Looking Back: 7-23-25

130 Years Ago

July 27, 1895

Rev. S. F. Sharpless, who has been for three years, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of this place, has tendered his resignation to take effect August 1. The resignation of Rev. Sharpless was not brought about by any rupture between himself and the congregation. The difficulty arises out of a series of occurrences that have weakened the power of the church to pay its pastor's salary.

Marshall Gordon has completed a commercial course at Onarga Seminary and now fills the position of assistant bookkeeper at Walton Bros. Palace of Trade.

The "carry eight" kept by the McDowell Bros. Livery Stable for picnic parties and other excursions involving a considerable number of people, is proving quite a success. The outfit, when drawn by a handsome team, is stylish and up-to-date. McDowell Bros. have done a good thing in adding the "carry eight" to their outfit and the venture deserves to prove successful financially.

Three stalwart young men mounted on bicycles passed through Fairbury Wednesday on their way to Indianapolis, Ind. They had come from Burlington, Iowa, and had traveled 318 miles.

120 Years Ago

July 21, 1905

Our neighboring city, Forrest, will celebrate "Forrest Day," Wednesday, August 2, and the people of Fairbury and vicinity should sit up and take notice. Not only should they do this, but they should also make up their minds to spend part of the day there, as they are assured of a fine time. There will be two ball games, one in the forenoon and one in the afternoon, between some of the best teams in the country, street games and various amusements of various kinds and a balloon ascension.

Last Friday while George Anderson and Jon Demoss of Wing were leaving Fairbury, their horses were frightened, and ran away, throwing both of them out of the buggy and bruising George up quite badly, so that he is just able to be up now.

The Wabash Railroad Company paid its employees by check this month. Heretofore, whey have always run a pay car over the route, but now all checks are sent to the station agents, who see that they are given to the proper parties. The abolishment of the pay car is a part of the reform plan being put into effect by the new management.

110 Years Ago

July 23, 1915

The first carload of watermelons to be received here this season arrived the first of the week. The Perlee Produce Company had the melons shipped in from the south.

Mr. and Mr. Walter Addis have leased the Sorg building on East Main Street and within the next week or so will open therein a delicatessen shop.

Ruben King, who has been spending a part of his vacation in Bloomington, will arrive here Sunday, and on Monday, will go to work in P. M. Hotaling's grocery.

Miss Tillie Nussbaum left Thursday for Kewanee for a visit at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Rocke. She will also visit her brother, Fred, in Moline, before returning home.

100 Years Ago

July 24, 1925

Members of the Avoca Home Bureau enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon at the home of Mrs. Robert Mack, on Wednesday, July 15, the occasion being a "kid party" given in honor of the "victors in the County Play ticket selling contest by members of the "defeated" side. As requested, the guests appeared dressed as little girls, some carrying dolls; one her Mother Goose and an all-day sucker. The games were entered into with a real spirit of childhood; after which a Friday Afternoon at school was enjoyed. School dismissed, the hostess, assisted by Misses Vera and Helen Winslow and Marie Canterbury, served a delicious two-course luncheon. The favors were lollypops.

Chatsworth now has a fine nine-hole golf course. For information regarding membership, address C. E. Kohler, Sec'y-Treas., Chatsworth, Illinois.

Fire Monday destroyed the implement shed on the John Brucker farm, six miles northwest of this city, together with a number of farm implements, including a binder, cultivators, mower, etc. The loss will total over a thousand dollars, only a part of which is covered by insurance. The farm is tenanted by Donald Ortman, and a large part of the loss falls on him. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ortman were away at the time, but Mrs. Ortman's brother, Frank Wessels, was at home doing some work. When he first noticed the fire it had gained considerable headway.

The Blade will this week finish the printing and assembling of 2,500 Fair catalogs for the Fairbury Fair Association.

90 Years Ago

July 19, 1935

The members of Knoll Lodge and several friends numbering in all about 30, enjoyed their annual dinner at their lodge quarters, north of town, last evening. The dinner centered around huge platters of fried chicken and was a feast fit for a king. J. C. Kessler was the chef in charge, and he was assisted by several of the other members.

The W. E. Ketcham & Son Grocery Company, one of the oldest business houses in Chenoa, will change hands August 1. Due to ill health, John H. Ketcham, the son, will retire from business. The firm of Ketcham & Seybolt was established in 1865, later known as the W. E. Ketcham grocery. The name was changed to W. E. Ketcham & Son when John H. Ketcham became associated with his father over thirty years ago. He continued with the store after the death of his father in 1927. The business has continued in the same location after having been burned out twice, in 1868 and also the big fire of 1894.

A thief entered the home of Mrs. J. P. Mitten last Friday night and stole the radio and a handbag. Entrance was made by removing a screen and raising the window in the living room. The same night the ice box at the Wilson Morris home was raided, and a few nights later vegetables were stolen from the John Eilers garden.

80 Years Ago

July 20, 1945

Pfc. Joe Freehill returned Monday morning for a 34-day furlough to spend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cletus Freehill. Joe surprised his parents, not telling them he was coming home. He went to the family home early in the morning and went to bed downstairs and his father found him the next morning. Needless to say, they were happy. Joe saw some pretty rugged action in the fray across the pond and was surely glad to get back. He reports back to Camp Grant. He made the trip home on a small boat, George Washington, but went over on the Queen Mary.

Mr. and Mrs. Willard Barclay moved a portion of their household goods to Fairbury Friday, where Mr. Barclay is employed.

Ralph Ferguson, residing on West Elm Street, is in the Fairbury Hospital with a fractured skull and his condition yesterday was said not to be too good, although last night he had shown some improvement. Mr. Ferguson's injury is said to have resulted from some trouble that occurred at Hurt's Tavern last Saturday night. Ferguson had been in there drinking and when he was refused anything more to drink by Fred Cooper, Ferguson started an argument. During the argument Ferguson was either pushed or fell against the screen door, which flew open and Ferguson fell out onto the back porch, hitting his head against a beer barrel.

70 Years Ago

July 21, 1955

The harvest of the lush oat crop continued here this week, with farmers and local elevator men predicting a 60 bushel average for this area.

Jay Carter was hired as construction superintendent of the new grade school building.

L. D. Mehrkens was re-elected Commander of John Joda Post No. 54. Other officers elected were H. D. Leffingwell, senior vice commander; Richard Mowry, finance officer; and Edgar Runyon, sergeant-at-arms.

Mr. C. C. Thompson and daughter, Judy, were among those greeting vice-resident Richard Nixon after his speech at the Rotary Convention in Chicago.

60 Years Ago

July 22, 1965

Mr. and Mrs. "Bud" Paternoster were notified today by the American Field Service Chapter in New York that they will receive an 18-year-old Brazilian boy to live with them for one year. Abel Riberiero de Jesus of Salvator, Brazil, will arrive in New York August 13. He will attend his senior year at Fairbury-Cropsey High School. Exact date of his arrival in Fairbury is not yet known. Abel becomes Fairbury's first boy foreign exchange student under the AFS program. Two years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Erwin Wascher were hosts to Gurid Bjornstad from Norway. This past year, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Rawson were hosts to Janet Ferguson of England.

The National Bank of Fairbury has recently purchased the Bartlett building located just north of the Western Auto Store. Plans are presently being drawn for a drive-in banking facility to provide more complete service for its customers. President John Gerber told The Blade that some banks claim that as much as 25 percent of their customer traffic comes through drive-in services. According to Gerber, the building will be leveled soon. The structure has been in the Bartlett trust since 1939.

Miss Mary Brady, 18, daughter of the John Bradys of Pontiac, won the swimsuit competition in last Wednesday night's preliminaries of the Miss Illinois Pageant. Miss Brady was crowned Miss Livingston County on June 20 at the Fairbury-Cropsey High School gymnasium. Sponsored by the Fairbury Junior Chamber of Commerce, this year's contestant is a student at ISU, majoring in vocal music. Miss Brady, third runner-up in the state contest, is 5 foot 7 inches tall, has brown hair and eyes and weighs 123 pounds.

50 Years Ago

July 24, 1975

Harold "Skeeter" Albee will close a 30-year business career in Fairbury when he retires at the end of this month, having reached his 65^th birthdate. For the past 15 years "Skeeter" has operated the Mobil Oil Station on U. S. 24 at 7^th Street. Prior to that Albee ran an independent auto garage on the north side of town. Effective August 1, the station will be operated by Roger Williams, who has been a mechanic at Paternoster Ford, which is also a Mobil outlet.

Nearly 1,000 persons thronged Weston Saturday for the Margaret Bauman estate sale, and it was an antique hound's dream: the dispersal of items collected in a house occupied by one family for nearly 70 years. The residence, which sold for $21,200, once belonged to Mrs. Bauman's parents, and many of her childhood toys were among the things relatives carried down from the jam-packed attic. They jammed 14½ hayracks, besides the furniture which filled the lawn, and two auction wagons operated simultaneously.

Mrs. Jean Martin of Fairbury, formerly of Forrest, was in Washington, D. C. to tour the White House last Friday, when President Gerald Ford decided to step into a crowd of tourists and shake hands with her and several other persons. This is the first time in 11 years a United States president has moved boldly into a crowd of tourists, at the White House, to greet them personally.

40 Years Ago

July 18, 1985

"There's never been a pancake so thin but what it had two sides." That was the sage quote for all seasons which enabled Les Arends from Melvin to post a 40-year career in the U. S. House of Representatives, 31 of them as Republican whip (a record). Arends, who died of a heart attack in Naples, Fla. on Tuesday, July 16, 1985 at age 89, owed his long career in Congress to Fairbury's John Joda Post 54, American Legion, which rallied behind him in his initial campaign in 1934. And Arends never forgot Fairbury as a result. At the time of his first campaign, Arends was a farmer and a banker in Melvin, and 17^th District Commander of the American Legion. Post 54 members decided to get behind him and really organized his candidacy in Livingston County.

Fairbury retailers are going all out Wednesday, July 24, for their annual summer Dollar Day promotion, featuring a performance by the country music band, Pine 40, and a butterfly pork chop sandwich cookout in addition to extended store hours. A majority of Locust Street retailers have agreed to a request from Association of Commerce Retail Committee Chairman Donna Bess to remain open until 8 p.m. on Dollar Day.

Tammy Hale and Kurt Hoffman, both of Fairbury, were wed in a ceremony attended by 300 on July 6 at 6 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Fairbury. The bride was given in marriage by her stepfather, Jay Zimmerman, and is the daughter of Mrs. Jay Zimmerman. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Hoffman of Fairbury. A reception at Indian Creek Country Club immediately followed the ceremony. After a wedding trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, the couple will reside in rural Fairbury. The bride is a 1983 graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High School and a sales clerk at Walton's Department Store. The bridegroom is a 1982 graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High School, is a farmer and is employed by Dave's Supermarket.

30 Years Ago

July 19, 1995

Richard Foster Jr. 40, was sentenced in federal court at Peoria on July 7 for embezzling approximately $25,700 from Fairbury's post office. Foster was given a term of five months in federal prison for embezzling the postal service while he served as the U. S. Postmaster in Fairbury. He will also serve five months of strict home confinement following his release, repay all the stolen monies from his pension savings and perform 100 hours of community service.

Wilting and signs of stress weren't just applied to humans last week during the high 90s and low 100-degree temperatures in the county. Marion Shier, crop specialist educator for the Extension Service, said that corn not only rolled, but some wilted, while soybean plants that had been sprayed with post-emergence herbicides were turning brown with the combination shock of the spray and high heat.

Rick Harn's resignation as Building and Grounds Superintendent was accepted by the Chatsworth Town Board, effective July 14. Harn is the second town employee to leave his position since February. At that time, Randy Perkins turned in his resignation as street supervisor. Perkins now works for the Village of Forrest. The reasons for both resignations are reportedly unrelated.

20 Years Ago

July 20, 2005

A cruise-in, co-hosted by Petersen Motors in Fairbury and the Illinois ACEs (Air Cooled Enthusiasts), an area car club, was held in Fairbury on Saturday, July 16. The event was open to all makes and models of vehicles. According to Mike Petersen, the event, which drew 42 vehicles, was a success and a similar event will be planned for next year. People brought vehicles from Fairbury, Forrest, Chatsworth, Piper City, Pontiac, Chenoa, Gibson City, Melvin, Normal, Saunemin, Colfax, Ransom, Roanoke and Paxton. All participants received "goody bags" which included dash plaques.

Former Fairbury residents, Robert and Verda Maurer, who now reside in Bloomington, recently celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary with family members. Maurer and the former Verda Staly were married June 28, 1940 in the North Danvers Mennonite Church. They were both employed in the Fairbury school system. Later, Maurer was associated with the National Bank of Fairbury, now Bluestem National Bank. The Maurers have two children and five grandchildren.

The 105-member Stafford Swim Team completed its 2005 season with 10 wins and no losses, and set 16 new swim records. The team was led by Cathy Smith, who completed her 20^th year of swim team coaching.

10 Years Ago

July 22, 2015

Following an executive session at its most recent meeting, the Fairbury City Council hired two police officers, Christian Edwards, a member of the Rushville Police Department, and Drew Chase, who currently serves as a correctional officer with the Livingston County Sheriff's Department at the county jail. “By making these hires, our police department will be back up to full strength,” said Mayor Lynn Dameron.

New births — to Issac and Miranda Huber of Fairbury, a boy, Coen Richard, born July 6, 2015; to Bradley and Michelle Kahle, a girl, Mackenzie Lynne, on July 5, 2015; to Kyle and Alicia Steidinger of Fairbury, a boy, Shad Landon, born July 1, 2015.

In a 13-9 vote Thursday night, members of the Livingston County Board voted down the application from Invenergy for the proposed Pleasant Ridge Wind energy Project. Board members voting to deny the application were Kathy Arbogast, Justin Goembel, James Carley, Mark Runyon, Daryl Holt, Stanley Weber, Kelly Cochran Cohlman, Tim Shafer, Paul Ritter, Carolyn Gerwin, William Flott, Vicki Allen and Marty Fannin. Those voting against the denial were Jason Bunting, Robert Weller, John Vietti, David Heath, Joseph Steichen, G. Michael Ingles, Bob Young, Ronald Kestner and William Peterson. William Mays and John Yoder were both absent from the meeting. As of Thursday night, there was no official word on Invenergy appealing the decision.

"Looking Back" from Kari Kamrath is sponsored each week by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home.