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1925 – 100 Years Ago
Local people, who remember the Gathercoal family, which formerly lived here, will be interested in the report from Chicago of the fact that three aviators, one of them Norris M. Gathercoal, have been missing from Chicago for ten days past. Young Gathercoal is the great grandson of Mrs. Norris Sweet, of Roosevelt Street, and a grandson of Mrs. John Carr and Mrs. Scott of South Sixth street. The Gathercole’s moved away from DeKalb some years ago and have since lived in Chicago. The three aviators who took off ten days ago in a plane owned by one of them, were reported missing last night. Relatives of the men and fellow fliers fear they may have fallen into Lake Michigan.
Springfield, Ill. – In the final cleanup of its work before September, the Illinois Commerce Commission made pubic the decision it reached during the last session in Chicago. Among them was authorization of a state highway to extend by means of an overhead bridge on State Bond Issue Route No 23, across the Illinois Central tracks near Genoa, DeKalb County.
Bert Weilert of Hinckley was taken to DeKalb yesterday to receive treatments for a broken wrist the mishap occurring yesterday morning while he was working in the hay mow on his farm. Mr. Weilert was working in the mow and in some manner lost his balance and fell. In trying to protect himself from striking the floor of the mow he broke his wrist.
Vacation periods for the police force started yesterday, officer Frank Riddell being the first to secure the leave of absence. During his vacation, the plans for which he has not made known, Officer Hale will be on duty during the day. Steve Parrish, for a time night watchman at the Mullis Brothers store, will be at the desk during the night, taking the place of Officer Hale.
Ed Milledge, building mover of Sycamore, has been doing a difficult job over near Hampshire on the farm of the S. E. Keyes estate. The task was that of raising and moving a large barn, 34 by 80 feet, which had blown off an eight-foot foundation and badly damaged by a strong wind.
The threshing machine are very plentiful in Paw Paw. The grain is fair, but help is very scarce.
1950– 75 Years Ago
The 74th annual Northern Illinois Old Settlers and DeKalb Farmers’ picnic will be held in the Kingston Township Park at Kingston on August 18 and 19.
Homes have become smaller but more convenient and comfortable, according to the United States Savings and Loan League. The league said a study of housing during the first half of this century shows that the size of homes has decreased with the size of the average family. There also is considerably more architectural variety available to home buyers today than there was 50 years ago.
The Midland Hotel Corporation, composed largely of Sycamore people, has purchased the building and business of the Hotel Fargo from the present owner and operator, W. H. Tifft, Sterling, it has been announced.
Three flying saucers were noted at 12 o’clock noon today by two DeKalb women while they were hanging out clothes. One woman of North Seventh street and a neighbor were hanging out clothes when their attention was attracted by what they first thought was an airplane. Scanning the cloudless sky discs which appeared to be spinning and very high. They looked to be about be six feet across but being so high it made it difficult to judge the size of them. They watched as the saucers seemed to rise higher and higher and then disappear from sight.
Violators of the regulations on the one-way streets which became effective last Saturday are being issued warning notices by the DeKalb police department. Red cards have been printed which read: “This is to warn you that you have entered this one-way street the wrong way. It will prove to be an advantage to you and all motorists to have these streets one way. Your co-operation will be appreciated.” The warning notices will be used until such time as motorists have an opportunity to become accustomed to the new regulations after which regular arrest tickets will be issued the violators.
The exterior of the DeKalb County courthouse is in the process of receiving its first complete maintenance work since built in 1903. Arthur Dimond, Genoa maintenance contractor, and a staff of three men began work Monday on tuck pointing the entire building. The project includes resealing mortar joints, dressing up broken and chipped cement and replacing broken columns. Several of the small columns which decorate the outer edge of the courthouse roof are in a bad state of repair and will be replaced with columns which Dimond molds himself.
1975 – 50 Years Ago
President Ford today assured Japan on the 30th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb that the United States will defend its World War II enemy in the event of any “nuclear or conventional” attack.
There was unpacking and unloading this morning as participants prepared for the Northern Illinois Steam Power Show and Threshing Bee on the Taylor Marshall farm north of Sycamore.
In the process of growing older in DeKalb, senior citizens are using their unsuspected dramatic talents to help each other. Using the facilities of People for Public Access, DeKalb’s own community program for giving people public access to cable television, they have produced the first of a cable television series with a soap opera format called “Life is Like That.” Themes written into the series include feeling older, how to get around in DeKalb without a good bus service, where to sit down in DeKalb’s downtown, how to find housing and changing roles in a family.
Sycamore City Council last night voted to postpone, for two weeks, a decision on the Sycamore Municipal Hospital’s recommendation that a detoxification unit be constructed with proceeds of the Jackson trust fund.
2000 – 25 Years Ago
The Sycamore Road retail boom will continue this year, as two developers work to bring more stores, restaurants, and maybe a bank or two to an area already ripe with strip malls. Plans to build a shopping center on the old DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center property have received preliminary approval, and a proposal to renovate Northland Plaza soon will come before the City Council.
About 50 to 80 more jobs will be eliminated at Monsanto’s local operations, but the company said it plans to remain in DeKalb and be a vital force in the community. The 50 to 80 positions will be integrated into headquarters operations in St. Louis. Some employees will transfer and others will be given severance packages, company officials said.
Alexander Lumber is in the process of purchasing 20 acres from Ellen Engstrom north of the Cortland Industrial Park and along Loves Road. The company plans to construct a truss-manufacturing plant in the new future, and to add 25 new jobs. Alexander also is planning to construct new retail lumber outlet to replace it facility on Locust Street.
The depth of a proposed Guardian natural-gas pipeline is drawing concern from DeKalb-area farmers. The 36-inch-wide pipeline would extend from near Joliet to southern Wisconsin. Its 149-mile route includes a 36-mile stretch through the eastern edge of DeKalb County.
Compiled by Sue Breese