Looking Back for March 24, 2021

1921 – 100 YEARS AGO

According to all reports, the excavation work at the new city hospital is about done and the contractors are now getting ready to put in the foundation. John Anderson, the drainage man, completed his work there several days ago and the progress of the building is now up to the contractors.

In the last six weeks the furniture firm of Wirtz & Wirtz has made several trips within a radius of 40 miles from DeKalb, and some of these have been to Rockford residents. Rockford is known the country over as the furniture city. Today the truck went to Belvidere with a big load. The DeKalb firm is a constant advertiser, believes in using printer’s ink generously, and by advertising judiciously has been able to get a strong hold in territory that otherwise might be controlled by others.

Evidently overloaded, or else in bad condition, a carload of coal in an eastbound train today was rocking rather dangerously and at almost regular intervals a large piece of fuel would roll off onto the right of way. As the train passed Fourth Street, several big chunks dropped to the sidewalk and it was necessary for pedestrians to walk around the scattered coal in order to get across. In looking down the track it could be seen that the coal had been dropping off all along the line and the load will be many pounds short when it arrives at its destination.

Although E. S. Rauworth of the Apollo Piano company states he is not giving pianos away, he is allowing certain clubs in the city the use of an instrument. He has sent one or two pianos to clubs in the city with the understanding they are to have the use of the instrument indefinitely.

Fred McLean and Wes Osgood have purchased the popcorn and peanut machine formerly operated by Christ Manos, and today are installing it at the Fourth street corner on the Lincoln Highway. Wes Osgood is a busy man cleaning up the machine, and getting it ready for operation as soon as the weather permits. Mr. Osgood, who will have charge of the business, states he will take no chances with gasoline and connection with the gas mains is being made today.

F.E. Wirtz, driving the store truck, had an accident Saturday afternoon that came near proving serious. Mr. Wirtz attempted to make the turn into the alley at the City Hall and misjudged the distance crashing into the iron railing protecting the basement entrance at the rear of the bank. The railing was broken off, a couple of large pieces of the coping were hurled into the stairway and one wheel of the tuck was over the edge when the car came to a stop.

1946 – 75 YEARS AGO

The Sarah Pierce Wild memorial organ has been removed from the Sycamore Community Center. The organ, which was presented to what was then the Universalist Church, was installed 40 years ago as a gift of Mrs. Arthur D. Gates, Mrs. Elizabeth Crum and Daniel P. Wild in memory of their mother. Mrs. Gates agreed to the removal of the instrument Wednesday when it was learned that long disuse, and misuse by youngsters had ruined it beyond anything but expensive repair.

Chief of Police B. F. Peck stated emphatically this morning that owners of dogs would have to keep their pets in their own yards or face arrest. Owners may also find themselves liable for damages caused by the dogs. Although complaints concerning dogs have been coming in for the past few weeks with regularity, the past few days has found the police department deluged with complaints.

When the Burlington Zephyr, north bound, and a truck carrying ear corn and driven by Paul Lehman of McGirr, tangled at the west crossing in Waterman, everybody was unhappy. Mr. Lehman, bruised, shaken and jolted was taken to the Glidden Memorial hospital, unhappy because of his hurts, the complete wreckage of his truck, and a loss of corn scattered far and wide along the railroad right of way. The Burlington was unhappy because one of its crack trains was put out of commission and a capacity crowd of fare-paying passengers had to be transferred or taken back to Chicago.

Mrs. Arthur Woods has resigned her position as third and fourth grade teacher at the Rollo school. She ended her work last Friday after serving faithfully for many years on the school staff.

Fifteen months ago a law was passed providing a small pension for un-remarried widows of veterans of the First World War. Payment can be made where the widow’s annual income is less than $1,000 during the calendar year or $2,500 if there are dependent children.

1971 – 50 YEARS AGO

Except for the sound of crashing underbrush, rumbling bulldozers and dump trucks carting away logs and limbs everything was peaceful this morning in the dying Montgomery Arboretum. Northern Illinois University Security Police arrested approximately 12 students and charged them with criminal trespass to state-owned property as protestors refused to leave the Montgomery Arboretum. Approximately 75 students opposed the destruction of the natural woods as the construction site of the university’s new psychology-math building.

Approximately 40 IBM electric typewriters were stolen from DeKalb Senior High School late Sunday or early Monday. According to George Carson, assistant principal at the school, “the typewriters will cost $14,800 to replace.”

Unwilling to let insufficient funds stand in their way, students enrolled in art photography courses recently held a sale of their work to raise funds to carpet the darkrooms. Located in NIU’s new Art Building, the darkrooms were not fully equipped and lack of carpeting caused an acoustic problem.

When members of the Student Forum at Jefferson School noted that the school flag was tattered, they decided that the students should buy a new one. The Forum representatives decided to solicit from student donations not to exceed a nickel. Their collection efforts fell $3 short of the amount needed, so the third graders raised the difference with a successful school bake sale.

1996 – 25 YEARS AGO

Goodbye No. 2 pencil, hello mouse, the SAT is going high-tech. This spring, about 1,500 seventh-graders are trying out a computerized version of the college admissions test that is administered to 1.8 million high school students each year.

It is now official, the Sycamore Park District will take over the city’s operation of the community center downtown. Both the city and the park district have passed the intergovernmental agreement, authorizing the reins to be handed over.

In a mock robbery at Sandwich State Bank, an armed gunman headed toward the tellers’ cages to get money. The mock robbery took place March 12, in cooperation with the bank, the Sandwich Police Department and the Illinois State Police.

– Compiled by Sue Breese