December 2020

Yorkville High School students and staff got a look into the school’s past when a time capsule, sealed inside a hallway wall in the building in May 2020, was opened by student council members. The capsule contained a variety of school items including Homecoming football programs, photos from team and clubs, a Valentine Day card and back issues of the high school newspaper and the Kendall County Record.

December 2015

Yorkville Public Library officials marked the 100th anniversary of the library’s establishment with a Birthday Bash held at the library at 908 Game Farm Road.

December 2010

After a four-hour meeting and 45 votes, John Purcell was elected chairman of the Kendall County Board. The final vote was unanimous.

December 2005

Rush-Copley Medical Center will soon begin construction on a 45-acre medical campus on Route 34 west of Cannonball Trail, Yorkville.

December 2000

The Yorkville Plan Commission recommended approval of a preliminary plan for a large business development on the east side of Route 47 south of Route 34 at Landmark Drive. A large anchor store is expected with several other smaller stores, all to be announced later. (It was Jewel-Osco.)

December 1995

Yorkville Police Officers Terry Klingel and Donald Schwartzkopf were chosen from more than 50,000 applicants to serve on the security force for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

December 1990

Kendall County Clerk Jean P. Brady retired after 40 years with county government, 30 as county clerk. County Treasurer Elaine Mitchell retired after 12 years in that post.

December 1985

The building which housed the Yorkville Y Mart at the northeast corner of U.S. Route 34 and Illinois Route 47 was torn down to make way for future development. It is now the Amoco station and stores to the east.

December 1980

The Illinois legislature has deeded 3,947 acres of the Glen D. Palmer State Game Farm to the City of Yorkville. The property now houses the new Yorkville High School, Beecher Community Center and Yorkville Public Library as well as many recreational areas.

December 1975

County Sheriff Thomas Usry refuted a report from a Chicago newspaper that the Kendall County Jail was “one of the worst in the state”.

December 1970

Illinois voters cast ballots on a new state constitution to replace the one adopted in 1870. Kendall County voters rejected it, 2324 to 3078, but statewide it passed with 55 per cent of the vote. It is the fourth constitution in the state’s history and the one government operates under today.

December 1965

Services for Sp4 Fred C. Heriaud, a victim of the war in Vietnam, will be held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Oswego. Heriaud attended Plano High School until his junior year when his family moved to Oswego. He was the first of six Kendall County men killed in Vietnam.

December 1960

According to the 1960 census, Kendall County now has a population of 17,540. Biggest city is Plano at 3,343; then Yorkville 1,568 and Oswego 1,510.

December 1955

A group of junior high students have completed reconstruction of the skeleton of “Sam” as a science project. Sam was a horse found dead in a local farm field. More than 40 students helped clean the bones in the basement of science teacher Carl J. Olson. The group took a trip to the field museum to help them place the bones in the correct position.

December 1950

The Yorkville Grade School District 15 Board proposed building a new school. The issue was defeated 344 to 319.

December 1945

Fire consumed the building occupied by William Powell and with it the Yorkville fire truck was destroyed. The building formerly owned by William Bieritz and operated as a wood and metal working shop. It had been occupied by Powell for but two weeks. The fire truck had been stored there for many years, as Bieritz was the fire chief.

December 1940

It has come to our attention that the Village of Bristol (North Yorkville) is putting in brighter street lights. Which sounds like a good idea. Carried further, the lights will be burned all night instead of dousing them at 12:30 or 1:00 whatever time they do turn them off. Me thinks the new bulbs will be of 100 watts power instead of the present 60 watt type. And that ought to brighten things up on the north side these dark evenings.

December 1935

The Kendall County Board of Supervisors voted to put a bounty on wolf and fox scalps. This is a good thing. Foxes especially have become pests in the past few years and have taken heavy toll on our small game, not to mention a chicken or two.

December 1930

The last strip of unpaved road on Route 47 has now been completed and motorists can enjoy clear sailing from Yorkville to Morris.

December 1925

The City of Yorkville passed an ordinance providing for the use of water meters in the city. From now on anyone using city water must have a meter. Quarterly charges start at $2.25 for the first 350 cubic feet or less.

December 1920

C. H. Clark, Kendall County Humane Officer, gave notice that anyone who leaves a horse standing on the street perspiring and without sufficient blankets, will have to retrieve them from the nearest hitching barn. “It is my intention to take off the street any animal I find in a sweaty condition without a good blanket, also any horse that has been standing on the street longer than two hours.”

December 1915

C. E. Parkhurst of Oswego was fortunate to recover his auto that was stolen last summer from his home. It was found in Sandusky, Ohio.

December 1910

Miss Florence Stumm has given up her place in the Yorkville Post Office and expects to attend a business college to fit herself for a better position. Miss Myrtle Belden takes her place and there is no reason why she should not make herself as valuable as Miss Stumm has done.

December 1905

Frank Harris is building a large new barn in Pavilion.

December 1900

The first street car arrived in Yorkville Saturday Dec. 22. About 200 city residents were on hand to welcome the car, which had left Aurora two hours before. People cheered, dogs barked, the band played and older residents stood in open-mouthed amazement.

December 1895

A corps of laborers is hard at work putting in the poles for the electric wires in Plano. Officials are looking forward to having the lights running by the New Year.

December 1890

Fred Leigh and his engineer broke through the floor of the Blackberry bridge with a steam threshing machine. The engine and men landed in the water below. The engineer jumped to deeper water and was not injured. Mr. Leigh landed on the rocks and suffered some broken bones.

December 1885

The bell has arrived for the Yorkville Methodist Church. It weights 800 pounds and is a fine looking piece of metal.

December 1880

Tuesday morning the thermometer read 20 degrees below zero.

December 1875

There was a serious railroad wreck at Millington. The engine of the northbound freight jumped the switch and engineer James McGuire died from injuries received. Eight cars were derailed besides the engine and more than 30 hogs were killed of the three carloads.

December 1865

The owner of the beer house on the hill was arrested for keeping a tipping and gambling house open on the Sabbath. If we are not much mistaken, he sells beer nearly every Sunday. He does not keep the front door open, but it is insinuated that a side door is open for the convenience of the contraband trade. It is not positively asserted that this is so but it is pretty strongly surmised.