Looking Back for May 11, 2022

1922 – 100 YEARS AGO

Although he has had a hard long, uphill fight, Jacob Haish today is able to sit up and view the grand outdoors, which is worth more to him than all the medicine that can be prescribed. Mr. Haish was taken ill several weeks ago with a severe cold, but is reported to be making slow recovery, and hopes soon to be able to get out on his porch within the next few days. DeKalb people will be glad to hear of Uncle Jacob’s improvement and will hope that it may continue.

I would rather have your friendship and good will any time than your business. So if you would allow me to put a Lee tire on your car and see how free from worry and trouble you would be I would gain both your friendship and business. I know from using the Lee tires and tubes on my own cars, just what they will do and I am willing to put them on your car and you be the judge. Terry Redmond, dealer, 151 N. Second St., Phone 197.

American Legion Bugle and Drum corps boys were out last evening in a big truck advertising the “Days of ‘49′” dance which starts here tomorrow evening and concludes Saturday night. The fellows motored to Sycamore and Malta and made plenty of noise en route, as well as playing several numbers at each of the towns. The corps also played at the intersection in the business section before returning to their rooms.

If you are well bred, you do not greet with a frown of displeasure the person who comes to sit at your table in a restaurant. Perhaps you consider it more pleasant to have the exclusive use of the table but if the place is crowded you should expect to share it. You are as courteous to a stranger as you would be to a friend.

Thomas Murray says that the pulling power of Chronicle advertising is evidenced by the response to a little item in The Chronicle telling that he had four o’clock seed he would like to give away. He said the people were after the seed in throngs the next day. Unfortunately, Captain Murray forgot to inform Mrs. Murray about the matter and she was mystified when the first applicants arrived. A telephone call to the forgetful advertiser set the matter right, however, and a large quantity of the seed has been given away.

1947 – 75 YEARS AGO

Fire, which was discovered shortly after 9 o’clock this morning, caused considerable damage to the garage and storage barn of the Milk Consumers Association at 1132 Pleasant St. The storage barn is located to the rear of the milk plant. The flames had a tremendous start when noticed and when the fire trucks arrived were shooting high in the air as clouds of smoke covered the area. The fire started in the west end of the barn but spread rapidly and some difficulty was encountered in removing a horse from the building. A wagon in the barn was badly scorched and supplies stored in the barn were destroyed including cottage cheese and butter containers.

DeKalb County farmers were really “going to town” today in their efforts to catch up with long delayed farm work. Tractors were snorting in the fields on almost every farm in the county pulling disks, plows, seeders and fertilizing machinery.

Yesterday, several hundred children of pre-school age were registered at DeKalb elementary schools. Although there were a large number registered, it is known that there are a number of parents who did not register their children born before May 8, 1947, and who have not as yet entered school. The purpose of the pre-school registration is to assist the schools in anticipating, not only the immediate needs, but also the needs during the next three or four years. The registration will make possible long-term planning. Ellwood had 213 children registered, Haish 162, Glidden 112 and McMurry 67 for a total of 354.

Dr. Raymond W. Herrmann of Shabbona was recently assigned to Savannah, Ga., where he will be assistant surgeon at the United States Marine Hospital there. He has been in service the past four years. It is expected that he will be at Savannah for the next two years. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Herrmann of Shabbona.

Diamond Wire and Cable Company has purchased the Theodore Chanock property which comprises the piece of land that run parallel to Park Avenue on the west side to within 25 feet of Ottawa Street. The property is in the Patten’s addition. It will be used for the future expansion of the operations of the Sycamore plant. Although company officials did not specify for what operation it would be used for, it is expected that a wire drawing plant will be constructed on the site.

1972 – 50 YEARS AGO

Protests in various forms continued today at Northern Illinois University following a night of demonstrating which included a two and a half hour stoppage of traffic on Lincoln Highway. This morning local police agencies and the Illinois State Police moved into an NIU office building and cleared students who had occupied the building over the night.

Traveling musicians from three DeKalb elementary schools entertained the student bodies of their three schools Thursday in a unique musical exchange program. Choral groups from Lincoln, Jefferson and Tyler schools were bused from one school to another, where they presented programs of popular and folk songs.

At the May 8 meeting, the Cortland Town Board discussed the possibility of a crosswalk over the railroad tracks, connecting Nina Street on the north and south. Desire for such a crosswalk has been expressed by some parents of school-age children in the town. A large percentage of the children crossing Somonauk at Maple St., where there is a crossing guard, must cross back again, where there is no crossing guard, when they get to the north side of town. A walkway connecting Nina on the north and south and a crosswalk over the tracks would eliminate this.

1997 – 25 YEARS AGO

The yellow gleam of the Golden Arches may soon be visible in northern DeKalb County. Although officials at the Oak Brook-based fast food giant won’t comment on the possibility, Genoa Mayor Dave Rood said the company is allegedly looking to construct a restaurant/gas station combination on the east corner of Route 23 and 72.

Now that the DeKalb Park District has unveiled its preliminary plans for a multimillion-dollar sports complex, the ultimate decision on if, when and where the facility will be built lies in the hands of the community.

The question of whether to build a new county nursing home or remodel the existing one has been tentatively decided in favor of a new building. Four months of work has led the county’s Health Facilities Committee to the conclusion that a new home is the better option, particularly since the cost difference is minimal. While the numbers are still preliminary, total cost for a new county home and health department facility is estimated in the range of about $16 million. The difference between building a new facility and remodeling the existing site, however, is about $1 million, making the new building more attractive to the committee.

– Compiled by Sue Breese