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1921 – 100 YEARS AGO
If the township authorities continue to haul loads of small stone through the downtown street there are likely to be several more windows broken. These small stones are easily flicked by a passing automobile, and the force is great enough to do damage to glass. The window at the First National bank was broken this morning by such a stone, and it resembles more the appearance of a bullet hole through the window.
Evidently it was between 11 o’clock and midnight on Friday night that the select storm was at its height as it was sometime between the two hours mentioned that the big clock at the high school went out of order. The clock was not heard at all Saturday nor Sunday. Yesterday when the repair work was given attention during the early morning, the first hour to be tolled was 11. The clock was then stopped, according to reports and started again at that hour. The familiar sound was missed by the people of that section of the city, many of whom rely on it entirely for the regulation of their household duties.
On account of the snow drifts near Belvidere Saturday night, the Spring Valley passenger train was unable to get through to Rollo and so it came Sunday afternoon.
Judge Adam C. Cliffe entered decrees in the Kane County circuit court Saturday, dissolving 147 corporations. These were old corporations, most of which have long since ceased to be in existence, but which require, nevertheless, court action to make their dissolution absolute.
Little Jimmie Walker of Elva was kicked in the head by a horse while playing near the barn Wednesday. He was taken at once to the office of Dr. Anderson where the wound was dressed. The doctor took eight stitches and the little fellow is as comfortable as could be expected. It is hoped no bad results will follow.
DeKalb, as well as the entire region of the Great Lakes, was visited last night and this morning by the worst sleet storm in the history of the weather bureau. All traffic is crippled. All electric service is practically gone, telegraphs and telephones are practically completely ruined and chances are that conditions will not be any better for many hours.
Charles Noren at the Central Garage has just received several of the late models of the Nash cars in all shapes, sizes and prices. The one car that is attracting considerable attention among the automobile public at this time is the sport model, which is said to be a fine looking motorcar.
1946 – 75 YEARS AGO
Nineteen boys and five leaders of Scout Troop 28 participated in an overnight camp Thursday night and Friday at Lloyd’s Woods north of Sycamore. Plans for the hike were made and carried out by Paul Hayes and Bob Burtzos.
Members of the Genoa Fie Department are awaiting the arrival of the new fire truck that has been ordered by the community. Its purchase was made possible through public subscription, $6,000 having been raised, and about $1,000 being needed to purchase extra equipment that will be valuable in fighting blazes. Kingston community has joined with Genoa in the raising of the funds to purchase the truck and will have fire protection from the Genoa department.
A brooder house located on the experimental poultry farm of the DeKalb Agricultural Association on Sycamore Road was completely destroyed by flames last night and the roof of a second brooder house was badly scorched. Also lost in the blaze were 220 14-day-old chicks. The blaze had such a strong start that there was no chance of saving the brooder house but danger to the other building was soon ended.
The Sycamore Park Board met last evening with no permanent action taken on grandstands, new roads, and other equipment. This was delayed until figures could be received by the war surplus companies. Also discussed was the possibility of James Reed acquiring the south six acres for ball diamonds for the use of the small children’s ball teams this summer.
Construction work is rapidly progressing on the new 80-by-10-foot addition at the General Electric plant in DeKalb. This structure, to be used for loading and unloading equipment, is located on the southeast corner and will be large enough to house three freight cars and strong enough to permit the operation of a 10-ton crane from the roof girders.
Announcement has been made that the Odd Fellows organization of Genoa has purchased the remainder of the building of which they now own and occupy a portion. The lodge hall of the organization is on the second floor. In the recent transaction, the remainder of the building was purchased. It was owned by Ralph Patterson and is now occupied by the post office.
1971 – 50 YEARS AGO
A youth found part of a burglary haul yesterday afternoon in the Kishwaukee River at the First Street Bridge. The youngster spotted a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, a Bandelier and some shells. Police believe the items were part of the Robert Hillstrand house burglary last week.
The German-American Club of DeKalb (DANK) celebrated its fifth anniversary Saturday night with a dinner meeting at the Union Hall in DeKalb.
Comparatively few of the more than 1 million needy Americans who now get government food stamps will be affected by the new “work requirement” rule. The rule, formerly proposed by the department late last week in line with a 1970 law, is designed to ban food stamp aid to able-bodied adults who don’t want to work.
Fifth-grade students in Yvonne Johnson’s class at West School are among those observing Earth Week this week by helping to keep our environment clean. The class is setting up a display on the Courthouse lawn and will be in charge of cleaning up the West school grounds.
As the new $3 million Visual Arts Building on the campus of Northern Illinois University was dedicated Saturday, guests heard a plea to bring art back to the people and beyond the “5% of the people in the nation today that enjoy serious art.”
1996 – 25 YEARS AGO
A year ago, it was the wails of sirens. Today, it was the wails of a baby, shrill cries that punctuated 168 seconds of silence. Hundreds of families and survivors faced an empty expanse of grass today where a nine-story building once stood. They paused – remembering in those 168 seconds the 168 people killed when a bomb devastated the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
The sharp, thin saw blade is a blur as it explores its way through the wood, turning this way then that with a sound far more hushed than expected. The faint pencil line disappears, replaced by the clean cut and the fine dusting of sawdust which frees a hint of fresh pine scent long imprisoned in the board. These are the sights and sounds and smells that Gayle Hughes, Genoa, has come to love. Hughes, who is a customer service representative/loan processor in the DeKalb office of the Farm Credit Services of Northern Illinois, was featured in the Employee Album sections of the most recent issue of the organization’s Country Spirit magazine.
– Compiled by Sue Breese