1925 – 100 Years Ago

Salesmen and district agents for the Maytag Washing Machine company had an important meeting in DeKalb last evening. The first of the meetings to be held here. A banquet at the Innovation Grill room was one of the features of the session. The salesmen from all over the district arrived in this city early in the evening and a parade was staged through the business district, a group of singers entertaining in the meanwhile.

There are either a large number of honest people in DeKalb or a large number of people who look without seeing. At least that is what one young woman of DeKalb is thinking. Late Tuesday evening a young woman made use of the long-distance telephone booth at the Innovation. While in the booth she dropped her pocketbook containing a large sum of money. The loss was not discovered until late yesterday morning and the young woman immediately went to the telephone booth, hoping against hope that the money might be found there. It was, the pocketbook and all of the money laying on the floor of the booth, which had been used several times after she had made use of the telephone.

There is some discussion among the business men on North Fourth street to have the stretch between Lincoln Highway and Locust Street paved this fall. As several of the business men are in favor of the plan, it may be that the street will be paved soon. Those interested in the plan point out that the street could be paved with the same substance that is to be used in the paving of John Street and West Lincoln Highway for which work will be started in a few days. The cost would not be as great as would be the case next year, due to the fact that the contractor is in the city at the present time and he could do the work as soon as the paving of John Street and West Lincoln Highway was completed.

Satisfactory progress is being made on the Malone addition, which is being built at the rear of the dry goods store, made necessary by increasing business. The excavation for the new part, which will be 15 feet by about 28 feet has been completed, and as soon as the ground dries, it is probable that Peter Christianson, the contractor, will start laying cement. The foundation will be constructed at the earliest moment and it is expected that within a month’s time, the building will be ready for occupancy by the store folks.

1950– 75 Years Ago

Road enthusiasts of the county and those interested in the construction of Route 23 are more than elated at the announcement coming from the contractor that within the next six weeks, with favorable weather, the cement laying from Marengo to Harvard will be completed. Other than a few gaps between Sycamore and Marengo the road will be practically completed in that time. Work south from DeKalb has been finished and shoulder construction is well underway.

Work will be started in a few days on a water main that will be built from the west Lincoln Highway to the new Ellfield addition, down Park Avenue. It may be that the greater part of the work will be completed early in the spring but the connection on Lincoln Highway will be made in a short time. The water main on Lincoln Highway is on the south side of the street and the part of the main that will be laid this fall will be from the Lincoln Highway main, across Lincoln Highway at Park Avenue, to the curbing on Park Avenue. This work must be done before Lincoln Highway is paved. A ten-inch main will be built across the highway while the main that will be laid in the parkway on Park Avenue may be only eight inches.

Last night a few minutes before midnight a large truck backed up in front of the Cederoth Shore Store in Sycamore and a couple of the boys from the Seeaneye Inn who had not gone home were informed by Mr. Cederoth that he had come back for his stock. The shoes and fixtures were quickly loaded into the big truck and it was again on its way. The destination of Mr. Cederoth and his shoe stock was not divulged to the fellows who chanced to be on the street at the time.

The detours between DeKalb and Sycamore both of them are reported as being very slippery, and those who went to DeKalb during the morning hours drove cautiously, especially over the Coltonville road, which is treacherous, on account of the oil. The Cortland Road was not as dangerous for auto traffic, but it was no trick at all to slide from one side of the road to the other, due to the sand, and the usual soaking from the early morning rain.

1975 – 50 Years Ago

The 65-acre Farm Progress Show exhibit area, just south of the James Willrett farm, near Malta, includes three avenues and 10 street. The “instant city” has no internal traffic problems, but visitors to the show have experienced bumper-to-bumper traffic early in the day.

The employees at Argos Products, Inc. in Genoa have caught the bicentennial fever. One weekend, two supervisors painted a bicentennial flag on the 20 by 10-foot wall of the employee lunchroom.

Necks craned and eyes strained. Everyone was looking heavenward Monday as the Goodyear blimp “America” floated above DeKalb. The mammoth advertising gimmick is visiting DeKalb County to hover over the Farm Progress Show in Malta.

A 21-year-old pilot from Champaign received minor injuries Sunday when his plane crashed landed at DeKalb Municipal Airport. He was treated for a head cut and released at DeKalb Public Hospital. His plane has $3,500 damage. The Cessna aircraft stopped in a corn field next to the airport runway. Authorities said the plane crashed after the pilot reportedly saw a stalled airplane on the runway and tried to avoid a collision.

2000 – 25 Years Ago

Plans for a 460-acre industrial park and the redevelopment of the Northland Plaza shopping mall continue, as city officials and developers meet to hash out issues related to zoning, street improvements and economic incentives.

There was everything from charity auctions to miniature trains to parades at the annual Waterman Harvest Time. The celebration will wrap up today with a custom car show. Last year’s event featured more than 250 vehicles.

Paul and John Schwartz, owners of PJ’s Courthouse Travern & Grille, recently presented Voluntary Action Center with a contribution for its Meals on Wheels program. The gift came from proceeds from the establishment’s third annual golf outing.

Kishwaukee Community Hospital hosted Safety Fair 2000 this past Saturday to inform the community about safety through hands-on-demonstrations. More than 30 community organizations, agencies and business participated in the fair at KCH. Unfriendly weather did dampen the day.

Compiled by Sue Breese