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1921 – 100 YEARS AGO
The little 2 1/2-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T fell out of the third story of the Sycamore hotel on Friday afternoon. The little one was first caught by the roof of the front veranda, then tolled off to the ground, but somehow the mother of the child, hearing the fall to the roof, leaped the veranda railing and caught her little daughter in her arms, before the child struck the ground. It took some time for Mrs. T to regain her composure from the violent shock, but the child was unhurt, save a few minor bruises from landing on the veranda roof.
The old roundhouse of the Great Western railroad, which for so many years has done duty and been a landmark in north Sycamore has been abandoned. In its stead a new one has been erected near the Great Western coal chutes. Increased facilities promoting speed and convenience demanded the change and that veritable old landmark, so familiar to passerby for more than 40 years will be torn down.
Mitchel & Frizol, the Locust Street battery boys, had an exciting time Saturday night when making repairs on a big car. The repairs had been made and the owner of the car stepped on the starter without first looking where he was, and the big car started back through the big door of the battery shop. Frizol was nearest the door and when the car stopped, he was on the other side of the street. The glass in the door was broken and the crash could be heard for several blocks, attracting considerable attention. The door was badly broken and it took the boys several minutes with the aid of big mallets to get the door back in place again. The automobile was not damaged other than the rear fender slightly bent.
Alderman Robert Powell, much to the disgusts of his friends about town, has contented himself with smoking an old cob pipe and today his friends got bush and bought him a good pipe. In presenting the pipe, he was admonished that under penalty of court martial and possible expulsion from certain of his hangouts around the city, he was not to be seen smoking the old cob from now on.
1946 – 75 YEARS AGO
Glen Gustafson and Gus Striglos have purchased the Swanson Brothers Electric Store in Sycamore it was announced today. The two DeKalb men officially took possession of the store at noon yesterday. Mr. Gustafson was superintendent of the Central Illinois Light Company until resigning two months ago in order to secure an extended rest. Mr. Striglos has been a DeKalb businessman for many years. The new owners said that they would keep the Swanson Brothers name and would continue to sell merchandise, service and electrical contracting work. The store hours will also remain the same.
In Somonauk, a notable antique has been destroyed. The two-wheeled mail cart which the Burlington agent used to convey mail back and forth between the station and the post office stood too close to the tracks when a fast train came along and the vibration caused the truck to move far enough toward the tracks to be drawn under wheels and smashed to pieces. The Reveille says it was a rattling goods mail transportation for 40 years.
A farm wife who helps her husband is worth $69,000 to him, a woman agricultural editor has said. Gertrude Dieken, an editor of The Farm Journal, Philadelphia, made the estimate in a talk to the National Farm Electrification Conference. Urging farmers to buy equipment to electrify home services as well as production, she said “The farmer will be better off if he relieves his wife of carrying such unprogressive things as water, wood and coal, so that she may have a chance to concentrate on that $69,000 cooperativeness.”
Milton Duell of Esmond, a senior at the Rochelle High School, had the misfortune to have his collarbone broken in a football game on Friday night.
The extensive remodeling which has been done on the house of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Lindstrom for several months is nearly completed. They will enjoy a new heating system this winter and a garage which is attached to the house.
C.J. Swanson and son, Carl Jr., purchased the Sycamore airport site from the Leader Oil Company recently. All papers have been signed, but according to the attorneys, the title will not be delivered for several months. It was reported at first that the land east of the Sycamore Community Park would be plowed up due to the pack of financial backers for Darel Carls. The father and son expect to establish a first class airport in the near future which will be of much credit to the community of Sycamore. It is ideally located on Route 64 east of the park and will offer many flying tourists an opportunity to get acquainted with Sycamore and its facilities.
1971 – 50 Years Ago
Washington – The Supreme Court refused today to interfere with a lower court ruling that pension plans compelling women workers to retire at an earlier age than men is a civil rights violation. In another case, the court let stand a circuit court decision that airlines cannot impose a “women only” qualification for the job of flight attendant without violating the civil rights law against sexual discrimination.
Seventy-five years ago last May, the DeKalb Woman’s Club was organized under the name of Woman’s Club of DeKalb with membership in the State Federation. There were 27 charter members.
Fires in the city and rural DeKalb did an estimated $5,780 in damages to property and contents and hospitalized one Northern Illinois University student during October. According to the monthly report of the DeKalb Fire Department, $3,680 of the $5,780 in damages resulted in property loss to the city. Fire did an estimated $100 damage to the contents of buildings in the city, and $2,000 in damages to contents in the rural area. During October, the fire department answered 22 calls.
1996 – 25 YEARS AGO
The DeKalb County Board decided overwhelming last night against further sponsoring a flood mitigation program to relocate the Evergreen Village Mobile Home Park, outside Sycamore, fearing unknown costs it could bring on the county.
The Clark Oil gas station in Sycamore has been shut down since Monday, when it was found to be the source of a gasoline leak. The Sycamore Fire Chief said the leak is believed to stem from one of the underground gasoline lines at the station, located at 1655 DeKalb Ave. The leak was first reported Saturday night by some nearby homeowners, who smelled the gasoline.
Continental Envelope of Genoa has announced it will close its doors in mid-1997 as part of a plan to consolidate the corporation’s two plants, possibly displacing at least 20 percent of its local employees. The company will unveil its new facility, located on the east side of Geneva, around June or July.
After a 35-2 season, a conference championship and a second-place finish in a national championship tournament last year, returning members of the Kishwaukee College basketball team never expected the reception they received yesterday. Fourteen of the 23 players on the team’s roster were suspended following a month-long probe by college officials. The players were accused of forging signatures on physical-examination cards and received suspensions ranging from two to 10 games.
– Compiled by Sue Breese