1925 – 100 Years Ago

According to reports received today from the Columbus Laboratories of Chicago, the community swimming pool is safe for swimmers. The water, samples of which were sent to the laboratory for tests, was today reported by the officials of the laboratory as showing “presumptive test for B. coli is positive in tube containing largest amount of the water. Therefore, we consider this water lightly contaminated with B. coli, but safe for swimming.”

American Legion and Legion Auxiliary members, with their families, will gather at Annie’s Woods at 6:30 o’clock tonight for an out-door picnic supper and entertainment, the first to be held this year. It is expected that a large attendance will mark the event of this evening. The families attending the picnic this evening are asked to bring their own picnic supplies and silverware. Coffee will be furnished at the picnic spot, it is stated.

It is reported that there are some auto drivers in DeKalb who have forgotten that Lincoln Highway inside the city limits has been designated as a through street, and fall to make proper stops at the intersections. Last evening a couple of wrecks were averted through the watchfulness of drivers using the highway. It seems that some people have the idea that all that is necessary is to drive to the highway, stop the car for a second or two and drive on. If there is traffic approaching from either direction, close to the intersection, those desiring to go onto the highway should wait until such traffic has passed.

Within a short time, a new crossing, to be built of a new patented material similar to asphalt, will be built in DeKalb at Fourth Street, one of the most used crossings on the North Western line. The plans for the new crossings were outlined by a representative of the railroad at an informational meeting of the city council on Tuesday night at the city hall. Should the new type of crossing prove more serviceable than the old type of planks and gravel, the other railroad crossings in this city will no doubt be built of similar material. The present type of crossing is not satisfactory and a section gang is always at work making repairs.

Satisfactory progress seems to be evident at the new building which will be occupied by the DeKalb County Abstract company, and is located north of the Sycamore public library. The fire proof vault has been completed, the cement foundation set, and bricklayers have started work on the skeleton of the building. There is every hope of being able to get into the new building before cold weather overtakes them, as it will be a much harder task to transfer the files in cold weather.

1950– 75 Years Ago

A portable respirator, a versatile piece of equipment, has been made available to the residents of DeKalb County through funds raised by the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Committee, which was organized in the county during World War II. Early in the war a committee composed of members of the American Legion and veterans of Foreign Wars raised funds through general subscription which were used for providing loans for men of the county in the armed forces in case of emergencies.

Considerable repair and construction work is in progress at the Clare lumber yard.

Donation by the Army of military weapons to veteran, civic and other organizations for ceremonial or military trophy display purposes has been suspended for the duration of the present emergency, the Department of the Army announced. Suspension of the program is necessitated because the time and effort of manpower required to process such donations are being utilized to meet increased demands brought on by the Korean situation, the Army said.

The crew of girls that went detasseling corn this year under the leadership of Mrs. Shirley Nates recently celebrated the completion of their work by spending an enjoyable evening at Riverview Park in Chicago.

The Pyramid Products Company, Chicago manufacturer of wire stripping equipment for more than 20 years, has been purchased by Ideal Industries, Inc., J. Walter Becker, Ideal president, has announced.

Mr. and Mrs. Chester Freeman and family enjoyed the homecoming at Nelson on Sunday.

Fifty-four years ago today, the teaching profession lost a likely candidate and the business world gained a recruit. It was 54 years ago today that a youthful high school graduate from Cortland started to work for one of DeKalb’s leading dry goods merchants. Today, he owns the business and is still doing business on the site and in the building his employer on that far-away date had built for the store. Michael F. Malone, as Irish as his name, said he was graduated from DeKalb High School that spring and fully intended to become a school teacher.

1975 – 50 Years Ago

Sycamore teachers manned picket lines at 8:30 this morning, opening the first teacher’s strike in Sycamore’s history.

One of five original Ellwood family homes is now a memory. The 91-year-old structure was razed last week. The former mansion of Will Ellwood was described as a “showplace” during its heyday. The other four Ellwood homes still stand. One is the Ellwood House Museum at 509 N. First St. The first of the Ellwood homes to fall to modern times was located at the intersection of First and Augusts streets. The site, which had its origins in history, will become eventually, the location of apartments and condominiums.

The proscenium arch which has framed such notables as Eleanor Roosevelt, comedienne Anna Russell, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and Robert Joffrey and the American Theatre Ballet will now face an expanse of small cubicles housing Northern Illinois University art department graduate painters. The 900 seats in NIU’s oldest building, Altgeld Hall have been removed and the floor was leveled last week. The cubicles will be installed as soon as possible. The auditorium was the site from 1899 until the 1960s, for hundreds of recitals, concerts, lectures and student plays.

2000 – 25 Years Ago

DeKalb’s population is growing quickly, or so goes the conventional wisdom. And a common fear among residents is that it’s the kind of low-density, farmland eroding residential growth often referred to as “sprawl.”

More than 6,000 people moved into DeKalb on Thursday, and things went off without a hitch. That’s quite an accomplishment. It was Move-In Day at Northern Illinois University, and thousands of new students, their parents, siblings and friend drove them to town in pickup trucks, rental trucks and vans.

At a signal, the tiny girl on the little spotted gray horse took off down the arena, heading for the single barrel at the end. When she got close to it, her pony barely slowed as he rounded the barrel. Suddenly, she gave a yell and the pony took off like a rocket, toward the finish line where her dad waited for her alone, per the rules. Welcome to the world of local people who love to ride horses. Circle K-D Trail Riders, a nonprofit Kendall-DeKalb County group in operations since the 1940s, was holding its annual fund-raiser. The public event was staged at the group’s arena on Moose Range Road just south of Baseline Road in rural Sycamore Township.

Compiled by Sue Breese