Looking Back: 7-9-26

130 Years Ago

July 4, 1896

Jacob Von Tobel is taking a three weeks' vacation from the lumber business and is visiting old acquaintances in Iowa. The lumber yard is being ably looked after by his son, Edward.

The graduating class had a picnic at the Avoca Church last Friday and enjoyed themselves immensely.

The Churchills are building an elegant residence on their lots at the corner of Second and Maple Streets.

The marriage of Isaac N. Gardner and Miss Pearl E. Tappin occurred at the home of the bride's parents in Fairbury, Wednesday, July 1, Rev. W. I. Riley performing the ceremony.

120 Years Ago

July 6, 1906

T. S. O. McDowell met with an accident while returning from Starved Rock Monday, which lost him his automobile. He was coming along at a good lively clip, his wife and son, Scott, being in the machine with him. They were about six miles northwest of Pontiac, when Scott discovered the machine to be on fire. Mr. McDowell told the other occupants to jump out and he remained with the auto until he brought it to a stop. It was a rather dangerous position sitting over a flaming gasoline tank and T. S. O. said he expected every second to go up in the air. The tank didn't explode, however, and all got out safely, but nothing could save the machine burning. The fire is supposed to have been caused by a leak to the gasoline pipe, allowing the fluid to drop on the muffler, causing ignition.

Last Saturday morning while Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Morris were comfortably situated on a rustic seat in their front yard enjoying the cool balmy breeze and perusing the news of the morning papers, Elhanan Fitzgerald and wife drove up to the gate with a smile on their faces that meant that there was more to follow, but Mr. and Mrs. Morris did not seem to thoroughly understand “the smile” until the yard was full of friends and neighbors, who had assembled in honor of their 35^th wedding anniversary. While they were recovering from the shock, the ladies were busily engaged unloading the contents of the well-filled baskets and arranging them on a large table on the front lawn, and it was certainly a delicious spread.

Chas. W. Neitz, of this city, was given the high honor of being unanimously chosen president of the State Epworth League by the delegates of that organization in convention at Danville, Ill. last Saturday. Mr. Neitz felt that owing to his present manifold duties was unable to accept the presidency of this great religious institution, which now embraces a membership of 100,000 in this state. He undoubtedly would have made an ideal president, and it is to be regretted that he should have felt unable to accept.

110 Years Ago

July 7, 1916

Dr. G. C. Lewis' car, which was stolen last week, is still to be heard from. The doctor evidently does not expect to hear from it, as he has purchased another one, and rides around in it with a smile that refuses to come off.

Mr. and Mrs. Emil Baer and two children were in a runaway accident last Saturday, and while it did not result fatally, they were all badly cut. They were coming to town in a Klondyke buggy when an automobile scared their horses and they ran away. The buggy was tipped over and its occupants were thrown through the glass and wooden top. Both Mr. and Mrs. Baer and the children received many cuts from the glass and wood. The accident happened near the Jos. Schertz place southeast of town.

The first carnival company that visited Chenoa this season acted badly enough, but the second one was a thousand times worse. One of the shows put in the shade the notorious Park Theatre in Chicago, which Mayor Harrison closed up when he began his campaign against vice, the exhibitions being vulgar, obscene and disgusting. Some of the women that followed the carnival were more brazen than the street walkers of Chicago, and some of the hangers-on were pimps, deadbeats, bootleggers and beggars. As if one week was not enough for the community to bear, the aggregation remained in the city nearly two weeks, inflicting demoralization upon the youth. The city got fifteen dollars, but when the price of special police and the damage to injured morals are subtracted, the result will be found preceded with a minus sign.

100 Years Ago

July 9, 1926

A car driven by Leroy Kring collided with one driven by L. S. Henderson last Friday afternoon, the accident occurring at the intersection of Maple and Fifth Streets. Mr. Henderson was going east at the time and Mr. Kring was going south. After being hit, the Henderson car did a movie stunt by going up over the curb in front of the John Eddy home, circling around a few trees and stopping faced south. Neither of the occupants of the cars was injured. The Henderson car had a sprung axle, bent fender, etc. The Kring car was slightly damaged.

Last Friday Will J. Braun, one of the genial proprietors of the Bon Ton, drove his car over to Phelps' garage to have the brakes tightened. After leaving the car he went across the tracks and entered Monroe's barber shop from the rear, where he got a shave. Evidently the soothing effect with which his whiskers were removed put “Bill” into a trance, for after getting shaved he went out the front door and started to get in his car, but the car wasn't there. He put in some time trying to locate it and then got in touch with Sheriff Shugart at Pontiac, who got his force busy on the case. When the garage men got Mr. Braun's car fixed up they brought it around and parked it in front of his place of business, and there he found it.

A steeplejack was in town yesterday and while here gilded the three flagpoles on the Walton building and the one on the Fairbury Bank building. These poles stand some 35 or 40 feet above the roofs of the buildings, and the steeplejack “shinned” up them about as easily as the ordinary person would climb a stepladder.

90 Years Ago

July 3, 1936

Mrs. George Westervelt will celebrate on July 4, the 70^th consecutive year of her residence in Fairbury. She was a very little girl when the family came from a farm near Onarga to Fairbury to make their home, arriving here on July 4, 1866. This, her first view of an Independence Day celebration with the spectacular features of parades, fireworks and enthusiastic crowds, made a lasting impression. The enthusiasm ran unusually high that year, the Civil War still being a fresh memory.

While cutting bananas off the stalk Monday noon, W. E. Heubach, manager of the local Larkin store, discovered a large tarantula among the bananas. The venomous spider was knocked off into a paper sack and then transferred to a fruit jar, and is on display in the store.

Miss Dorothy Morrison, of Saunemin, became the bride of Floyd Immke, also of Saunemin, in a ceremony performed at 7:30 o'clock last Saturday evening by the Rev. A. H. Smith, pastor of the First Methodist Church, at his home in Pontiac. Mrs. Immke is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Morrison, while Mr. Immke is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Immke. They will make their home on a farm west of Wing.

80 Years Ago

July 5, 1946

The resignation of M. I. Travis from the Fairbury post office department went into effect Monday, July 1, after twenty-eight years of service. In stepping out of the position, Mr. Travis remarked that he wished to give some service man an opportunity. Moving up in the line of service are Orville Lange, taking Mr. Travis' place; James Smith becomes regular clerk; Andrew P. Steidinger substitute clerk and Duane Morris, the new carrier, taking over where Mr. Steidinger left off. Mr. Travis started on July 1, 1918, when G. H. Franzen was postmaster, and continued under postmasters J. F. Odell, A. K. Hirstein, Herbert W. Greene, and the present postmaster, Richard A. McAllister.

Jimmy Clark, of Chicago, one of the well known midget auto drivers of the middle west, is in the Fairbury Hospital recovering from injuries received in the start of the first lap of the 20-lap feature event, the last race on the Wednesday evening's program. He received a broken rib or two and some pulled ligaments in one of his shoulders and a few bruises. It was thought at first his back was injured, but X-rays taken yesterday afternoon showed that no vertebrae were injured. The accident happened on the west turn. Jimmy evidently took it a little too fast in getting away, and his car flipped sidewise and rolled over, pinning him underneath it. Brennan's car, following the Carls car, plowed into the latter.

Work was started this week with the pouring of the foundation for a large building which C. W. Hicks, of Hicks Oils, will erect at the northwest intersection of Seventh and Oak streets (Route 24). The building, which will be on concrete blocks, will be 48x116 feet. The overhead beams will be of steel and it will be fireproof in every respect. Mr. Hicks stated Monday it will be used as a service and appliance sales building.

70 Years Ago

July 5, 1956

“You can get it at Meeker's.” For many years, particularly those toward the early and middle part of the first half of the century, that expression was a byword in and around the Village of Cropsey. From a collar button to a horse collar, from Vermont cheese to cook stoves, from pitch forks to dress suits, you could truly “get it at Meeker's.” But this week the 64-year-old institution is holding its final sale. The time has come for the doors to open for the last few times. The decision to close the business has been made. F. E. (Frank) Meeker and H. L. (Harvey) Meeker, the last of four brothers who opened the store, announced the closing in what was, to a great many Cropsey residents, a sudden manner. “A lot of people thought we decided to close suddenly,” Harvey said, “burt Frank and I have been thinking about it for quite some time now.”

Heating hay was suspected of causing two fires near Forrest, the past week. On Sunday morning the barn on the Vernon Steidinger farm, one mile south of Forrest, burned to the ground, completely destroying 70 tons of hay and some farm equipment. Tuesday midnight the Forrest Fire Department was called to the Martin Brown farm one and a half miles east of Wing. Again it was a barn of smoking hay. Quick, efficient action by the firemen saved the barn from damage although some of the hay suffered from the thorough soaking.

The State Division of Highways has announced plans to construct a nine-mile test road in LaSalle county. The test road, a state news release said, is part of “Gov. William G. Stratton's multi-million dollar 1956 highway program.” The release failed to state what would be tested on the LaSalle County test strip. If the Division of Highways is interested, however, in learning the number of holes which can be made in concrete over a period of years, it might be suggested they come to Fairbury and observe route 24.

60 Years Ago

June 30, 1966

The Sunday afternoon concert by the Fairbury Municipal Band scheduled for July 3 will begin at 1:30 in Marsh Park. Improvements made recently on the bandstand have tended to enhance the sound of the 20-member organization. The new roof, besides allowing shade for the members, also serves to enhance the music before it moves out from the band stand. The pre-holiday concert includes many audience favorites.

Five graduates at Illinois State University from lower Livingston County have signed contracts for positions. From Chatsworth, Donald Sharp will be teaching mathematics at Edison Jr. High in Rock Island. The other four are from Fairbury: James Nance, high school math at Glenwood School for Boys; Harolyn Treadwell, foods at Gombers Jr. High, Joliet; Marilyn Goembel Vogt, secretary at Indiana University, Bloomington; and Karen Wall, 5^th grade at Shelby School, St. Charles. Two other June graduates have signed contracts to teach at Forrest. They are Roberta Pickering from Rockford, teaching PE in grades 1-8 of the FSW unit; and Patricia Weber of Yates City, business education in FSW High School.

Miss Judy Gualandi, 17, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gualandi of Kempton, was chosen 1966 Dairy Princess in ceremonies held in Forrest on Friday night. This was in conjunction with the annual Dairy Day celebration June 23-25. Miss Gualandi is a sister of the 1964 Dairy Princess, Kathy Gualandi, and was salutatorian of the 1966 class of Kempton-Cabery High School. Wanda Kaisner was first runner-up and Lynda Kyburz, second runner up.

50 Years Ago

July 8, 1976

A pre-dawn false alarm at the First State Bank in Forrest Tuesday resulted in the waking up of several Fairbury residents as squad cars raced through town on their way to Forrest. Livingston County Sheriff William Frye said the alarm went off shortly before 4:00 a.m., attracting officers from throughout the county. A spokesman at the bank Wednesday noted that the alarm system has triggered accidentally in the past.

Quick thinking and a working knowledge of first aid procedures allowed Mark Friedman, 15, of Fairbury, to come to the rescue of his drowning brother, Scott, 9. Wednesday evening Scott decided to go swimming in the horse tank on the family farm. Finding the water a bit cold he secured a small electric heater and jumped into the tank, heater in hand. The shock that resulted from the incident was of high enough intensity to leave Scott unconscious. Mark found his brother face down in the tank, pulled him out and proceeded to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. After several minutes, Scott began to revive. However, as they made their way to the house, Scott passed out a second time. Again his brother administered first aid techniques. Scott was taken to Fairbury Hospital and kept for observation. He is now home. Mark and Scott are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Friedman of rural Fairbury.

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Steffen of Fairbury received word last week that they had two new grandsons, born only 36 hours apart. J. Benjamin Steffen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walt Steffen of Cropsey, arrived at 2:30 p.m. June 30, 1976, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Bloomington. The new arrival weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 ounces. The other grandson, Aaron Cleve Klopfenstein, arrived at 2:31 a.m. July 2, at Methodist Hospital, Peoria. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Cleve Klopfenstein of Peoria.

40 Years Ago

July 3, 1986

Becky Weber, a 14-year-old Prairie Central student, who was injured last week at the end of a day of bean walking near Fairbury, is recovering at her home. Beckie is the daughter of George and Gladys Weber of Fairbury. Seven young people who had completed one field of soybeans for the Ross Joiner family were being driven to another nearby field by Carol Joiner, also of Fairbury. The group lost one of the water jugs which was in the back of the pickup truck with six of the workers. While the vehicle was backing up to retrieve it, Beckie lost her balance and fell beneath the vehicle. Her injuries were mostly cuts, abrasions and bruises of her right shoulder, arm and leg.

A Fairbury native with nearly 27 years of active duty service recently became the 23^rd commanding officer of the only Marine Corps installation on mainland Japan. Col. Jack B. Hammond, who was born in Pontiac, and is a graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, assumed command of Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni on May 29. The colonel, a combat veteran who flew over 250 missions in Vietnam, arrived in Iwakuni after completing service as the chief of staff of the 7^th Marine Amphibious Brigade of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. Hammond, the nephew of Mrs. Ralph Zimmerman and Mrs. Ray Stevens, both of Fairbury, is remembered locally as an excellent golfer in his high school days, and a champion at Indian Creek Country Club.

Harley and Lorraine Honegger of Forrest and Stan and Mid Dennewitz of Normal held a family dinner at Fincham's Steak Haus in Colfax to celebrate their 40^th wedding anniversaries. Lorraine and Mid are the daughters of Mrs. Maude Coleman of Fairbury. Those attending besides Mrs. Coleman were Honegger's children and grandchildren, Diane and Ron Rieger, Bobby, Becky and Beth Ann of Chatsworth, Barb Ashba, Brian and Kevin Rinkenberger of Fairbury, and Mark and Lou Honegger, Julie and Buddy Joe of Forrest. Also attending were Dennewitz's children and grandson, Bob, Jill and Christopher Keller of Normal; Jan Dennewitz of Danvers and Scott Dennewitz of Normal.

30 Years Ago

July 3, 1996

Livingston County Sheriff's Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a man who was severely burned and a Fairbury restaurant which also sustained considerable fire damage. Police believe both cases may be related. A fire of suspicious nature in the basement of the Golden Cup Cafe at 108 W. Locust Street, Fairbury, caused the closing of two uptown businesses Thursday. Police were notified on Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. that a man had walked into an Odell bar suffering from severe burns and was requesting an ambulance. The man, late identified as Magjahit “Pete” Hajroja, 37, of Granville, was first transported to Saint James Hospital where he was treated for severe burns on the upper part of his body and then transferred by helicopter within hours to Memorial Medical Center, Springfield.

Construction of the new all-weather track will begin soon, according to Janet Brown, chairperson for the Prairie Central Track Buildings. She, along with other committee members received permission to start construction from the Prairie Central Board last Tuesday. Although construction will be taking place, they would like the public to realize that donations are still needed, that about two-thirds of the money needed has been raised to date.

Susan Ruff of Fairbury is the recipient of a University Scholarship from Murray State University. The University Scholarship is renewable for up to four years provided specific academic requirements are met. University scholars are eligible to participate in the prestigious honors program at Murray State. Ruff is a 1996 graduate of Prairie Central High School and plans to major in business administration. She is the daughter of Robert Wayne and Teresa Lynn Ruff. Ruff was named in Who's Who Among American High School students and is an Illinois State Scholar.

20 Years Ago

July 5, 2006

Lyle “Ike” Dehm, a Chatsworth business owner for over 55 years, is this year's recipient of the Noble Pearson Award. Dehm and his wife, Wilma, are former owners of the West Side Drive-In and for many years have owned and operated Dehm Bus Service in Chatsworth. Since 1970, the bus service has been located in the old Chevy garage along Locust Street, where they operated the Chatsworth School District buses and also a charter bus service. One of his most famous passengers was blues legend, BB King and his band. While on tour, his bus broke down near Pontiac and Dehm ended up taking King on a 10-day, five-state trip. When the 1983 movie, Grandview USA was filmed in Livingston County, Dehm transported the actors and actresses.

When the Village Jeweler (formerly Jenkins Jewelry) opened a little over a year ago in Fairbury, many customers were wondering if there would be a jeweler on hand. Not to worry. That circumstance was never to exist, with the presence of Steven Hinrichsen, nephew of former Jenkins Jewelry owner, Keith Hinrichsen. Steven Hinrichsen says he “grew up” in the rear of his grandfather's and later his father's jewelry store. He has been around the jewelry business for 17 years and for the past six years has been a professional jeweler, working at Rogers and Hollands in Peoria, Gangloff's in Eureka and Plattner Jewelry in Eureka. He completed his schooling at Connor Jewelry Institute in Louisville, Ky., and New Approach in Virginia Beach, Va. The Village Jeweler is owned by Earl and Betty Steffen of Fairbury and is managed by their daughter, Sarah Brummitt.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has designated the farm owned by Wesley H. Klehm, of Chatsworth, as a Centennial Farm. To qualify, a straight or collateral line of descendants must own the agricultural property for at least 100 years. The Centennial Farm program helps to reinforce that family farming remains a viable entity in Illinois Agriculture.

10 Years Ago

July 6, 2016

Daniel Casillas has resigned as principal of Prairie Central High School, effective on June 30, 2016. Casillas will assume the newly-created position of Director of Human Resources Development for Champaign Community Unit School No. 4. He has served as principal of Prairie Central High School since 2009, and the year prior to that as PCHS's Dean of Students under Principal Dan Schmitt. Casillas' distinguished tenure as principal reached a crescendo when it was announced this spring that PCHS had achieved an 18^th ranking among 612 high schools in the State of Illinois for its performance on the inaugural Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PAR-CC). Casillas' “big shoes” will be filled by Brad Beyers, long-serving athletic director at PCHS. Beyers was appointed PCHS's 4^th principal by the Board of Education on June 21, and will officially assume his new duties on July 1.

Descendants of the late Ernest and Esther Sutter Hofmann met at Ziller's Pit, north of Fairbury, on June 25 for their annual family reunion. It is nicknamed DEWEJID, which are the initials of Ernest and Esther's seven children in order of birth. All seven were present: Delores Headley and Ernest Hofmann, both of Fairbury; Wilbur (Jeanne) Hofmann, Towanda, Erna Lou Kelly, Inverness, Fla.; Janet (Richard) Steidinger and Ida (Wayne) Ziller, Fairbury; and Dallas (Patricia) Hofmann, Downs.

Reece Dunn has been named 10 & under swimmer of the week, and Carene Campbell has been named 11 & older swimmer of the week. Reece works had during practice and is always willing to make a sacrifice for his team by taking strokes others don't want. Carene is a dedicated swimmer who is willing to put in extra time to improve herself.

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