Yesteryear: Looking back at stories that captured headlines in the Record

2013: The retaining wall along the west side of Route 47 just south of Van Emmon was torn down to make way for widening of the highway. It had been in place since the 1920s. (Shaw Local News Network file photo)

Compiled by Jeff Farren from the files of the Kendall County Record, 1864-present.

June 2013

Crews began tearing down the retaining wall along the west side of Route 47 just south of Van Emmon Street in downtown Yorkville. The wall’s removal was part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s project to widen the highway from two to four lanes.

June 2008

Construction of the Glen D. Palmer Dam modification, which began in 2006, has entered into the second phase of the project, which includes the construction of a 1,100 foot canoe bypass channel.

June 2003

The Chicago-based Landmark Preservation Society met with the Kendall County Board to discuss possibilities for preserving the old county jail building. Built in 1893, it was vacated in 1992.

June 1998

After 30 years, Dean and Marilyn Thanepohn have sold Yorkville Hardware. They are only the fifth owners of the business which began downtown in the 1840s.

June 1993

Ground was broken for the new Amurol Products chewing gum plant on Route 47 north of Cannonball Trail. Amurol is part of the Wrigley Company.

June 1988

Due to the serious drought, there will be no water fights at this year’s Yorkville Fourth of July celebration.

June 1983

Wrecking crews made quick work of buildings along the east side of Route 47 just south of the river in downtown Yorkville. One building housed the Yorkville Library, the other, Schneider Refrigeration and Appliance. Demolition was necessary for the new four-lane bridge.

June 1978

Kendall County is one of 26 Illinois counties that fail the new Federal Clean Air Act standards approved a year ago. All counties in the area fail the new ozone standard.

June 1973

The new Yorkville Pizza Hut is set to open on Countryside Drive, just north of Route 34.

June 1968

PFC Michael S. Haines, 21, became the first Yorkville fatality of the Vietnam War when he died in combat June 6. He graduated from YHS in 1965.

The new Kendall County Recreation Area was dedicated. It is on Route 71 west of Route 47 (Now Harris Forest Preserve.)

June 1963

The establishment of a new parish in Kendall County for the Joliet Catholic Diocese is announced. Saint Anne’s of Oswego will join Saint Mary’s parish, Plano.

June 1958

City officials called a special meeting to acquaint local people with the Dutch Elm disease which is attacking trees in town.

June 1953

Oswego High School board approved plans for a new building.

June 1948

According to reports, Kendall County flies are few and far between this summer as a result of spraying with DDT.

June 1943

The Kendall County War Meat Committee held its first meeting at the Farm Bureau Building. The purpose of the committee is to foster an understanding of meat rationing. H. E. Ament was elected chairman.

June 1938

George West, enterprising Plano foundry man, is to enter the stoker field shortly with a coal stoker manufactured in his Plano plant.

June 1933

A road grader with pneumatic tires instead of the usual steel lugs and rims was demonstrated on West Van Emmon Street. The powerful machine scarified and graded the hard surfaced street with little effort.

June 1928

Word has been received from the state highway department that nine and one-third miles of Route 47, from Yorkville south to Helmar will be paved. This is part of the state’s initiative to pave north-south roads.

June 1923

A new high school building of modern appointments must be had and had soon if the high grade of the Yorkville Consolidated Schools is to be maintained. Time have changed since the editor graduated from this temple of learning, only seven in the class. This year there were 23.

June 1918

War, in its loneliness, was brought to the heart of a poor little pup this morning. George M. Lane’s dog was seen sitting on the deserted steps of the former Lane store downtown and looking wistfully up and down Bridge Street for the master, whose duty had called him into service for his country.

June 1913

Fred Manley has sold his Plattville store and building to LaForge and Corrigan.

June 1908

Tom Penman’s team enlivened town this morning by running away.

June 1903

The annual reunion of Company H, 89th Regiment Illinois Volunteers met in Bristol, with 16 members present.’

June 1898

John W. Cherry, Oswego, has been appointed deputy U.S. collector for the Joliet division and G. W. Voss, also of Oswego is deputy U.S. marshal with headquarters in Chicago.

June 1893

Harold Chappell, Fred Bretthauer and Jacob Armbruster were in Chicago to buy the new paraphernalia for the Yorkville Hose Company.

June 1888

The locust are getting out in great abundance. Why do they only come once in 17 years and what good are they anyway; they can’t vote or pay taxes.

June 1883

Our exchange papers bring news of high school commencement in villages round about, many of them smaller than Yorkville. But there is no such thing as graduating classes here - the schools are not even graded. It is not pleasing to the local pride of our people that the county seat of Kendall County affords only a common district school.

June 1878

The street lighting question has been practically settled and in a way that will be satisfactory to our citizens. The old open arcs have been replaced with new ones.

June 1873

We expect the reason there are no more shade trees on the streets is account of the tarnal cows. Unless you box up young trees to the height of 12 feet, they stretch their giraffe necks, run out two feet of tongue and strip all the starting branches. We heard an old gentleman the other evening say, “Darn them cows!”

June 1868

The dam across the river is now capable of damming the water (not profanely) and the repairs made were substantial enough to stand against the freshets of a score of years to come.