130 Years Ago
February 17, 1894
The bridge over Indian Creek, near the Co-operative Coal Mine, has been finished and is in use every day.
This vicinity was visited by a blizzard Monday that as lovers of slang would say was a "corker." While it was not extremely cold there was a tremendous gale from the northeast and the snow was driven before the gale in a furious, blinding rush. Through the day there was no slackening. The T. P. & W. tracks got blocked west of Chenoa and one after the other trains ran in there and stuck fast. It was past noon Tuesday before the trains were dug out, and then three trains from the west came along one after the other. The snow fell to a depth of 8 or 10 inches.
The depot and freight house at Forrest, used jointly by the Wabash and T. P. & W., were burned Sunday evening. Carmon Bros. Hotel and Lunch Room were considerably damaged. The freight house which stood south of the T. P. & W. tracks, was ruined beyond usefulness. The depot building was new, having been built only last spring. The old depot was burned down January 3 of last year.
A number of young men walked over to Forrest Sunday evening to see the fire. A large delegation went over on the 9:30 train.
The graduating class this year will number 15, the largest class ever graduated here.
120 Years Ago
February 19, 1904
Saturday evening, February 13th, at the beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Walton, the ladies of the Chautauqua Circle entertained their friends in a most delightful manner. About sixty guests were present and when all had arrived, Mrs. E. A. Agard, secretary of the Circle, very briefly introduced to the company, Miss Harriet Montgomery, of Chicago, who for more than an hour talked most entertainingly of the Congressional Library at Washington, from an artistic point of view. The lecture was followed by a delightful half hour of informal discussion of the pictures Miss Montgomery had brought, and other congenial topics, after which refreshments were served.
Wing — The rag sewing at Mrs. O. Holloway's last Thursday was well attended. There were 25 pounds of carpet rags. An excellent dinner was served to the ladies. Revival meetings are continuing in the M. E. Church. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Day of Fairbury, were in Wing Saturday and called on friends. Ed Holloway & Sons received two car loads of coal last Monday.
Chenoa — Charles Fosdick, who lives northwest of Chenoa, has let the contract for the building of his new house to replace the one recently destroyed by fires. A Meadows firm secured the job and the house will cost $2,050. A hard times dance was given by the young people at the opera house Friday evening. The costumes were exceptionally good and original and created a great deal of amusement. The lunch, which was served at the opera house, consisted of hot wieners, coffee, rye bread and pickles. A Pontiac orchestra furnished the music and every one present enjoyed a pleasant evening.
110 Years Ago
February 20, 1914
Miss Helen Kruger, of Forrest, who has conducted a manicuring and hair dressing establishment here for the past year, will discontinue her business the 28th of this month.
O. O. Dillon has purchased the fixtures of the Empress Theatre, which were sold at chattel mortgage sale Tuesday. Mr. Dillon bought them just as an investment and says they are for sale.
John Mowry resigned his position as baggageman at the depot and Lester Pearson is now on that job. Mr. Mowry and family are moving this week to Michigan, where he will engage in farming.
During the Honeywell tabernacle services the Presbyterian Church will be in the hands of the decorators. It will be repapered and repainted.
Cropsey — R. B. McCullough has sold the 80 acres where he resides, to Elliott Bros., consideration $21,000. This makes this farm the highest in price of any that has changed hands in this vicinity. Harry Elliott will occupy the farm and Mr. McCullough will move to his other farm adjoining.
100 Years Ago
February 15, 1924
Next Wednesday will be a big day in Fairbury, and if the weather conditions are favorable, this city will see its streets and stores filled with people. In the first place it is the monthly sales day and this fact alone always brings many people to our city. In the second place the merchants of this city are going to give away three 50-dollar coupon books and the people for miles around will be here to see who gets them, if they themselves are not the ones. And last, but not least, on Wednesday Walton Bros. Co. will open their new store to the buying public. This in itself will be an event that not many people will miss if possible.
Bartle Steidinger has purchased the lots on West Locust Street of M. V. Harms, paying $2,200 for them. The building on these lots, which formerly was used by the Claudon Motor Mart and the Corn Belt Garage as a storage room, and by E. R. Barber with a meat market, was destroyed by fire October 22, 1923. We understand that Mr. Steidinger will tear down the remainder of the burned structure and in its stead will build a modern garage.
A peculiar accident happened at the railroad station Monday night. One of the steam pipes leading to the radiator had been leaking, evidently for some time, just under the floor. This caused the boards to buckle and tipped the radiator over. The radiator fell against a penny weighing machine, slightly damaging it.
90 Years Ago
February 16, 1934
The Sam Fendrick house on South Fourth Street, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Klopfenstein, was badly damaged by fire and water Tuesday afternoon about one o'clock. Mr. Klopfenstein was backing his car out of the driveway, when he chanced to look up and saw the roof of the house on fire, it having a pretty good start when discovered. An alarm was turned in and Mr. and Mrs. Klopfenstein and neighbors, who soon gathered, removed the furniture from the house. The firemen were soon at the scene, but were handicapped by the fact that the fire was so far from a hydrant that only one line of hose was available. The fire, which had evidently started from a defective chimney, damaged the entire roof quite badly, and additional damage was done by water.
Cars driven by Bill Goodrich, of this city, and Lyle Goodpasture, of Forrest, locked horns Sunday night at the corner of Oak and First Streets and went almost up into W. C. Schmidt's yard. Goodpasture was driving a new Plymouth; Goodrich a Chrysler. Both cars were going east, with Goodrich just ahead of Goodpasture. It is said that Goodpasture was of the opinion that Goodrich was going to turn north at First Street, and started to go around him on the right side. Instead Goodrich turned south and the crash occurred. None of the occupants of the cars was injured.
Burglars were again busy in this city Tuesday night, and judging from their operations it is the same ones who were busy here a couple of months ago. Some time Tuesday night a burglar entered the Eli Moser home and stole a ham and a pocketbook containing several dollars. Entrance was gained through a back door, which the Mosers failed to lock. Mr. and Mrs. Moser attended the dance at the opera house on Tuesday evening. On their return Mrs. Moser put her pocketbook in a drawer. It is the belief that whoever stole it was looking in the window when she put it away, as nothing else was disturbed.
80 Years Ago
February 18, 1944
The lame crow which has become a familiar figure around town, has developed an epicurean taste. Wednesday a south side family had goulash for dinner. What was left over, in a glass casserole, was placed outside on top of a cupboard to cool before being put in the refrigerator. A lid, which fitted down into the dish, covered the food. The crow, happening along, scenting a pleasant odor, lifted the cover off, set it aside and was busily slipping down the short pieces of macaroni when detected. When finally shooed away, he had a good piece of meat ball in his beak.
A. O. Convis, secretary of the Belle Prairie Farmers Township Mutual Fire Insurance Company, has the original secretary's book of the minutes of the company's meeting from its organization January 17, 1874 up through December 31, 1917, a period of 43 years. In the minutes of the organization meeting, the following stockholders were elected directors: J. T. Jacobs, D. R. Potter, I. C. Pratt, C. H. Benson, B. F. Fitch, D. S. Crum, H. H. Scott, M. McNabb, James Kirby. It was moved and seconded that the secretary give a copy of the minutes to The Fairbury Independent. The Fairbury Independent was the beginning of the present Fairbury Blade.
Miss Marian Henning, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter D. Henning, of this city, who has been employed at the Baby Fold in Normal, has completed her enlistment to the WAVES and will leave the latter part of April for Hunter College, N. Y., for her training. Going to Hunter College at the same time as Miss Henning is Miss Ethel Gilbert, of Shirley, who is also employed at the Baby Fold.
70 Years Ago
February 18, 1954
A thief or thieves broke into the Livingston Service Station on the west edge of town sometime Monday night or early Tuesday morning and walked away with a cash register containing about 15 dollars in silver. Entrance was made through the front door, where the burglars were forced to negotiate two locks before entering. A padlock and hasp were pried from the door, and a Yale lock opened, but not forced.
Kathryn Traub, a senior at Fairbury High School, has been chosen to receive the Daughters of the American Revolution Award. The good citizenship award is given on the basis of service, dependability, leadership and patriotism. Selections are made by voting of the senior class and faculty. Kathryn is president of the G.A.A., vice-president of the Student Council and is a member of the yearbook staff. She has been in Chorus for four years and was president of the junior class and the Latin Club. This year she was in the senior class play and was homecoming queen.
The Fairbury post office will become a first class post office July 1. Francis M. Masterson, local postmaster, this week disclosed that total receipts during the year 1953 were the highest in the history of the office, and enough to place Fairbury in the first class bracket. Receipts last year totaled $42,095.92, $9,690.82 higher than 1952, the previous high year. To become a first class office, receipts of $40,000 or over are needed.
60 Years Ago
February 20, 1964
One of the "blinds" on the Seventh Street railroad crossing has been removed this past week. The concrete block building near the tracks on the east side of the road has been town down. This affords a much improved view of oncoming trains. Southbound traffic still must proceed with caution, however.
The Registered Guernsey dairy herd owned by Myron E. Erdman, Myown Guernsey Farm, rural route, Chenoa, was eighth in United States in the combined Herd Improvement Registry – Dairy Herd Improvement Registry average during 1963 for Guernsey herds. American Guernsey Cattle Club figures at Peterborough, N. H., reveal that the Myown Guernsey Farm herd last year averaged 12,273 pounds of milk and 588 pounds of fat, 305-2X M. E. for 40 cows.
Miss Marsha Lynn Purdum, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Purdum, Fairbury, has been elected President of Gamma Omega Chapter of Delta Zeta Social Sorority at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Miss Purdum is a senior at Southern, majoring in journalism. She has been Delta Zeta rush chairman, and has served on the Spring Festival Steering Committee. First Runner-up to Miss Livingston County in 1962, she represented Delta Zeta in 1962 as a candidate for homecoming queen and as a Miss Southern candidate.
50 Years Ago
February 21, 1974
A new nursing home, King's Manor, a $1 million project designed to provide intermediate nursing care will shortly be built on North First Street in Fairbury, according to an announcement today by King Development, which will own the structure. They have bought five acres southwest of the swimming pool from Royce Carter. The site has access on both First street and Stanley drive. The proposed King's Manor would augment the existing nursing home facilities in Fairbury. Presently, Fairview Haven, with 44 beds (all of them full), and the Helen Lewis Pavilion at Fairbury Hospital, with 23 beds as an intermediate care facility (also full), provide a total of 67 beds.
All Livingston County votes in the upcoming primary election will be counted in Fairbury on the computers at Data Control, Inc., as the county shifts by law from paper ballots to a mechanized system to expedite the tally. Selection of Data Control as the counting agency was revealed by Henry Steffen, who owns and operates the computer service company in the Oak Building in Fairbury. Under a recent state law, Livingston County must shift to an automatic vote recording system since it exceeds the population criteria for paper ballots.
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Zimmerman of rural Forrest will observe their 25th wedding anniversary on February 27. The former Joy Rae Karcher and Maurice Zimmerman were married February 27, 1949 at the Forrest Church of God. Parents of the couple are Mrs. Simon Karcher of Forrest and the late Mr. Karcher, and the late Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Zimmerman. They have two children, Scott of Normal and Jill, Champaign.
40 Years Ago
February 16, 1984
The Fairbury-Cropsey Board of Education Monday night finally dropped the other shoe – with devastating results. By a unanimous 7-0 vote, the board agreed to terminate 14 certified classroom teachers and reassign eight others, effective with the 1984-85 school year. In addition, the board members approved cutbacks which would eliminate all extra-curricular activities within the school district. The board members also put their foot down and said they would not permit those fund raising efforts by private citizens which helped finance sports, music and agriculture programs this year. The culprit, of course, is the growing financial drain on the school system. The school board will try for a third time to pass a 75-cent tax referendum on March 20.
Fairbury police confirmed Wednesday that they have a primary suspect believed responsible for the rash of recent burglaries at both Fairbury-Cropsey Junior-Senior High School and Westview Elementary School. Chief Bill Spray said the suspect was a Fairbury man in his mid-twenties. Police executed search warrants Tuesday on both the man's automobile and residence, confiscating several items.
Fairbury's East Locust Street was under water Monday afternoon with flood waters from Indian Creek. A weekend of unseasonably warm temperatures and about 15 hours of rainfall late Tuesday melted a heavy snow-cover which has blanketed the area since mid-November. Much of the moisture was able to penetrate the ground, since the early snowfall had provided insulation against any appreciable depth of frozen soil. As a result, the runoff was of short length, and flood waters quickly receded.
30 Years Ago
February 16, 1994
Chatsworth American Legion Auxiliary hosted a 75th birthday party for the legion members of Post 613 Feb. 9. Seventeen Legion members and 17 Auxiliary members were present. Commander James Fox gave a resume of the origination of Post 613 and the choice of their name. A charter meeting was held April 12, 1920. The name, Walter Clemons, was chosen as he was the first local man to die in the war.
Allen and Alisa Hamilton Ricketts of Fairbury are the parents of a son, Alex Michael Hamilton Ricketts, born Feb. 6, 1994, at 1 p.m. at Methodist Medical Center, Peoria. He weighed six pounds, four ounces and was 19 inches long. He is welcomed home by Jamie, age three. His grandparents are Tom and Earlene Hamilton, Fairbury, and Nick and Jean Ricketts, Forrest. Great-grandparents are Marie Hohulin and Meredith Ricketts, both of Forrest; Sam and Helen Hamilton, Cherryvale, Kan.; and Margaret Morgan, Tecumseh, Kan.
Janelle Lehmann, daughter of Art and Jana Lehmann of Strawn, was recently initiated into 4-H House at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Lehmann is a freshman at the U of I, majoring in agricultural economics. She has been active in many organizations including Agribusiness Association and Collegiate FFA. 4-H House is a cooperative sorority run on the pledge-active system whereby a girl having attained a 3.4 grade point average during her pledging semester may become an active member provided she meets the personal standards set by active members.
20 Years Ago
February 18, 2004
The Lady Hawks got off to a great post season with a 72 to 16 victory over Streator-Woodland in the first round of regional play at Flanagan last week. The Hawks exploded with a 20-point first quarter and never looked back. In game two, a game of lead changes where every possession counts, the Lady Hawks reacted cool, calm and collected. PC startled the higher seeded hosts in Flanagan with great team defense and late offensive heroics. The result was a 43 to 37 victory and a chance to play for a 5th straight regional title against Eureka. On two occasions Tuesday in the Flanagan Class A girls basketball regional title game the Prairie Central Lady Hawks fended off major comebacks by the Eureka Hornets. PC made sure it didn't happen in overtime as they wrapped up a 56-51 win. The Hawks scored the opening four points and never trailed, although the game was tied at halftime and at the end of regulation.
Norman and Shirley Beitz of Chenoa will observe their 40th wedding anniversary on Feb. 23, 2004. A dinner/outing with their children is planned to celebrate the occasion. Beitz and the former Shirley Robison were married Feb. 23, 1964, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stewardson. They are the parents of four children, Leon (Marci) Beitz, rural Chenoa; Larry (Carolyn) Beitz, Stewardson; Jimmy (Kim) Beitz, Colfax; and Normalynne (Gary) Bashford, Fairbury. They also have 14 grandchildren. Beitz has been employed as a herdsman for Myron Erdman Dairy for 37 years and Mrs. Beitz is a homemaker.
10 Years Ago
February 19, 2014
Competing in the Deer Creek Mackinaw Regional, Prairie Central High School wrestling had four regional winners and three runners-up to send to the Olympia Sectional in Stanford on Friday ad Saturday. Winners were Josh Hartke, (So. 20-10 at 132), Paul Garcia (So. 25-7 at 145), Sam Schuler (Jr. 35-5 at 160) and Brett Bennett (Sr. 27-4 at 285). Runners-up were Simon Schuler (Fr. 18-9 at 106), Tyler Berghstrahl (Jr. 25-9 at 138) and Nick Kauffman (Jr. 33-9 at 152).
Street Superintendent Martin Steidinger has been plowing roads in the city for the past 16 years and he has rarely seen the city so low on salt reserves. He recently made the announcement that in order to make sure there is enough salt for the remainder of the winter, plows would be using salt sparingly. “We have a salt shed, we fill it every year and we've only had one other year where we came this close to running out,” Steidinger said.
Prairie Central High School senior basketball players and their parents were recognized at the last regular season home game on Feb. 6. Those recognized included Laura Crane, daughter of Brent and Paula Crane; Shania Scurlock, daughter of Kenny and Judy Scurlock; Emily Shiflett, daughter of Ryan and Kay Shiflett; and Tori Hernandez, daughter of Andres Hernandez.
(Looking Back from Kari Kamrath is sponsored each week by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes)
