Looking Back for Dec. 20, 2023

1923 – 100 Years Ago

Motorists have been handicapped during the last week or two in parking their cars along the Lincoln Highway on account of the parking line which were painted white several weeks ago have become obliterated. The markers were a great aid to the motorists when first put on the pavement but at the present time are doing little to aid in parking cars.

Residents of Sycamore have been busy during the past few days as the children of the schools have been asking everyone to buy Christmas seals. Prizes have been offered to the person who sells the greatest number of seals before the close of school for the Christmas vacation and every student is intent on winning the prizes. So far, the sale has progressed very favorably and those in charge expect to reach the mark set last year, in the sale of seals, the proceeds of which go towards the prevention of tuberculosis.

London hints the Prince of Wales’ taste in girls is not so good. Girls should use flavored lipstick.

About forty friends came unannounced to the Frank Simpson home in Ohio Grove Sunday evening, bringing baskets of good things to eat. The day was Mr. Simpson’s birthday. A pleasant evening and an excellent supper were enjoyed.

At the regular meeting of the Kiwanis club which was held in the Innovation grill last Monday noon, members were given the opportunity of witnessing one of the best flag drills ever given by grade school pupils in DeKalb. The boys of the Haish school gave a very interesting drill during which several difficult figures were formed without any apparent confusion. The drill clearly showed that much hard work and cooperation between the student and instructor were available in order to make the success that it was.

The North Western railroad came in for a share of the complaints received at the police station yesterday when Chief James Scott was told that something must be done with the switch engine of the railroad. It was stated that the engine had been down on the Spring Valley tracks east of Evans Avenue during the forenoon and had also retuned in the afternoon. The complainant said she had taken her washing in two or three times and was getting tired of it. She said the engine was standing on the tracks doing nothing but sending a cloud of heavy black smoke over onto the wash lines.

1948 – 75 Years Ago

Fears that there would be no snow for Christmas were alleviated on Saturday afternoon when a few flakes started falling and before the evening was over four or five inches had fallen. Even if no more should fall, the present snow should last over the holiday.

Shooters, hungry for fowl or hams at the holiday season, were out in force yesterday for the event held at the range of the DeKalb Sportsmen’s Club on the South Malta Road. Shooting began at 10 o’clock in the morning and continued until darkness forced a halt to the activities. Coffee, pie, cakes and sandwiches were available throughout the day with the wives of club members providing pies that proved highly desirable.

Kane County authorities are seeking a pretty blonde dressed in a red sweater, light skirt, and fur coat, following a robbery in which Kermit Kirkhus of Waterman lost his billfold and money early Friday morning. Kirkhus reported that he had been robbed in the morning by two men and a woman on Route 30 a few miles west of Aurora.

At a recent meeting held in the Archery Range Room of the Community center in Sycamore, details of the newly organized Archery Club were outlined. The club is to be known as the Kishwaukee Archers.

The only new development today in the plans for the coming Christmas carol sing for next Wednesday night is a suggestion that seems to be a popular one. This plan is to have certain descendants of racial groups in this city sing carols of the land from which their parents came in the original tongue. If the project can be worked out there should be Christmas music of Sweden, Finland, Germany and various Baltic and Balkan countries, sung in the native languages.

Main line train dispatchers on the North Western Railroad between West Chicago and DeKalb have the new CTC machine in operation. Instead of the familiar rattle of telegraph instruments, annunciator bells have taken over. A single tap of the bell announces the clearing up of a track circuit. Sometimes the machine delivers a Bronx cheer, when a wrong lineup which will not work is set up.

Fire early this morning destroyed a large barn on the Ivan Williams farm located east of the Pierce Town Hall. Twenty-eight head of dairy cows were lost in the fire, as well as a large amount of hay and straw. The barn was constructed in 1938 and the same barn today would probably cost at least $25,000 to build.

1973 – 50 Years Ago

The recent accumulation of snow, while often bringing frowns to the faces of persons forced to drive in it or shovel it, has just the opposite effect on youngsters. They took advantage of winter’s white stuff at the toboggan slide at Hopkins Park.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given written warning to two DeKalb firms as a result of investigation of fish kills in the Kishwaukee River in September. Several observations of untreated or partially treated waste water discharged from field tiles and storm sewer systems were noted in the letters of the Del Monte plant and the Spaulding Fibre-Insurok Division plant.

DeKalb has cut back its snow removal operations because of the gasoline shortage, but all streets will be plowed at least once. Snow clearing operations use about 2,000 gallons of gasoline under normal conditions. All arterial streets will be kept open and all side streets will be plowed at least once.

1998 - 25 Years Ago

On a day of history and upheaval, President William Jefferson Clinton was impeached by the Republican-controlled House on Saturday for perjury and obstruction of justice. The 42nd chief executive thus became only the second since the nation’s founding to be ordered to stand trial in the Senate.

Despite all the missed deadlines and a seemingly impossible time schedule, DeKalb city officials still aren’t willing to declare the DeKalb Regional Mall dead. The mall, which many believe would put DeKalb on the retail map, originally was scheduled to open in April 1999. It has been delayed repeatedly. According to the agreement between the City of DeKalb and mail develop Joseph Freed & Associates, the mall must open by February 2000.

It all goes smoothly; the Sycamore Park District will continue to expand to meet the needs of a growing city. Board members plan to purchase two tracts of land, including three quarters of an acre on the city’s north side at Freed Road and Larson Street for $30,000.

The Genoa-Kingston School District is planning to start formal talks about merging with Hiawatha schools. Richard Leahy Genoa-Kingston superintendent, said a school board committee has set a meeting with Hiawatha school’s committee on Jan. 13 to discuss cooperative agreements between the districts.

Compiled by Sue Breese