Looking Back: 12-3-25

130 Years Ago

November 30, 1895

Rev. J. W. Porter has been re-engaged as pastor of the Christian Church at a salary of $900. The church has flourished under Rev. Porter, the present church building having been erected and 60 new members added.

The awning in front of the Fairbury Steam Laundry gave way from the weight of snow, breaking considerable glass.

Frank Culver, of Kalamazoo, Mich., with his corps of eight salesmen, is canvassing this vicinity in the interest of the Cone Coupler Carriage Co., of that city. The outfit appears to be a very energetic one, each salesman taking a wagon and two buggies and going directly into the country to deal directly with the farmers. The Cone oupler displaces the fifth wheel and kingbolt.

A telephone is being put up between the north and south side school houses, thereby saving Prof. Richardson many steps.

120 Years Ago

December 1, 1905

About one o'clock p.m. Thanksgiving, the residence of Dr. O. C. Lewis on East Hickory street was discovered to be on fire. Dr. Lewis and family were dining with Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Beach, just across the street, when Dr. Lewis happened to look out of the window and saw smoke issuing from the roof of his house. He ran across to the house going into the basement first, thinking probably there is where the fire might be, but found everything all right. He then went up stairs and reaching the attic found it a mass of flames. By this time the firemen arrived and soon had four streams of water pouring on the blaze. The entire roof was burned off the house and it was literally flooded with water.

Hereafter it will be the Village of Weston (incorporated), as at the election last Saturday it was voted to incorporate under the general law. In all there were 63 votes cast, 45 for the proposition and 18 against it. From now on it is expected that Weston will "blossom like the rose" and it will undoubtedly become the leading village of northeastern McLean County. The embers of progress which have slumbered so long have burst into flame and bright light illuminates the sky, proclaiming to the natives for miles around that there will be something doing in Weston from now on.

Fred Baker was injured in the West End Coal Co. mine Monday by a fall of rock. He was loading a car with coal and when the rock fell, it knocked his head against the car, cutting quite a gash above his right eye. Dr. Lewis dressed the wound, taking five stitches in it, and he will soon be able to work.

110 Years Ago

December 3, 1915

Reuben Fuller, the Adams Express man, is minus the sum of $75, which escaped from his shoe one night last week when he was at the Fairbury Opera House practicing basketball. Mr. Fuller changed his street clothes for a basketball suit before he started to practice, and as the basketball suit had no pockets in it he put the $75 in his tennis shoe. When he got through practicing he put on his street clothes again, but forgot to take the money out of the tennis shoes, and got as far as the express office before thinking of it. He hurried back to the opera house but failed to find the money, either in the shoes or on the floor.

Leslie O. Stansbury, of Bloomington, and H. W. Hawthorne, of Chicago, have purchased the Chenoa Clipper.

Marjorie Love entertained a number of her little friends Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. in honor of her birthday. The little ladies spent an enjoyable afternoon with games, etc., and later partook of a luncheon.

Miss Mabel Blair returned Tuesday from Grinnell, Iowa, where she has been employed the past season as head trimmer in a millinery store.

100 Years Ago

December 4, 1925

Mr. Glenn Diffenderfer, of the Earl C. Darfler Producing Co., arrived in this city last Monday and rehearsals for "Char-Ming," the big Legion musical comedy to be given at the Central Theatre on Monday and Tuesday, December 14 and 15, are getting into full swing at the Legion rooms each evening. Those who are taking part in "Char-Ming" are already saying that the music and dancing numbers are the cleverest and the plot is the funniest of any home-talent show they have ever been in. The best Legion show in years, is the general talk.

A Knights Templar school of instruction for this district was held at Ottawa Wednesday and was attended by the following Sir Knights of Fairbury: Howard Alexander, Logan Kring, J. C. and Edward Kessler, Walter Kessler, Elmer Ramsey, J. W. Arthur and Bert Monroe; Jesse Rudd, of Forrest, also attended. There was a large number of Knights Templar present and a banquet was served by the Ottawa Commandery.

Not in years has there been a gathering held within the confines of the city of Fairbury in which there has been so much sadness and gloom dispensed as at the hearing of the case of the T. P. & W. Railroad, Tuesday morning, before Commissioner Ayres. There were present representatives of several towns along the railroad including a goodly number of Fairbury business men, and then there were the T. P. & W. Railroad officials and their attorney, Mr. Elliott. As the story unfolded it was easy to see that the T. P. & W. is only hanging on by a rusty rail as it were, and at any moment might be cut off without another puff.

90 Years Ago

November 29, 1935

Some time during the first of the year the Fairbury Fairgrounds will be sold, this being one of the steps necessary in liquidating the assets of the old Fairbury Bank. The outcome of this sale will determine whether Fairbury will have a fair in the future or not. If the grounds revert back to the bank there is no doubt about what will happen. The buildings will be sold and torn down, the trees cleared off and the ground in all probability given over to farming purposes. Should some group of individuals or some organization decide to take over the grounds they would in all probability do so with the idea in view of continuing the fair. For more than 55 years the Fairbury Fair has been a part of our city and community life and as such has been a real asset.

Two automobiles tried to occupy the intersection of Fifth and Chestnut Streets at the same time Wednesday morning about 8:30 o'clock with the inevitable result – they came together. One of the cars was driven by Charlotte Gruber, a local high school pupil, and the other one by Percy Walker, Mrs. Walker and child. Miss Gruber was going west and Mr. Walker and family were headed south. The only damage done to the Gruber car was the loss of a hub cap, and the front end of the Walker car was slightly damaged. Both drove away under their own power.

It was front page news in the Chicago Tribune this morning about the neighbors of a Weston farmer going into his fields and husking his corn crop for him after he was laid up with sickness. That this little item, an occurrence in rural communities so common that it is taken almost as a matter of course, should rate front page space in a metropolitan daily, merely goes to show the difference in the degree of neighborliness between city and country folks.

80 Years Ago

November 30, 1945

The T. P. & W. strike, which was called October 1, starts on its third month tomorrow, and it appears to be no closer to a settlement than it did two months ago. The only bright spot is on the rails between Fairbury and Forrest, where the Wabash freight trains use the T. P. & W. tracks in getting to Streator and back. The rails otherwise, from the state line on the east to to the state line on the west are rusty.

Sgt. Mays and Sgt. Pinto were in Fairbury yesterday and while here made arrangements to open an office for one day a week for anyone desiring to join the army. The office will be located in the city hall and the hours will be from nine in the morning until 12 o'clock noon.

Sam Honegger, of Forrest, one of the widely known Honegger brothers, who head the Honegger Feed Mills of this city and Forest, has been named by Governor Dwight Green to the advisory board of livestock commissioners. He was one of the eight so selected over the state. This board will assist the state agriculture department in campaigns for the prevention and elimination of animal diseases.

70 Years Ago

December 1, 1955

Lee Dohlemann was selected by the Fairbury Hospital board to serve as manager of the institution, replacing William Arends, who has resigned.

Members of the Fairbury Future Farmers will soon begin planting the 215 trees recently sold by members of the Junior Woman's Club. The sale of trees, including donations, yielded a profit of approximately $450 for the Fairbury Hospital oxygen tent.

Oscar Hannie, fire chief, went to Battle Creek, Mich., last Sunday, where he met Ed Klitzing and purchased some equipment for the fire truck. Klitzing had been deer hunting at Gaylord, Mich.

Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell Munz purchased an acre of land from Conrad Munz, Mrs. Lydia Nussbaum and Miss Anna Munz. The land includes the first green on the golf course running from Fourth Street to the alley east, and south to Indian Creek.

60 Years Ago

December 2, 1965

Jim Wharton, owner of Fairbury Appliance, Wednesday confirmed reports that he had purchased the Dave Beckley building at 202 East Locust. The building is presently occupied by Vince's Grill. Wharton said he could make no statement at the moment as to plans for moving his firm from present quarters in the Parmele building at 212 East Locust.

Karen Huette, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Huette of Fairbury, is singing with the Western Illinois University choir at Macomb, which will present its annual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m., in the university's fine arts theater. The school holiday begins on Dec. 22.

Two area farms topped the Chicago livestock market Friday in two different areas. Honegger Farms of Forrest had 29 head of crossbred barrows on the hog market and topped it at $27 per cwt. They averaged 214 pounds in weight. This continued the Honegger record of market topping in recent months, and they did it on the highest price ever paid in Chicago for swine during November. In the cattle trade, the Pratt brothers of Cropsey, Oren and Perry, were on the market with a load of 22 Aberdeen Angus and also got the top price for the day. Oddly enough, this was also $27. The cattle averaged 1,250 pounds.

50 Years Ago

December 4, 1975

The Fairbury-Cropsey and Forrest-Strawn-Wing Boards of Education have decided to take another look at consolidating the adjoining school districts. In the late 1960's, a referendum which would have merged the two school systems was defeated. The 14 members of the two school boards agreed unanimously Monday night at the close of an hour's joint discussion to take a second look at consolidation. Another joint board session will be held after the first of the year, when the school boards will review data being pulled together on the districts by superintendents Lester Miller and Harold Slater.

Santa Claus will be arriving in Fairbury about 1 p.m. Saturday, December 6, just in time to ride in the annual Christmas parade scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Following the parade, he will greet children at his special house in Central Park. This year's reigning royalty will be the first to visit with Santa. The 1975 Jack Frost is Jeff Abel, 7, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Abel of Fairbury. Amy Vaughan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Vaughan, Fairbury, will reign as Miss Merry Christmas.

A fierce wind, possibly of tornadic variety, roared across a farm occupied by the Leo Hubly family north of Fairbury in the early morning hours Sunday. Portions of the roof of the barn were ripped away with some of the debris causing damage to the Hubly house several yards away.

40 Years Ago

November 28, 1985

The eight children on the Miss Merry Christmas and Jack Frost courts will be 'riding high' in the Christmas parade at Fairbury on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Miss Merry Christmas court includes: Michelle Walters, 6, daughter of Jay and Sharon Walters; Kelli White, 5, daughter of Randy and Joy White; Jill Culkin, 5, daughter of Tom and Mary Lou Culkin; and Kelli Jo Tull, 6, daughter of Carl and Diana Tull. On the Jack Frost court are: Brian Jacobs, 5, son of Rev. Douglas and Denise Jacobs; Aaron Ricketts, 5, son of Steve and Sandy Ricketts; Lorey Rich, 6, son of Jim and Kay Rich; and Adam Randinelli, 5, son of Tom and Carol Randinelli.

A derailment of four power units (engines) of the Norfolk and Southern Railroad's six engines occurred Friday, Nov. 22 at 10:35 p.m. when the engines were picking up 60 cars filled with corn at the south switch in Strawn. Two engines were left on their sides and a set of wheels of one engine derailed but did not overturn. The grain had come from the Cropsey elevator and had been transported to Strawn on Thursday night by the Bloomer Railroad line. About 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled from the overturned engines.

Prairie Central Board of Education members will likely decide at their Dec. 2 meeting whether to add girls softball as a varsity sport at the high school beginning next spring. PCHS athletic director Dan Schmitt submitted a letter to the board last week requesting the additional girls sport. The board tabled action on the matter, asking Schmitt to come back with cost figures.

30 Years Ago

November 29, 1995

Cecelia Whately, 88, of Fairbury, has been chosen as 1995 Citizen of the Year by the Fairbury Jr. Woman's Club. The award has been given yearly for nine years to someone in the community who gives unselfishly of their time to volunteer in the community. Whately helps with Bingo and the Bloodmobile. She started doing volunteer work at Helen Lewis Smith Pavilion about eight years ago, painting the fingernails of the women residents.

William "Bill" Ford will celebrate his 100^th birthday Tuesday, Dec. 5. Bill currently resides at Helen Louis Smith Pavilion, Fairbury, but had been a Forrest resident since 1944. He was born in Minonk, and has a sister, Eunice Buck, 89, of Lacon. His wife, Bessie, died in 1992. Bill was stationed in France during World War I in 1917, as an engineer. He was a barber in Washburn for 16 years and opened a barber shop at Forrest in 1944, which was in the back of an old drug store for 20 years. He retired in 1962. In his earlier years, Bill played trumpet in a band and played for dances in the 1920s. "I got $1.25 an hour," he recalled.

Paul Coleman, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Steidinger of Fairbury, and Cal Coleman of Springfield, has recently been featured at Mitzi Shore's Comedy Store in Hollywood, CA. On Oct. 21, Paul produced and hosted an "ADD variety benefit show at the Comedy Store, to bring public awareness to this little known disorder. He wrote, produced and directed the show entitled, "AD-DEED." Since his initial appearance, he has been asked to perform numerous times in the Comedy Store line up.

20 Years Ago

November 30, 2005

The cannons have been returned to Central Park in Fairbury, just east of the Gazebo. They were installed last weekend by volunteers. The cannons are part of the memorial planned to display the names of deceased veterans from the Fairbury area.

The City of Chenoa has received a $300,000 federal grant for the Chenoa Route 66 Prairie Trail. The grant was among $2 million provided to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for Illinois Trails under a federal transportation bill for fiscal year 2006. "This funding guarantees that there will be a project," Chenoa City Commissioner Jayne Zeller said of the bike trail in Chenoa. The grant represents about 40 percent of the budget for the bicycle trail, proposed by Zeller and approved by the City Council in July.

Marv and Rita Wenger of Fairbury celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary on Nov. 29. Wenger and the former Rita Leman were married at the Apostolic Christian Fellowship Hall in Fairbury on Nov. 29, 1980. They are the parents of Ben (Leah) of Champaign, and Amanda of Normal. They are engaged in farming.

10 Years Ago

December 2, 2015

The annual Fairbury Christmas parade and celebration, sponsored by the Fairbury Area Chamber of Commerce, will be this Saturday, Dec. 5 in downtown Fairbury with lots of activities planned for the event. The parade kicks off at 10:30 a.m. and children can visit Santa in the Gazebo following the parade. The Fairbury Women's Club will sponsor “Kids Corner” where children can shop for gifts and have them wrapped while they wait. The annual “Cookie Jar” sale, sponsored by the Westview PTA, will be held. Horse and buggy rides will be available following the parade until 1 p.m. Dimond Brothers has donated $500 for first prize in the float division. Second place will receive $250 and third place will be $175.

This year's Miss Merry Christmas is Kinlee Steffen, daughter of Tricia Steffen and Joey Beck. Jack Frost is Brody Norris, son of Mike and Tara Norris. They will ride with Santa in the parade. Others in the Christmas court are Wayde Fehr, son of Scott and Karen Fehr; Rylee Plenert, daughter of Chad and Sally Plenert; Zachary Steidinger, son of Kent and Beth Steidinger; Mia Miller, daughter of Brian and Becky Miller; Hayden Bahler, son of Ray and Kelsey Bahler; and Elly Peters, daughter of Scott and Shannon Peters.

Dwight and Anita Knapp of Fairbury are the parents of a baby girl born at 6:01 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015 at Gibson Area Hospital. Alanna Joy weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 20½ inches long at birth. Paternal grandparents are Alvin and Susie Knapp of Fairbury. Maternal grandparents are Lloyd and Joyce Honegger of Forrest. The new arrival was welcomed home by Silas, 3, and Adeline, 1.

(Looking Back from Kari Kamrath is sponsored each week on Fairbury News by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes with locations in Fairbury, Chenoa and Colfax)