1925 – 100 Years Ago

Our beautiful Wurlitzer Grand Piano will be on display Saturday of this week in the window of Wirtz & Wirtz, furniture dealers, and this means that every active worker will be on hand to take a look at it that day. You are going to be thrilled, ladies, and the weight of it will be just the inspiration you need for next week’s work. It will be a part of a beautiful living room display and you will be wonderfully pleased.

The Meanest Man in Town, his identity unknown, operated in this city sometime last night and as a result big tacks, large enough to puncture the best tire manufactured were spread on the pavement in front of the DeKalb theatre. It is not known if any autoists of this city fell prey to the man’s mean trick. Thomas South, janitor at the DeKalb theatre, discovered the tacks this morning when he arrived at the theatre and immediately swept them and removed them from the street, in order that autoists would not suffer from the practical trick that had been attempted by some person.

Fire, thought to have been started by some youngsters at the home, yesterday afternoon about 1:30 o’clock called the DeKalb fire department to the residence at 1002 East Locust Street, one of the Haish built homes in that section of the city. The firemen found one of the downstairs rooms blazing, the loose paper on the walls having been ignited in some manner.

Motorists of this city last evening for the first time in the history of DeKalb had their progress on the East Lincoln Highway and Seventh street controlled by an automatic traffic signal, located at Seventh street and Lincoln Highway. The new automatic signal was placed in operation last night for the first time and according to comments about the city today, is a decided improvement.

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th. There are many people in Sycamore who will watch their step tomorrow, as they fear Friday the 14th more than having a black cat cross their path, putting on the wrong shoe first in the morning and a hundred other things. There are railroad men who make it a point to put the right foot first on their engine in the morning and will pay particular attention to this duty tomorrow morning.

1950– 75 Years Ago

On Wednesday of this week at Springfield, Secretary of State Edward J. Barrett issued a charter to the following corporation: The Reliable Building Corporation, 153 East Lincoln Highway, DeKalb. There are 2,000 shares of common stock having no par value and the corporation will deal in real and personal property. Incorporators are listed as C. H. Iskowich, Pauline Iskowich and Philmore Iskowich. The corporation will operate the property recently purchased at the northeast corner of the Lincoln Highway and Second street.

A sample of the proposed street decorations for Sycamore’s observance of the Christmas season will be erected in front of the Fargo Hotel to test public reaction early next week. Another event in the 1950 observance of Christmas in Sycamore, the proposed float parade based on religious themes, is apparently taking definite sample from the response received.

Four business houses were broken into early Thursday morning. All of the places are located on Route 34 in the east part of Sandwich. About $500 was taken from the Moose building and $30 from the D-X Gasoline Station operated by Leonard Barter. Nothing of value was taken from Werner and son Automobile Accessory Store or the Bennett Motor Express Station. Entrance to the Moose building was made by breaking a basement window and at other places first floor windows were pried open.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Pritchard of Pierce and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Peterson were at the Ice Follies with the Flying Farmers group Saturday night.

“Secret Police” of DeKalb will go into action tomorrow. They are a part of this system of determining the person to be honored as “Clerks of the Week,” in the program that is being sponsored by The Chronicle and the Rotary Club. Frank Blitzbau is chairman of the committee that is making the survey to determine the first person to be named for the honor. He and his committee have contacted a number of women whose identity will remain secret, but who will carry on a survey to determine the most pleasant, courteous and service providing clerk.

Everything was quiet at the DeKalb fire department this morning. The smoke eaters have received no calls for the past 24 hours, the only vehicle moving from the station being the ambulance which made several calls both yesterday and this morning. The new pickup truck that will be used for emergency uses and also to facilitate movements of the members of the department has been undergoing a complete face lift and this morning was receiving a new lettering coat.

1975 – 50 Years Ago

Abandonment of DeKalb’s city manager form of government would mean returning to a system of a mayor and 14 aldermen. Illinois law says a city must return to its previous form of government if the voters drop the city manager set up in an election. In 1960, when the city manager was adopted, DeKalb had a mayor and two aldermen from each of seven wards. The present mayor and council members would fulfil that elected terms and then an entire new city council would be chose.

Monthly patient rates at the DeKalb County Nursing Home are going up. The County Home Committee of the county board last night approved a $2.71 per patient per day increase in rates the first increase in three years. The new rate will be $625 per month effective Dec. 1.

Two glass doors were broken at Sycamore Municipal Building last night. Sycamore police said they heard the sound of breaking glass at 11:20 p.m. They found rocks had been tossed through the doors leading to the police department. Rushing outside, they could find no one, police said. A search of the area was then made. Estimated damage was $250.

2000 – 25 Years Ago

Some residents of the DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center are heading back to school this year. The nursing home residents are spending time at Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School to visit and participate in activities with students in prekindergarten through fourth grade.

Amid all the uncertainty this week over who will be the next president of the United States, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., has proposed a constitutional amendment abolishing the usually low-profile and often overlooked Electoral College.

Since 6 p.m. Friday, veterans outside the DeKalb County Courthouse have withstood cold weather and lack of sleep for a chance to reflect. The annual 24-hour vigil in celebration of Veterans Day will conclude at 6 tonight.

The election is over but the campaign continues in the improbable 2000 presidential race, with George W. Bush claiming victory based on an unofficial recount of Florida ballots.

The DeKalb Park District Board considered a proposal Thursday to accept the donation of a downtown building for use as a tourism and cultural center.

Compiled by Sue Breese