Looking Back for Nov. 24, 2021

1921 – 100 YEARS AGO

At the meeting of the board of directors of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce held last evening, it was voted unanimously to ask all the business houses of the city to close all day tomorrow if practical and in any event to close between the hours of 10 and 11 when the annual Thanksgiving services are being held.

Little Bobbie McCann, son of Mrs. Mabel McCann, while at play yesterday, was struck in the face by a tin can, inflecting a deep gash. The little fellow bled somewhat and it required the services of a surgeon who took a few stitches to close the wound. The little fellow is at play today although making it a point to keep out of the way of tin cans.

John Duff sent a complaint to the police department last night about some schoolboys throwing stones and snowballs at his house and creating a disturbance. The matter was investigated by the police and it is probable that unless the practice ceases, some of the boys will be before Judge V. A. Glidden.

Altering the building next to the News Stand, recently purchased by B. C. Knodle, started in earnest this morning when carpenters and structural iron workers went to work. The new front for the building is on the scene, and the first task of the men was to erect an enclosure for the front of the building to eliminate all possibility of accidents. Work is going on as rapidly in the rear of the building as on the Lincoln Highway side and Mr. Knodle hopes to be able to announce the opening of his new store the first of the year or a few days later.

Edward Conlin, according to a report on the police book today, lost his overcoat while attending the dance party at the Odd Fellows hall Saturday night. The police department was given an accurate description of the coat and efforts will be made to locate it. Conlin is of the opinion that the coat was stolen, as no other garment was left in its place.

Alonzo Maginnis, formerly of Sandwich, now living with his parents Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McGinnis at Rochelle, was the subject of much favorable comment in the papers of the Ogle County city this week. Maginnis has been a wireless bug for many years, and at an outlay of considerable expense, has fitted up a first class radio station which allows him to hear other operators from all over the United States. The Rochelle papers devote nearly a column to the former DeKalb County lad.

1946 – 75 YEARS AGO

With all that has been done of late and what is now being done in the building of housing facilities, some have wondered whether DeKalb might be overbuilding. This question has been asked of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce quite often of late and a survey of the housing needs reveals that there is no danger of overbuilding DeKalb.

The community of Clare extended sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Julius Anderson whose household goods, clothing and canned fruit were destroyed in the fire. Mrs. Anderson is a teacher in the district school and was dismissed for two days while Mrs. Anderson could assist in searching for clothing and new living quarters.

When the car of Wilbur Althauf, resident of Paw Paw, backfired while repair work was being done, a fire was started in the repair department of the Floyd Nevins Service station here that destroyed the car and building. The accident happened this morning. The repair work on the Althauf car has been practically completed and mechanics were running the motor in its final tests when the backfire and resulting blaze occurred. Efforts to halt the flames were without success and the fire departments of Paw Paw, Compton, West Brooklyn and Mendota were summoned to protect other buildings.

The Community of Somonauk is to have a special election on whether to approve a bond issue for the blacktopping of the road from Somonauk to the U.P. church and also the road from the village edge to the George Raspiller farm, a total of about eight miles.

Dr. J. C. Ellis reported to the police yesterday that 10 one-quarter grains of morphine had been stolen from his auto and that he thought the theft had been committed on Monday of this week. He is the third DeKalb physician to have reported the theft of narcotics from medical kits left in their autos. Dr. E. W.Telford and Dr. Paul Carney had narcotics stolen from their cars Monday morning while the autos were parked in front of the St. Mary’s Hospital. Two medical bags were stolen from the Telford auto, the thief throwing the bags away alongside a highway. The bags were picked up by a farmer and Dr. Telford recovered them later in the day.

1971 – 50 YEARS AGO

That first Thanksgiving dinner 350 years ago was little more than a “men only” get together, no Indian squaws and little more for the Pilgrim women than kitchen chores. Indians outnumbered their Pilgrim hosts by about two-to-one during the three-day “harvest festival” of Thanksgiving.

Mrs. Ada Hallaron of Sycamore is once again getting into the Christmas spirit. As chairman of a one-woman servicemen’s card committee of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 99, Mrs. Hallaron is busy phoning parents of servicemen to get an updated mailing list for her Christmas cards. Each year on Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day, Mrs. Hallaron sends cards to all servicemen from Sycamore. She also sends a greeting card to each man as he enters the service.

Hoping to begin converting the former airport property to recreational use, the Sycamore Park Board last night deferred a decision on renewing the lease held by Thomas Sheahan. Sheahan currently uses the property for corn planting and desires to continue to do so. The board did grant a six-month extension on the lease of two former airport buildings as a research facility.

1996 – 25 YEARS AGO

The DeKalb Landmark Commission has given its preliminary approval for a proposed historic district near the university, acting on a petition signed by 37 percent of the area’s property owners. All of the property owners within the boundaries of the proposed “5th Ward North Historic District” will have the opportunity to approve or disapprove of the designation and a public hearing has been scheduled for February.

Tuesday night at Malta High School was surely like no other in the school’s history. A record crowd gathered in the gym for the girls’ basketball game against Genoa-Kingston. Emotions ran high, but not for the usual reasons associated with the opening game of a season. The night belonged to Becky Parker, a pixie-faced, curly-haired basketball enthusiast who always wore a smile, and whose life was cut short by the one thing that ended up being stronger than herself.

– Compiled by Sue Breese