Looking Back: 4-15-26

130 Years Ago

April 11, 1896

At the town meeting on election day Supervisor Brownson reported the payment of the last of the old Paducah Railroad bonds and the receipt of the bond from Springfield duly cancelled. He was authorized to burn the same.

One of the finest displays of buggies in Livingston County is being exhibited by A. E. Chapman in the Fawkner building. Charles Sutton is in charge of the department.

Conrad Munz, living a half mile south of Fairbury, was over to Forrest Friday and purchased 1,200 pounds of sugarcane seed of H. B. Watson. Mr. Munz will plant 40 acres this season.

Dr. Parsons has sold a share of his drug business to his efficient clerk, B. E. Crum, and the firm name will be N. S. Parsons & Co. Frank Baylor remains with the new firm.

120 Years Ago

April 13, 1906

Mr. and Mrs. N. B. Claudon and daughter, Frances, returned from their southern trip Wednesday. They had a fine time in Florida and enjoyed the climate very much. Mr. Claudon spent a couple of weeks in Cuba and while there visited Mr. and Mrs. Thos. D. Karnes. He says they are getting along fine, and Mr. Karnes was harvesting his tomato crop. They expect to visit Illinois this summer.

Ruth Taylor entertained the Order of Hildegards, Tuesday afternoon, in honor of her fourteenth birthday. in the guessing games, prizes were given Irene Mapel and Carrie Brydia. Dainty refreshments were served and the young folks spent a very pleasant afternoon.

J. L. Jenkins will leave here next Wednesday for New York and from there he will set sail on the Umbria, April 21, for his old home in Port Talbot, South Wales. He has not visited there for 20 years. Mr. Jenkins has been manager of the Co-operative Mines for the past 17 years. He will remain in the old country for about two months.

110 Years Ago

April 14, 1916

General Contracting Agent E. F. Lampman, of Coop and Lent's United Monster Shows, Three Ring Circus, Museum and Menagerie, visited the city Wednesday, accompanied by an assistant, to prospect local conditions at first hand for the initial appearance here of these monster shows. It was his firm belief that not all the country's prosperity was confined to the big cities and he was pleased to announce now, definitely, the big circus would spread its acres of canvas in the Fairbury Fair grounds, Thursday, May 11.

W. E. Stephey & Co. finished the moving of their furniture and hardware this week from their old location in the East block to the Odd Fellows building, formerly occupied by the furniture department of Walton Bros. Co. and are now nicely located in their new quarters.

Mrs. Henry McIntyre, residing north of town is suffering with a badly dislocated arm as the result of an accident Monday evening, about 6:30. Mrs. McIntyre and two children, one a baby, and Mrs. Guy Slater were en route from the McIntyre home to the Slater home south of town. When a few miles south of this city they came upon the automobile of Phillip Ely, which was stranded in the road. The horse which Mrs. Slater was driving became frightened and ran away. Mrs. McIntyre and baby were thrown out and Mrs. McIntyre's arm was dislocated at the elbow. The baby was slightly scratched on the forehead. Mrs. Slater and Mrs. McIntyre's little boys were caught under the upturned buggy and were held there until help arrived and lifted the buggy from them. They were rather badly shaken up but were otherwise uninjured.

100 Years Ago

April 16, 1926

Betty Kelso was struck by a Ford touring car while on the way home about 3:30 Tuesday afternoon at the Fourth and Elm Street crossing. She was knocked down and dragged for some distance before the car could be stopped. While her injuries are not serious they are very painful and she will be kept in for several days. An unfortunate part of the accident was the fact that the driver made no effort to take the little girl home, simply turning her over to her schoolmates. The law provides for a very severe penalty where drivers fail to stop and care for injured pedestrians and particularly requires that the driver report the accident to the authorities. Any information relative to the driver of the auto that struck Betty should be sent to the police authorities or to the superintendent of schools.

Starting Sunday a new time-card will go into effect on the T. P. & W., at which time two local passenger trains will be discontinued – the one going east now at 8:25 in the morning and the one going west at 7:59 in the evening. From what we are able to learn this change is being made without the authority of the state commerce commission. The change will badly cripple the mail service coming in and going out of this city. With the taking off of the two passenger trains, the freight trains will carry passengers.

Next Tuesday evening will be a big night for the patrons of the Central Theatre, for at that time their mighty pipe organ will start playing to the public. The management has secured the services of a well known organist to play on opening night. This organist, Mrs. Wesley Van Schoick, formerly Miss Marguerite Camp of this city, is now the concert organist of the new Tiffin Theatre, in Chicago.

90 Years Ago

April 10, 1936

Ben Sutter closed a transaction on Monday whereby he disposed of his 80-acre farm adjoining Forrest on the west, to Jeff Sohn, who resides south of Forrest. The consideration was $175 per acre. The farm is an exceptionally good one and well improved. Mr. Sutter will continue to farm the land this season, giving possession on March 1, 1937. He has not decided what he will do when he gives up possession of the farm.

A plane carrying literature for Brooks for governor is scheduled to leave the Brinkman farm near Pontiac tomorrow afternoon, and will visit every town in the county. Joe Selotti, of Pontiac, proprietor of the Log Cabin Inn north of Pontiac and for many years interested in aviation, has made arrangements with his flying pal, "Red" Irwin, to make the trip. The plane is of the 14-passenger type. The plane will stop at the Kuenzi pasture at the north edge of Fairbury, weather permitting, about three o'clock. A limited number of passengers will be given a free ride. If you desire to be one of them, see H. W. Meisenhelder.

C. J. Claudon Jr. is not letting his dad carry away all the fishing honors in the Claudon family while they are in Florida. Just recently Mr. Claudon and Junior and another gentleman were out fishing in the latter's boat when Junior snagged a strike that had all indications of being a whale. After a struggle that taxed the strength and stamina of his young body, he landed a fish – a 500-pound sand shark. C. J. Jr. weighs 105 pounds. The shark was 12 feet, 3 inches long. The struggle ebbed and flowed for an hour and 45 minutes, the shark taking out nearly all of the line on Junior's 600-yard reel on three occasions.

80 Years Ago

April 12, 1946

The first midget auto races to be held at the Fairbury Fair grounds on the track especially constructed last fall for that sport, will take place on Wednesday night, May 22, and will be held every Wednesday night thereafter throughout the summer. Art Zuiker, of Chicago, veteran midwest promoter and manager of Farmer City Speedway, was signed last week to manage these races. Zuiker's affiliation with the midwest drivers of Chicago and Central Illinois Midget Association guarantees the local speedway a full field of well-matched, high-powered cars for every night of racing.

Roy Melvin, of this city, has leased of Harry Klopfenstein, the Standard Oil Station and cabins on Route 24 at the west edge of Fairbury, taking possession Monday. The station and cabins will be redecorated and the entire place given a general overhauling. Mr. Melvin is a mechanic and will operate the garage. Mr. Melvin will move his family here from Sheridan just as soon as a house is available.

A strong wind proved to be a serious handicap to the boys of the Fairbury Model Association when they flew their model airplanes on Sunday afternoon in the first event of the season. Dick Steidinger's "Mercury" made several very thrilling and successful flights, but finally suffered some damage in a rough landing. Dean Koehl's "Aerochamp" made two flights that were a joy to see, but the end of flight number two was a major disaster – it was wrecked in a nose dive landing. Bill Leonard's "Wog" made two very successful flights. Rain finally put an end to the show. A fair-sized crowd gathered to see the show, most of whom remained in their cars, parked on the highway, to escape the cold wind that was blowing.

70 Years Ago

April 12, 1956

Richard Steffen won the Section 9 public speaking contest of the Future Farmers of America at Octavia High School in Colfax, Thursday night. His topic was, "What about your future, Future Farmers?" Richard won over 9 contestants in the section, which includes chapters in Livingston and McLean Counties. He will compete in District 2 contest, at Odell, April 23. The two winners will go to the state contest. Richard is president of the local FFA Chapter. Warren Wessels is Chapter Adviser.

The T. P. & W. Monday started work on a new bridge across Indian Creek a half-mile east of town. The new structure will be located 15 feet to the south of the present bridge, and approximately three feet higher. The new bridge will be made of steel, and will be less than half the length of the present bridge. The old structure has a span of 315 feet as compared to 180 feet for the new. Moving of the roadbed is necessary to allow uninterrupted use of the line.

On April 2, 1936 the T. M. T. M. Theta Rho Girls Club No. 19 of Fairbury was organized and instituted. Last Wednesday twenty-nine girls, Big Sisters of the club and guests gathered at the E. & E. Cafe for a banquet to celebrate the club's twentieth birthday. Mrs. Una Schmidt was called on to tell exactly when and how the Theta Rho Club came into existence. Mrs. Kathryn Reany, who with Mrs. Maurine Metz organized the club, spoke a few words also.

60 Years Ago

April 14, 1966

A two-day picket-line at American Screen Products Company of Chatsworth was removed at 6 p.m. Tuesday following a short period of negotiation between company officials and representatives of Local 179 of the Teamsters from Joliet. The negotiations began while the company was in the process of obtaining a restraining order from Judge R. Burnell Phillips in Livingston Circuit Court at Pontiac, to prevent "harassment" of American Screen employees.

Superintendent of street department Rennon Elliott presented Mayor Roy Taylor and aldermen with a perplexing problem – and perhaps no solution – Wednesday night at the city council meeting. His main topic concerned the city dump. "With our farm friends bringing in junk and debris as fast as they are," he said, "our dump will be filled in a few years." City engineer George Farnsworth, Bloomington, attending the council meeting on other business, said the state will one day make it mandatory to cover all debris at dumps with earth every night.

Two new teachers for Fairbury-Cropsey Schools have been signed for next year, Supt. Lester Miller reported last week at the Board of Education meeting, and one of the husband-wife duo is a graduate of F-C in 1960. He is Jerome David Beyer, currently living in Aurora, who will teach commercial subjects in the high school next year. His wife, Janet, will join the local faculty as an elementary teacher.

50 Years Ago

April 15, 1976

The official affiliation agreement between the Fairbury Hospital and the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois was presented Tuesday. This program between Fairbury Hospital and the College of Medicine offers clinical training to first year medical students from the Urbana-Champaign campus. The hospital and the medical doctor advisors provide an extensive clinical practice program in which beginning medical students learn by actually observing and participating. Fairbury Hospital has been participating in this program since September 1975.

Sparks from a brush fire in the back of the property were the probable cause of a blaze which gutted the roof of the Ivan Fosdick residence on West Walnut Street Saturday afternoon. Max Foltz, assistant chief of the Fairbury Fire Department, said that smoke and water damage to the house was severe, although the flames were confined to the attic and roof rafters. He said it appeared that trimmings from a tree in the yard had been set afire in the back yard, and that probably a spark had ignited the shingles on the roof, which blazed furiously.

Nearly 4,000 residents of the northeast Livingston County town of Dwight were evacuated in the pre-dawn hours Monday after a shifting of cargo in a tractor-trailer rig on U. S. 66 released a cloud of toxic gas. The village was a ghost town for about six hours as firemen from three towns and a team of chemical experts worked to disperse the deadly fumes. Illinois State Police manned roadblocks. Once the town was evacuated, no one was allowed past the roadblocks until the all clear was given late in the morning. In addition to the toxic chemical, bromine, the truck was loaded with hundreds of aerosol cans, which periodically exploded throughout the morning to keep firemen on edge.

40 Years Ago

April 10, 1986

Fairburian Jim Munz was the recipient of the Professional Manager of the Year award given by the College Newspaper Advertising and Business Managers Inc. (CNBAM) in New Orleans last week at the group's annual convention. The organization represents both professional and student sales and business manager officials from the collegiate press across the United States. A former advertising salesman the The Cornbelt Press, Munz has been assistant general manager of the ISU student newspaper for six years. Munz is married to the former Karen Maley of rural Fairbury. They are the parents of a son, Brian.

In a move which surprised his friends and customers, Jack Kennedy has resigned his post as a vice-president and farm manager at the National Bank of Fairbury. "Heck, I've had some customers come in with wild stories all the way from my 'wife has left me' (she hadn't as of 9 o'clock this morning) to embezzlement. Not so. I just decided I didn't want to steer a desk," Kennedy said. Kennedy joined the bank's farm department in June, 1977, after three years at Fairbury-Cropsey High School. Before that, he taught six years at Unit District 271 at Paw Paw in Lee County.

Fairbury's famed "Corner of Walk and Don't Walk" at the intersection of Third and Locust with its 36 traffic lights, to say nothing of the 16 "Walk" and Don't Walk" lights, may be doomed. Installed 23 years ago this spring, but the victim of two major electro-mechanical breakdowns since the first of this year, it may have gotten the signal that its days were numbered Wednesday night when the City Council voted to put a hold on repairs and instead continue the present four-way stop status which the street department instituted when the control box broke down about three weeks ago. And just for good measure, in the same motion, the council also voted to give the four-way stop treatment to the adjoining intersections at the Locust Street intersections with Second and Fourth Streets.

30 Years Ago

April 10, 1996

A new city park is in the making in Fairbury, with work to begin as the weather permits. The PARC committee, a volunteer organization, that has formulated the plans for the park, received approval at Wednesday's Fairbury City Council meeting to name the park Livingston Square. The name actually precedes the new park, as the area, surrounding the Fairbury Fire Department building and city water tower and encompassing the grounds between Livingston and Locust Streets, was the name given to the parcel over a century ago, according to history of Fairbury. The council approved the purchase and application and leveling of black soil for the park. The city will also supply water to the park and place sidewalks on the north and south sides, as well as install a split rail fence.

Born on his grandpa Lee Kuenzi's 72^nd birthday was Clayton John Teubel, son of John and Lavonne Teubel of Forrest. His sisters and brothers are Rhonda, 12; Calvin, 10; Jaylin, 8; Kinsey, 6½; and Shannon, 2 years. Maternal grandparents are Lee and Janet Kuenzi of Salem, OR. Paternal grandparents are Walter Teubel of Fairbury and the late Mabel Teubel.

Kristel Monroe, Fairbury, lettered in basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University for the Lady Titans,. The 5'10" sophomore forward earned her second basketball letter at IWU as she played in 12 games for the 1995-96 season. A graphic design major at IWU, she is the daughter of Ron and Sharon Monroe.

20 Years Ago

April 12, 2006

Representatives of Fairbury's American Legion and the VFW presented a map to the Fairbury City Council on Wednesday night. John Luttrell, Wally Alpers, Gary Morgan and Bob Wharton, representing these groups, have worked on a plan to place flags and memorials in Fairbury's Central Park in honor of local citizens who served in World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars. The American flag along with flags of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard would be placed in Central Park along with granite monuments. The Legion and VFW would supply the monuments, flags and poles, but request that the city maintain the light that will be placed on the American flag that would wave 24/7.

Larry and Betty Ray of Fairbury will observe their 25^th wedding anniversary on April 18. A reception on May 6 at Ethyl's Lodge in Forrest, hosted by their sons and daughter-in-law, will celebrate the occasion. Ray and the former Betty Hornsby were married April 18, 1981 at First Baptist Church in Fairbury. They are parents of two sons, Eric and Jeremy, both of Fairbury. He is employed at RR Donnelly, Pontiac, and she is employed at Fairview Haven Nursing Home in Fairbury.

Jim Shepard has joined the Prairie Central Lady Hawks volleyball program as its head coach. Shepard, who has coached volleyball for the past 20 years, spent eight years at Chenoa High School, and then coached the Illinois State University Men's Volleyball Club for 10-plus years. He spent the past two years as head volleyball coach at Ridgeview High School. He is retired from State Farm and he and his wife, Pam, have a 7-year-old son, Michael.

10 Years Ago

April 13, 2016

Bass Pro and Tracker Marine combined forces on Saturday, April 2, when Brent Edelman's wish for a fishing boat was granted by Make-A-Wish Illinois. Since May 2015, Brent, a 17-year-old from Fairbury, has been battling a rare form of leukemia, knows as Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm. Brent's wish granters, Corey Schieler and Kathie Harrison, also coordinated with the Giant Goose Ranch in Canton, to donate a one-year pass to their 300 acres of stocked lakes and a weekend stay at their 10-bedroom lakefront cabins. When asked why he chose a fishing boat for his wish, Brent responded that he wanted to be able to spend time with his friends and family doing something that he really enjoyed.

February Citizens of the Month at Chenoa Elementary were Vandell Ray, Koton Wright, Alayna Nelson, Connor Crawford, Corey Nixon, Emma Brewer, Carson Embry, Camden Gibson, Quentin Scott, Peggy Freese, Kayden Friend, Christian Stanisz, James Parga, Maya Gradberg, Gage Gibson, Kaden Smithson, Riley Cox, Sydney Horton and Addie Metz. Students named to the Principal's Club are Jeremiah Argueta, Chase Embry, Sam Powell, Alton Williams and Katelyn Kennell.

A longtime teacher from Chenoa is being remembered for his contributions to local agriculture. Howard Zimmerman passed away last Saturday at his home. After accepting a teaching position at Chenoa High School many years ago, Zimmerman became very active with his students and their experiences in the ag world. After retirement, Zimmerman served on the Chenoa School Board and remained involved with FFA, serving as a judge at the local, district and state levels. He was also a local 4-H Club leader for many years and has been a 4-H Fair superintendent for almost 30 years.

Looking Back is sponsored each week on Fairbury News by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home