed the first baby of 1986 at 8:13 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, with the birth of Ryan James Stork, the son of Gary and Jamie Stork of rural Forrest. Ryan has one brother, Kyle, aged 4. The lucky baby and his parents will receive prizes from many local businesses who have traditionally welcomed the new year's baby in this way.

Maxine Stoller has been named manager of the Fairbury office of Adventure Tours and Travel, Inc., travel consultants. Mrs. Stoller has been employed by the agency for the past two years. She resides in Fairbury with her husband, Ivan, a partner in Stoller-Maurer Construction Co. The Stollers have two daughters and two sons. Maxine is the daughter of the Clarence Martins of rural Strawn, and a graduate of Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School. She became a registered beautician and operated her own shop in Chatsworth before and a short while after her marriage.

30 Years Ago

January 10, 1996

The Fairbury City Council approved street work at about $18,000 for a jog in Third Street to accommodate expansion by "our anchor in town," Dave's Supermarket. The approval came after discussion at the council's regular meeting Wednesday, Jan. 3. Plans will be coordinated with other downtown redevelopment groups.

Jeffrey D. Enderli, 21, son of David and Renee Enderli, rural Pontiac, has joined the Fairbury Police Department. His duties began on October 5, 1995, said Fairbury Police Chief Sam Hedrick. Enderli fills a spot on the six-man police force left vacant by the resignation of Officer Mike Frickey who left the department in the summer to pursue other career goals. A 1993 graduate of Pontiac High School, Enderli also attended Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby for an Applied Science degree in criminal justice. He is also an active volunteer emergency medical technician with the Southeast Livingston County Ambulance Service.

Dave and Sue Diggle of Peoria have recently announced the sale of their funeral homes in Forrest and Chatsworth to Scott Hager. He has worked at the funeral homes for the past three years and completed the purchase Jan. 4, 1996. The funeral home will be referred to in the future as Hager Memorial Homes. Scott was born and reared in Dwight, and is a fifth generation funeral director in the family. His great-great-grandfather began the Baker Funeral Home and Furniture Store in 1854, which remained in Dwight for 135 years.

20 Years Ago

January 11, 2006

Fairbury Community Fund was able to collect $35,423.70, just $76.30 short of the goal of $35,500 for the 2005 campaign, but $78 in interest earned on the account as money was being collected, will put the fund over the top. "We are so happy we were able to reach our goal," stated Terri Wells, president of the community fund drive. The board of directors, Terri Wells, president; Carrie Rafferty, secretary; Brenda DeFries, treasurer; Teresa Bachtold, assistant treasurer; Bob Wharton, Ione Broquard and Connie Rich headed this year's campaign.

Robin Poor Etter, daughter of Ernie and Peggy Morris Poor of Burke, Va., niece of Duane "Buck" Morris of Fairbury and the granddaughter of the late Ella Morris of Fairbury, has written "Suwannee Notes, A Musician's Journey," published by Publish America. Etter's mother, the former Peggy Morris, was raised in Fairbury, graduating from Fairbury Township High School in 1941, and is one of her home town's biggest boosters! Etter is a professional musician whose credits include several years with the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Orlando, and various European symphonies. She has written a charming account about life on the Suwannee (Swanee) River.

Some ladies in the Fairbury-Cropsey area should be wearing a smile. The community sewers made and gave away 175 quilts and comforters and 20 pillows during 2005. Charitable organizations in McLean and Livingston were the recipients. The group is composed of ladies who enjoy sewing. They meet the third Thursday of each month at the First Baptist Church.

10 Years Ago

January 13, 2016

The Fairbury Community Platelet Drives had a fantastic year according to Kristy Whitman, Apheresis Recruiter for Peoria Red Cross Services. “You did it! You hit the goal we set for 2015, which was 550 products. Not only that, the efficiency at your drives is phenomenal,” Whitman said. In 2014 the Fairbury drives collected 524 units of platelets. In 2015 that number grew to 556, surpassing the goal of 550.

Some Fairbury residents are raising a stink over sewage issues and for good reason. Wayne Kurth, who lives in Timber Ridge, appeared before members of the Fairbury City Council Wednesday night urging city officials to take a look at what is happening with the closed system in his neighborhood. During recent heavy rains, Kurth's home had water enter from the floor drain, which happens to be under the furnace. “There's storm water bing introduced to our closed system and it has to be stopped,” he said. Water from sump pumps or down spouts should not be draining into the closed system, but Kurth and others believe some homes aren't abiding by the rules. Mayor Lynn Dameron said the city will start knocking on doors and checking the sump pumps to see what is going on.

Members of the Prairie Central FFA Chapter were one of 43 teams participating in the National FFA Meats Evaluation and Technology Career Development Event (CDE). The team, led by advisor Kyle Miller was awarded a Gold emblem. Members also competed for individual awards with 161 other participants. Harmony Slagel, Tyson Stork, Tyler Edelman and Taylor Tull each received a Gold emblem.

(Looking Back is sponsored each week by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home)