130 Years Ago
May 26, 1894
Mr. Stoller has put up a new hitch rack in front of his store, and requests owners of teams to drive straight up to the rack, so as to economize on room.
John Cook sold a good driving horse yesterday to Charles Michaels for $225.
School closed in this city yesterday until the fall term opens in September.
A drunken wretch of supposed identity, made so much noise tumbling about the southeast part of this city one night last week, that a lady mistook him for a whole yard full of burglars and opened fire with a revolver, but hit nobody. When her husband came home a few minutes later he was compelled to give the countersign before he could get past the front gate.
120 Years Ago
May 27, 1904
The 11th annual field day was held at the fair grounds last Friday. There was a large attendance and all the events were closely contested. The 220 yard dash was one of the best races ever seen here, Westervelt of Fairbury defeating Stratton of Normal by a margin of a foot. Pontiac won the meet with 41 points, while Fairbury was a close second with 39. Normal, 21; Colfax, 14; Forrest, 8.
The street fair is on this week. The shows seem to catch the crowd and are well patronized in the evening. The Ferris Wheel does a big business whenever it runs as does the Merry-Go-Round. The feature of the fair, for ladies and children especially, is Prof. Clark Boynton's educated animal circus. He has dogs that are trained to do almost everything and the show is interesting and amusing from the time it opens until the closing act. The dogs dance, play leap frog, jump the rope, box, do high dive acts, sing, tumble and there are funny clowns among them that can almost talk. There will probably be a banner crowd here tomorrow.
June 10th and 11th have been reserved for a rare treat for the people of Fairbury. S. O. Landis, of the Mutual Entertainment Co., will give a re-production of the famous Ober-ammergan Passion Play, and Ben Hur, together with a number of other especially fine attractions. Our martyred president McKinley will be seen and heard in his last speech. This is no ordinary steri-optician show. No better machinery nor pictures can be had. Do not fail to see it. It will not cost you only about one quarter of city prices.
110 Years Ago
May 29, 1914
Andrew Bennett has just completed the taking of the school census, and they are as follows: Number of families having children under 21, 391; average to family, 2¼; males between the age of six and 21, 290; females between the age of six and 21, 320; males and females under six years of age are 136 and 109, respectively.
Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Barnes and Mr. and Mrs. R. B. McCullough expect to go to Indiana this week, going overland in Mr. Barnes' car.
Cropsey — Supt. D. H. Kent appointed the following delegates to county Sunday school convention: Miss Julia Huston, Miss Anna Pratt, Mrs. N. H. Watson, Mrs. S. E. Thomas and M. B. Meeker.
Markets — Corn, 65c; Oats, 37c; Eggs, 17c; butterfat, 26c; hens, 12c; Geese, 6c.
100 Years Ago
May 23, 1924
The music and drama department of the Woman's Club will present a home-talent play, "The Prince Chap," a comedy in three acts, on Monday evening, June 9th, at Central Theatre. "The Prince Chap" was presented at Harvey, Ill., this spring and met with such appreciation and enthusiasm that it was given four nights in succession, clearing over $1,000. The people of Fairbury have a real treat in store for them and a laugh for all.
The friends and neighbors of Clyde Jackson, the genial manager of the A. & P. Tea Company's store, looked after a fitting celebration of that gentleman's birthday anniversary on Monday. The party was arranged as a surprise, but was one which Mr. Jackson greatly enjoyed. The evening was spent at cards and refreshments were served. A birthday gift was left as a reminder of the event.
Twenty-eight years ago Wednesday Rev. C. S. Davies came to this city as pastor of the Presbyterian Church and has served continuously in that capacity since that time. Rev. Davies has not only served his church faithfully during these many years, but the community in general has been benefited by his untiring effort in the things that go toward making life better and more happy. In honor of this twenty-eighth anniversary special city services will be held at the church Sunday.
90 Years Ago
May 25, 1934
A number of farmers in this vicinity have been plowing up patches of oats where the chinch bugs have gotten into them and are replanting the ground with soybeans. The chinch bugs are bad again this year and unless we have rain shortly these pests together with a lack of moisture will again make a small oats crop.
Bernice, four-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Veatch, had the end of the middle finger on one of her hands completely severed and the tip of another finger injured last Friday evening. She was playing with the lawnmower when her fingers got caught in the revolving blades.
Following a raid on slot machines in this city last Thursday night by Sheriff Heckman and his deputy, Eldon Shaffer, the sheriff served notice to all those operating slot machines in the county that these machines must be disposed of, and not again be put in operation.
Miss Alice Law was the guest of honor at a surprise picnic supper, a kitchen shower and a theatre party all in one evening given by the Tri-Pso sorority. The shower and picnic at the home of Miss Christine Goold and the theatre party at "Six of a Kind" at the Central Wednesday.
80 Years Ago
May 26, 1944
The will of Mary L. Kelley, who passed away last Friday, bequeaths the bulk of her estate to the Fairbury Hospital. One of two other gifts was to the Methodist Church, of this city, of which she was a member of a long period of years.
Earl Harrington, of Chatsworth, is in the Fairbury Hospital recovering nicely from burns received last Saturday from scalding water. Mr. Harrington was using a tractor in his farm work, when he stopped to see if there was enough water in the radiator. When he lifted the cap the hot water gushed out over his body, badly burning his chest, stomach, legs and one arm. He was brought to the Fairbury Hospital. It is thought the air vent became clogged, causing the water to become hot and creating an excessive pressure.
George W. Hallock, residing on S. Clay Street, will be taken to the county home today. He was arrested here yesterday morning by Officer Walker, Mrs. Laura Jarvis signing the complaint to the effect that four of her chickens were found in Mr. Hallock's hen house. Mr. Hallock is 83 years old and the possibilities are that the charges against him will not be pushed.
70 Years Ago
May 27, 1954
Forty members of the Livingston County Flying Farmers were present at a nine o'clock fly-in breakfast at the Bob Ficklin farm Sunday morning. The flyers, who arrived in 15 planes, consumed a breakfast of waffles and ham and then held an informal meeting on the Ficklin lawn. The breakfast was prepared by Mrs. Ficklin, Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Curtis Weeks and Mrs. Bill Orth.
Just recently L. B. Decker, city clerk, received a letter from Walton, W. Va., which is about 65 miles from Charleston, W. Va. The letter was from Lawrence Moffatt, of Walton, and in the envelope was a deflated small rubber balloon that had been sent up from Fairbury last August 8, by Honeggers during the Honegger 25th anniversary, which was being celebrated here at that time. The tag on the balloon told the finder where to return it. Moffatt had found the balloon near Walton.
John Reakes and Elmer Hallock were hot on the lanes the other night at Pontiac. John tossed 11 strikes in his first game of the evening for Herzog's Pabst Blue Ribbon team. His only miss was the six pin in the seventh frame. He wound up with a 279, for the high game of the season in the classic league. John finished the series with games of 168 and 200 for a 647. In the same game, teammate Elmer Hallock scored a 265. This combination gave the Herzog team a 1,042 game, second high in the league this year. The high of 1,050 is owned by another Fairbury entry, Honegger-House.
60 Years Ago
May 28, 1964
A 32x100-foot steel building will be erected soon at the Legion fairgrounds. The foundation was dug Wednesday and concrete footing is expected to be poured this week. The building, to replace Floral Hall, will be turquoise and white. It will have 14-foot side walls and will be completely insulated. Art Walter, Jim Peters and Ernie Mies are in charge of the project. There will be four entrances—two on the north and one each on the west and east. The building will begin where the east end of Floral Hall once was and continue 100 feet west.
Harold F. Huston, rural mail carrier at Cropsey, started his 40th year of carrying the mail on the Cropsey route Monday, May 25. He recently received his 34th award for safe driving, presented by Postmaster Mabel Vaughan. Although had has never had an accident in his 39 years of driving on the rural route, the department did not give the awards the first five years he was a carrier.
Cyclist Bobbie Anderson escaped serious injury Friday about 5:30 p.m. when the motorcycle he was riding apparently developed a high-speed wobble. Anderson, 17, lost control of the machine and ended in the west ditch of the Fairbury-Cropsey road about a half mile south of this city. Jim Smith was riding his motorcycle alongside Anderson when the incident occurred. The cyclist received bad cuts on the head and was bruised and skinned. Stiver ambulance took him to Fairbury Hospital unconscious. Anderson was dismissed Sunday.
50 Years Ago
The round-the-clock loading of another 100-car train of corn at Weston Grain Company hit a snag Tuesday evening when an auger in an elevator broke. The failure came when the elevator crew, which had begun the loading operation Monday evening, had only 17 cars to go. Repair crews from Koehl Brothers were on the scene Tuesday night and an elevator spokesman Wednesday said they hoped to get back in operation and finish the loading later in the day. The breakdown reportedly will cost the elevator a penalty charge since they ran through the 24-hour time period allowed for loading unit trains. This was the Weston firm's sixth 100-car train this season, all bound for overseas shipment.
Mr. and Mrs. Duane Rathbun of rural Fairbury are announcing the engagement of their daughters, Rebecca Lynn to Thomas A. Whitfill, and Tamara Marie to John V. Ward. Becky is a senior at Fairbury-Cropsey High School and employed by Pittsburgh-International as a secretary through the school ICE program. Tom, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Meyer of Fairbury, was a 1973 graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High School and is employed by Aldron Leasing, Fairbury. An August wedding is being planned by the couple. Tammy attends Fairbury-Cropsey High School. John is the son of Mrs. Lila Peters and Edward Ward, both of Fairbury. He was a 1972 graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High school and is employed by Stoller and Maurer Construction, Fairbury. No wedding date has been set.
Don Kramer, former publisher of The Fairbury Blade, last week converted his Casa Grande (Ariz.) Dispatch from tri-weekly to daily operation. It is the first new daily started in Arizona in 13 years. Kramer and his wife, Ruth, a Fairbury native, bought the Dispatch, then a weekly, in March of 1963 at the time they sold The Blade.
40 Years Ago
May 24, 1984
The Fairbury-Cropsey and Forrest-Strawn-Wing Boards of Education Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for consolidation of the two school systems. The Unit 3 board voted 7-0 to move toward consolidation. The FSW board approved the resolution 6-1 with Ruth Benway casting the lone negative vote. If approved by Regional Superintendent of Schools Wayne Blunier and state education officials, the question will be on the November ballot. The Chatsworth board, however, voted 5-2 not to participate in any consolidation effort.
Nearly 200,000 gallons of water were lost early Thursday when a water main ruptured near the corner of First and Locust Streets in Fairbury. Recording gauges at the water pumping plant put the time of the break at 12:40 a.m., when pressure began to drop severely. Attempts to isolate the break, which was about 100 feet west of the intersection, were unsuccessful when shutoff valves on either side would not turn. In the meantime, the 150,000 gallon main storage tank which was just a few yards away, drained completely dry according to LeRoy McPherson, superintendent of public works.
Mary W. Orth, a teacher at Fairbury-Cropsey Junior-Senior High School, was presented a silver tray and a check for $50 by Governor Jim Thompson during the 36th annual Award Day sponsored by the Illinois State Historical Society May 16 at Sangamon State University, Springfield. Mary was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year. The award is presented for service in the Illinois State Historical Society's Student Historian program. Mary's students have participated in all phases of the program during her 15 years of involvement and she has served as regional advisor for the program for 11 years.
30 Years Ago
May 25, 1994
City council members learned Wednesday evening that consideration of city hall being placed on the Historic Registry is catching opposition from the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad. Ken Furst, of the New Jersey office of the TP&W, has contacted Mayor Lynn Dameron stating opposition to the designation "unless the building is moved off the property" which is owned by the TP&W. "This definitely ripped the lid off a can of worms," Dameron commented. He said Furst has requested a plat of the area, as he is unfamiliar with it, and that he also was not aware that some of the railroad's track had been abandoned.
After five surgeries, Illinois District 6 Trooper Bob Comens, of Fairbury, faces at least one more, a last-ditch attempt to save his right leg from amputation. Comens was critically injured at an accident site on Interstate 55, two miles north of Lexington, on February 22. Last week, Illinois State Police Director Terrance Gainer presented Comens with a Purple Heart award, presented to troopers who are injured in the line of duty.
Thanks to the help of neighbors, 80-year-old Bill Miller is once again enjoying watching his "carnival-ride" train chug the oval circuit beside his residence and former Forrest Hotel business. The March 1985 flood that swamped the ride and the antique train collection in Miller's basement, had idled the train until neighbors got together about two years ago to help restore the Wabash Bluebird replica and some of the model collection. Free train rides will once again be offered to groups of children, but health problems may keep Miller from playing engineer. In the meantime, neighbors take turns at that task and have every bit as much fun at it as the kids.
20 Years Ago
May 26, 2004
Prairie Central High School has announced the top two students for the Class of 2004. Micah Yergler, daughter of Dave and Karen Yergler of rural Fairbury, is the valedictorian. She will attend the University of Illinois next fall, majoring in engineering. This year's salutatorian is Rudy McMinn, son of Dan and Laura McMinn of Fairbury. He will attend Parkland College next fall, and then transfer to the U or I, also majoring in engineering.
Arnold Beckman, a native of Cullom, whose scientific inventions spawned an empire that made him a fortune he later used to help pay for a massive University of Illinois research facility, died Tuesday. He was 104. Beckman, who honed his skills as a young chemist in the labs at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, donated $40 million to the school in the mid-1980s. The donation was used to build the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and other money from Beckman still funds programs there, said institute Director Pierre Wiltzius. Wiltzius said Beckman was a true visionary who promoted interdisciplinary research before the practice became popular.
The doors of the Anchor United Methodist Church closed on Dec. 29, 1996 after the final church service. Those doors are being opened again, not as a church, but as a home. The church building of veneered, stipple-face brick trimmed with Bedford stone was built in 1918 and was sold for $14,100 to Robin and Sara (Klintworth) Lunsford of Newport Beach, Calif. on April 26, 1997. Sara is formerly of Anchor. The church is now a three-bedroom home with 3½ baths. What used to be the bell tower is now the master bath. There is a full kitchen, breakfast nook, dining room, office, laundry area and full basement.
10 Years Ago
May 28, 2014
Several scholarship checks were handed out at the start of Wednesday's Fairbury City Council meeting. Jim and Jeanne Munz presented the Brian J. Munz scholarships to Elizabeth Walter, Jaycey Vedder, Bryson Freehill, Ryan Schladenhauffen, Heidi Schladenhauffen, Laura Larsen, Luke Bachtold and Ethan McPherson.
First State Bank of Forrest is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month. The bank became a state bank on May 29, 1914, after having been a national bank since 1905. The bank had been widely owned throughout Forrest. Leo Palen, the first of what would become three generations of the Palen family, came to work at the bank Jan. 1, 1966, and eventually purchased the majority of the stock in the bank. He had previously been a bank examiner with the FDIC. Following that, First State Bank of Forrest purchased Erie State Bank in Erie, Ill. in 1974, and The Heights Bank in Peoria Heights in 1985. Current branches include Forrest, Fairbury, Onarga, Peoria Heights and Erie.
Prairie Central High School senior Devin Crews, son of Steve and Mary Beth Crews of Fairbury, has committed to attend Millikin University in Decatur for fall 2014. Devin has been a four-year member of the PC Hawks baseball team and will continue his baseball career with the Big Blue. He plans to major in Sports Management while attending Millikin.
(Looking Back from Kari Kamrath is sponsored by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes with locations in Fairbury, Chenoa and Colfax)
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